Luna's Dark Knight...

The next morning, or evening for those of you that stake claim to the day, I awoke in Luna's bed, which slightly perturbed me, seeing as I was on it and now I was in it... I looked over to my right and found that my Princess was still laying next to me, her midnight blue hair framing her features magnificently. She looked all more like the goddess she was supposed to be with how her mane had arranged itself around her face, and with how the light of the moon fell upon her left side... It was one of the more beautiful things I will have ever seen.

Laying there I decided to check on my injuries. So, narrowing my senses onto my own being, I delved into my body. I first checked over my lower back, checking to see how the nerve endings were healing, and noticing that they had all almost completely healed. I then moved onto my legs, checking them over to make sure I hadn't misaligned any of the breaks before they became permanent.

finding that all was well I then just decided to lay there... And look up to the starry ceiling above me; with its midnight grey clouds gently floating across its vast expanse.

"Princess, it is time for thee to awaken..." I whispered into her ear, making it twitch, which in turn made me chuckle.

"Mmmm... Fine... We art up..." She mumbled out, slowly pushing the covers from her body and lazily getting out of bed.

"Thou dost not wish to raise the moon late,... Dost they?" I spoke in a slight condescending tone, mixed in with a stifled laugh.

"By the moon we're late!" Luna bolts from the bed and shot. Or onto the terrace, and quickly preformed her nightly duties.

"We shalt have thy head Corpus..." Luna growled at me as she slinked back into the room, becoming rather pissed at my writhing form, I was laughing my ass off... Almost literally!

"I'm sorry dearest Luna, but thou art too easy to cajole! Thy face 'twas priceless!" I barked out with laughter, soon making her crumble under the good mood I was exuding.

"Very well then... We suggest that thou should watch thy back..." Luna said with a devious smirk sneaking across her lips. She then came over and got on the bed next to me.

"Corpus... we shalt be leaving thee for a time this night, we need to go and scour the night for any dangers our subjects might face... Can we be sure in leaving thou here will cause thou no pain?" She asked, worry evident in her voice. She was leaning against the head board as she waited for my answer.

"If we were in a better state, we would go with thee... But alas we will be bed ridden for several days longer... And yes, we shalt be fine here without thee as company for a while more." I smiled to her as I made myself comfy in the sheets, floating on of the many novels and history book over that Luna had shelved on the other side of the room.

"Then we bid thee farewell... We shalt be gone but a stark few hours..." She nodded before getting back off the bed and heading for the terrace doors.

"Be safe, dearest Princess... we shalt pray that thine night is a fine one indeed." we smiled to each other before she shot out the doors and over the railing, using her immensely beautiful, and greatly powerful, wings to propel herself through the evening air.

perspective: Luna

I flew through the night sky, letting its gentle breeze waft against my feathers and fur, the feeling of the winds caress on my body filling me with warmth. Gliding over the vast borders of Equestria has always been a favorite of mine, when it comes to my duties as Princes of the night. The vast plains, colored a dark blue, were one of the many sights I was to behold as I traveled my routes across the pathways of the land, they filled me with tantalizing images of what could possibly go there in the future... A village, with a bustling market place, a farm specializing in many of the sweet things that most ponies enjoy, or even a sweets-shop. Run by a happy family of bakers... Many things of the like would flow into my mind as I flew, unguided, across the vast expanses known as Equestria.

My first stop that evening was a little village, called sunny dale, it sat on the fringe of a long set of soft rolling hills and a quiet stream. The town had about thirty houses scattered about the countryside and a few farms littering the landscape with them. There was also a bakery, a small market place, a humble looking town hall, and a small church like building with a small grave yard built behind it. The roadways were paved and well taken care of, making the town out to be a quaint little place.

Passing over the town I noticed nothing out of the ordinary and decided to keep on flying by, that is until I saw a bird like creature dart from behind a building and into an alleyway, seeing this I cast an invisibility spell and a silent hoof spell, making myself almost completely unheard and unseen. I swooped down and landed softly against the cobble stone walkway, making not a sound against it. I then slowly trekked my way down the darkened path, until I finally cam across the being from before... The image I saw there after will stay with me throughout the rest of my immortal life... The first time I had seen a pony ripped apart.

The pony laying before the beast used to be a light cerulean color, with silver-blue hair... now its coat and mane were stained with blood... Even its eyes were stained... though with the color of death... for they were an almond color that had fogged over for lack of breathing, seeing as the ponies throat had been ripped out and tossed on the ground next to it. What ever the bird thing was... The pony lay there... Throat ripped out and stomach ripped open like a fish...

My little pony now laid dead, at the feet of this... monster... And Righteous Retribution will be had...

"FOUL CREATURE! I DEMAND ANSWER, YOU HAVE SLAIN ONE OF MY PONIES! IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO DIE THIS NIGHT THEN TELL ME WHY!" I screamed... no, BELLOWED... using all my power to amplify my voice to the extreme, shattering windows with the force. The beast in turn flipped around and squawked at me, flair its wings, which were reminisce of eagles, and getting into a defensive stance. The snap to attention of the creature made the blood and gore, that had been on its beak, splatter onto my chest and face, drawing me into a far deeper rage than I already was in.

"I answer to no pony Princess!" The creature squawked at me, I somehow understood it. It then scratched its front feet against the cobblestone ground, making an ear piercing noise, I deftly looked down towards it feet for the noise and back, what I noticed made me want to gag. The creature had claws... and they were covered in the gore of the pony behind it. I jumped back a few feet as the beast swung its bloodied claw at me. I then charged a quick fire spell and shot the small fire ball at it, where it just hit harmlessly against the cobblestone road, as the beast was already in the air, having taken off with ease in the narrowed space.

I then started gathering up a large amount of magic, readying multiple spells at once for mass casting, something that only the greatest of unicorns can do, or one very powerful Alicorn that is versed in battle magic, though never having used it to kill anything, YET. I was then chasing the beast through the night skies of Equestria, shooting multiple ice and stun spells at it, not wanting to use fire again for fear of burning down the straw houses. I swooped down and then pulled up sharply, body slamming the creature with my shoulder, making it cry out in surprise. It then spun around and racked its claws across my chest, scrapping across some of the silver jewelry I wore around my neck, which thankfully protected me from getting my jugular slashed. The claws bit in deeply, causing deep angry rends that openly wept blood afterward. I cried out in pain and slashed at the creature with my horn, dragging the sharp edge across the creatures fore leg, making it cried out in pain also as I tore flesh from bone, I had snagged a muscle tendon and managed to rip the whole bit out.

The creature then slammed its hind legs into me, extending even more claws from its paws, yes it had paws like a cat for its hind legs. They dug into me before the creature pushed off and sent me plummeting towards the ground below, allowing the beast to get away. I spiraled down to the ground, until i was caught in the green aura of a unicorn mare that had gone outside to see what the commotion was about. She hen brought me down slowly, resting me on the cold hard ground.

"My princess, are thou safe?!" The mare hurriedly said, not knowing fully what had transpired this night.

"Neigh, good mare, We hath been injured... But we must make hast... We must warn our sister, Princess Celestia, of this grave danger to our subjects... But first, we must make good the ritual of the dead... and bury a sad soul this eve... Please, gather thine elders and tell them post hast they make to the church... We shalt meet thee there." The mare nodded, though not fully understanding what I had meant by it all. The mare then took off, off towards the town hall and where their elders slept, I then went back down the alleyway and retrieved a body, though conjuring up a white cover to place over it for chivalry's sake. I then lifted up the body and cleaned away the blood from the road, knowing that the more that saw it the more fragile the community would be.

I soon arrived at the church, mangled body in toe. I proceeded to knock on the door, hearing hoof steps inside, I waited for the pony to answer the door.

"Yes, whom could it be at such an unconscionable hour of the night?" The priest drawled out, still trying to wake up.

"It is We, thy Princess of the night, Luna, We come here now to ask liberty of using acquiring thine service for this pour soul... whom has had thine life cut short." I morosely said, empathy and sorrow leaking into my voice like the tide.

"I beg thin pardon, Princess! I did not know that it 'twas thee at mine door... Please come in... I will see to the child immediately... Might I ask what happened to her?" The priest asked, slightly mortified at the thought of a pony being killed.

"WE caught a beast... devouring, this pour mare... Alas we were unable to catch the murderer and set them straight with a trial...But the beast escaped our grasp... But we did wound the beast before it got away, though we did not go away unscathed as well." I gestured to my wounded chest, making the priest gasp at such a sight.

"My Princess! you thou should see a medic soon... I dost not wish sufferance upon thee, I will handle these things... I assume the elders have been alerted...?" The priest asked, I nodded an affirmative to him, to which he gave a sad smile, "Then please, I beg of thee, go, and get thine wounds looked at... It would put my old bones to rest that thou did this." He said smiling slightly, making me want to hug him in return for showing such kindness to me.

"Then we shalt be gone... Please, send a notice to the palace of this mares family... We wish to go to them personally... when they are notified..." The priest nodded, giving me an odd smile, and I left, taking flight shortly there after and heading right back to the Ivory City to get my wounds looked at. Sister will not be pleased.

Not an hour later I was back at the palace... Gliding gently towards the terrace for my bedchambers, where my dearest friend Corpus was no doubt lounging about. The thought of the somewhat crippled man lounging about made me giggle a little bit at the irony. I angled up and over the ledge of the railing for the terrace and landed softly against the carpeted floor.

"We just hope Corpus isn't to angered by our state... especially with our saying of not getting into any trouble while out and about..." I thought to myself, feeling an emptiness in myself for having failed in my promise to Corpus. This was going to be a long night...

"Mine friend Corpus... We art back..." I slowly murmured out as I stepped through the large glass doors of the terrace.

"I know..." His voice carried from within my bedchambers, and he did not sound happy.

perspective: Corpus

"I know..." I called out from the bed, glaring slightly at Luna as she entered the room, I knew she had gotten in trouble... But my eyes became saucers when I saw the injuries on her chest, and all the blood that covered her.

"Princess! What in Ziost's name happened to you!" I screamed, forgetting to use antiquated speech. "Princess, go rinse off now! Then get back in here, IF YOU DO NOT DO THIS, I WILL USE FORCE!" I screamed at her, making her jump in surprise at my hysterical tone.

"Um yes, we'll go then!" She scampered of to the bathroom where I soon after heard water running in the bath. I started to gather as much force energy within my body as I could at such short notice, I would need everything I could muster to heal all her wounds. It is a good thing I became a practitioner of bio-mancy during my time as a master among the Sith, seeing as that knowledge will now help possibly save one of my only remaining friends.

After ten minutes of waiting I heard the shower cease, Luna then came out, almost dripping wet and very soggy, and stood at the foot of the bed. She was panting slightly form the rushed cleanse and was blushing slightly for standing before me sopping wet, to which I did not care.

"Luna, come over here," I motioned her over, making it easier for me to reach her, "This will feel weird, trust me, but it is safe I assure you." She nodded absently as she stared at me, still blushing, though not as much, I had long since left formalities at the door... on fire and smoldering.

"If thou says so Corpus... We will trust thee, as thou hast trusted us." I nodded in thanks as she came a little closer.

"Now, relax..." I cooed out as my hand rested gently against the large rends in her flesh, they were not bleeding as much as they were earlier, though I did not know if that was a good thing. "I will be using your bodies own regenerative abilities o take care of this... I will just be giving them a large boost is all." I spoke in a soothing tone, making her ease up somewhat in her stance. "Luna, I will be frank wit you, I am EXTREMELY PISSED that you somehow ended up getting hurt... But i'm more worried now than anything... So, tell me what it is that hurt you... so that I might be able to exact revenge later..." the last part I let slip with a predatory grin on my face, making her flinch ever so slightly, though she did give me a slight smile in return.

"Thou are scary when thee puts on that mask... But we digress, the creature that attacked us was unlike anything we had ever seen before... It had the wings and beak of an eagle, along with claws for front feet, but it had a rear of a cat... or maybe a lion... We did not get such a clear view as to tell when it kicked us..." She then recounted the rest of the fight to me, telling me about how she had found the creature, and what it was doing...

"Ah'hem... WE believe we know what thou hast seen this eve, mine Dearest Princess... It comes from a long line of mythology in our galaxy... It is to be called a Gryphon ... they are predatory birds of prey that are half eagle half lion... just as thou hast detailed out to us." I said, regaining composure over my speech pattern once again. By this time in our conversation I had healed most of her wounds, having them seal up before our very eyes as I poured a good amount of force energy into her cells to promote perfect growth of the skin and hair in that area.

"How dost thou know of such creatures... if they are to be myth in thine own place?" She quipped.

"WE know of these things because of our imagination... One man thought of what you would call a creature with a half the body of another... He went on to create many different creatures. thou some were rooted in reality instead of fantasy." i spoke with a sage like tone, having actually seen some of the mans work from years ago, though it was among my birth fathers collection of artifacts.

"WE see... Are we healed now, Dearest friend Corpus? Or will thou take command again and force us to do something else for our own good?" Luna said with a snarky tone blatantly heard in her voice. I blushed slightly before, and no I have not done this often, my palm... met my face... very hard in fact.

"Princess... thou art lucky you are under my care right now... or else we would be beating thee senseless for thy uncouth behavior..." I sighed, smiling all the while, and patted Luna on the shoulder, making her wince slightly at the soreness of the muscles underneath. "The pain will fade within the hour... just take some time to relax and thou shalt be fine... Thou shalt need to tell thy sister of that creatures hostile intentions. We shall keep thee company until such time as thy sister is awakened, the thou should make post hast to thy sister for council on this matter." I bopped her on the nose playfully, making her snort.

perspective: Luna

Over six hours later, of me laying next to my friend, and possible savior, and reading books for whatever reason than entertainment, it was finally time to wake my sister and tell her of the nights debacle, and put Corpus's fear to rest, he thought that we might have an impromptu invasion happening without us knowing. Corpus shoe'd me out of the room with words of encouragement, meant for when I deal with my sister, and sent me on my way.

I soon found myself walking the halls of The Ivory Palace in search of my sister and her guards.

After a few minutes of wandering the halls I finally fell upon where my sister was staying. She was out in the gardens with four of her guards, having tea with the head of one of our more, preferred, noble houses, White-Collar BlueBlood the first. He was an ancestor of one of the generals that had aided my sister and I in our attack on Discords castle many several decades ago, he was now a groan stallion and was living up to his family name, being one of our greatest generals yet.

"Sister... we need have word with you... And Sir BlueBlood may as well stay... for it concerns thee as well." My words got both of their attention rooted directly on me, which was rather embarrassing and comforting at the same time.

"What dost thou need sister, we were just having the most wonderful of conversations..." Celestia asked, her brow raised in curiosity, not a hint of reproach in her tone. She merely was curious as to what could have me interrupting a social like this.

"Last night on our patrol, we encountered a beast of the likes we had never seen," this caught both my sisters, and BlueBloods, attention, "It was part Eagle and part lion... and it can speak Equestrian... though not very fluently we would surmise. We came upon this... beast... when it was in the process of... Excuse us..." I took a moment to calm my nerves, trying not to either regurgitate my meal from earlier and to not break down from the memory. "It was in the process of... Consuming... One of our little ponies... IT had ripped out her throat and gutted her in a back alleyway before I had arrived..." I took one of the extra cups on the table with my magic and filled it with some tea, before downing it in one gulp.

"Sister..." Celestia was on the verge of tears when I got to that point, though I was not done.

"After We found the creature We confronted it... demanding its reasons for... ending... one of our beautiful subjects... It just screed at us and attacked, not explaining itself, and later denying to when it did speak, and continued to attack us... If not for some healing magic We had used we would most likely be in a hospital bed as of now, resting from our wounds... Hence why we had not called thee earlier sister... We were resting and healing our own wounds before hand..." I finished, giving her almost all the details, though I left out Corpus for good measure, so as to not make my sister suspicious just yet... I will introduce him soon enough... I just want him able to defend himself if she happens to turn... violent, though he has shown he is not defenseless, even in his current state.

"Sister... we art sorrowful that thou had to go though such an ordeal... But what dost thou mean by giving us this information...?" Celestia, ever the one to need some things spelled to to her, asked.

"We fear that, if not handled correctly, we may be facing an impromptu invasion of this new species we have encountered... With our entire nation being hidden on this large continent, with no real border to speak of, we are inviting such things to happen to us as it stands... We urge thee to take action, sister, if not for us, than for our subjects." I spoke, making it apparent that I did not mean to just let this go by without sufficient looking into.

"Very well Sister, WE shall bring to together a meeting of the Generals... in ten days... We will need all the information we can get in that time to have an effective council meeting." Celestia stated, steel resolve wrapped around her words, galvanizing my urged choice to meet with her on this.

"Aye, Princess, the two of us shall bring these men together and figure out how to handle this fine mess we've gotten ourselves into this time. And I swear, on my life, that I shalt not fail either of you in this." White-Collar declared, his northern accent coming through slightly.

"We thank thee both, Sister, BlueBlood, We bid thee good day... We art now off back to bed, fare thee well." I bowed slightly to the pair and began my trek back to my warm bed, and my awaiting friend/blanket warmer.