In the dark alleys of Canterlot where there was only the Moon to light the way, a young mare violently slammed her home’s door shut. It wasn’t actually her home, it was her aunt’s; her only family left. While she wandered around like a lost soul in those many streets she didn’t recognize, she experienced an unpleasant sensation in her heart, as if she had always been bound to fail. It was a painful feeling to be weighed down by.
Her gray coat made her go unnoticed in the ambient darkness of the capital, but that didn’t matter. Even in the light, she felt like she was invisible. Yet her white mane and red eyes really stood out against her dull coat… but that didn’t seem to make her attractive in anypony’s eyes. She wasn’t from here after all.
She was the daughter of a talented unicorn whom she had always wanted to equal. But the absence of a horn on her head prevented her from this dream. How could one stand out from the rest by being so little in a city this big? She wanted to go, leave this place as black as a moonless night which oppressed her.
Her mother was a teacher in astral magic from University of Manehattan. She was a sweet pony, who cared about her daughter’s needs at every instant. She showed anger only on rare occasions, even with her students, and and she demonstrated great empathy. She taught her a lot of things about celestial bodies: how stars found their places every night in the sky, how the moon affected tides and living creatures, the always growing energy that the silver globe released since its master’s return. Her daughter missed her, and each memory was painful to remember.
Wandering aimlessly between these huge oppressive houses, she eventually came by Canterlot’s Fountain, a splendid monument depicting the two Princesses of the country. Even them seemed to laugh at the earth pony with their smiles of stone. The younger of the two had had her statue erected soon after she returned; a mere rock had risen higher than this little pony could ever rise. She followed with her eyes the water pouring from the fountain, then joining the canal that crossed the city in its centre, and eventually falling down the waterfall at the edge of Canterlot.
She wanted to disappear. She looked up at the Moon – the only light that kept her from going invisible. She had to turn over in bed for hours before she could sleep. It was much too soon, she was still mourning, and never had the night seemed to last so long while she watched the silver Moon rise from the window of the bedroom she left.
The Moon was nothing more than a giant rock, a dead rock that showed up every night to reflect the light of this world’s true star. Yet, this night it seemed to glow with a brightness so pure one could think it came from the Moon itself.
From a castle’s tower, on a balcony caressed by the wind, the Princess of the Night watched her silver globe, her head tilted to one side, looking thoughtful.
“The Moon is strange tonight, my Queen…” made a deep voice from behind her.
Princess Luna turned to face her guard, a dark stallion with an armor at her colors. He made a smile that showed one of his fangs.
“Yes, I will have to answer its call.” She tried to smile to her soldier, but only managed to display a sad frown.
“You are merely doing your duty, my Queen… Do not regret your action, we owe you our lifes.”
The keeper of the Moon lowered her head a little, before she moved closer to her guard. Placing a hoof just under his chin, she approached his face slowly. Staring deep into his eyes of gold, she offered him a real smile this time and said:
“Thank you Blues, you are everything to me.”
“And we are nothing without you.”
The alicorn made a few steps back before turning from the batpony et spreading her wings.
“Tell the others I left. And when I’m back, try to manage Funk.”
“Manage Funk? Pardon me my Queen, but I believe you are dreaming.”
“A sweet dream…” With a powerful flap of her wings, she flew off.
It was rare she leaves that way. She had made so few exits like that she could still know how many exactly: eight, including this one. Eight times, and yet she felt like she had done this for a thousand years… A strange sensation was pushing her body to move in a particular direction, almost against her will, even allowing her to close her eyes without risk, guided as she was. However, the second she flew over the big square’s fountain, something caught her attention and she flew down abruptly.
The grey, white-haired earth pony still didn’t know how she had come to walk towards the edge, observing the waterfall pouring into the pond below.
“How did I get there?” she whispered, shaking her head. “Why did you abandoned me, Mom?” She knew how unfair her words were: her mother had not wanted any of this. It was fate that eventually pull them apart. It was her mother’s major health issues. “I’m nothing without you. I just wanted to be like you, but now I have no model, no ties, no goal… I love you Mom, I want you back…” Looking up, she watched the bright Moon above and said: “I can’t stand it anymore.”
It was then that she felt movement behind her. Somepony had come to stop her? It would be surprising, coming from a citizen of Canterlot. She wanted to shout him away, but she no longer had the strength.
The shadow behind asked:
“Are you alright?”
In response, she only got a laugh that hid nothing of the other pony’s nervosity. Yet, this pony was still smiling when she said:
“I couldn’t be any better…”
She didn’t try to continue the conversation. What was there left to talk about? How life was worth living, that nopony should ever give up, and there was always something to prove to anypony? The only pony she cared about had just passed away, now there was nothing.
The grey pony started to bend over the edge, but when she heard a noise behind her, she couldn’t help but turn around. It was too late. Her heart skipped a beat when she felt herself falling free. Yet, she had enough time to glance at the pony behind her.
She was beautiful, magnificent. Her mane was full of so many constellations it would have taken years to identify all of them. Her face seemed severe, but it possessed some lines that somehow managed to soften it, making it seem warm. Her turquoise eyes reflected an absolutely supernatural light. Those eyes… She could have stared into them for thousands of years; yet the contact only lasted for a split-second. There looked radiant, and it seemed the alicorn was worried about her… Probably a trick of her mind.
The earth pony started to naturally panic when she lose her balance and felt herself falling. Her heart shrank in her chest, yet she wasn’t afraid, not anymore. She had made her decision a long time ago. She didn’t want to live here, and after all, wasn’t disappearing forever the best way to be invisible?
Turning from the ground she was falling towards, she could see the Moon just above her, half-hidden by the cliff. It looked as if it was leaning over the void to mock her. This didn’t even affect her, for everything was about to end at last. The mare smiled when she saw the alicorn jump after her. Was she trying to save her? This sweet thought warmed the earth pony’s beating heart, yet she stayed incredibly serene. She could already feel her body falling faster and faster: the alicorn would never catch her.
Luna stretched out her legs, hoping she could touch the mare, but she was still too far. She had hesitated for too long before joining her; one must say her answer had been disturbing. Was she really willing to end her life? The alicorn, who saw things differently, kept flapping her wings with all her strength to close the distance between them. Even when she got closer, the pony didn’t seem to want to be saved, she just stared at her. The Princess of the Night closed her eyes and focused, calling the Moon for help so she could get the power she needed.
Peacefully, the grey pony started to breathe slowly. The ground shouldn’t be very far by now, it was a question of seconds. She could still enjoy the sight of an alicorn trying to save her. She was stretching out her hooves, which wouldn’t stop her… but she was struggling so hard for her. That’s why she stretched out a hoof in return. Even though she couldn’t be prevented from falling, she could still appreciate a last contact with somepony who seemed to care about her.
She stretched out her hoof as far as she could, and saw the Princess getting closer and closer. When her hoof was only inches away, the mare stared into the Princess of the Night’s eyes, and was surprised to see them glowing with blinding light. When their hoofs finally connected, something happened inside the earth pony’s body. She then saw the alicorn spread her wings to slow down her own fall, while just behind her, the Moon began to glow with the same light than her eyes. She closed hers to not get dazzled.
It was then that she hit the lake’s surface. The water was cold as ice, and she could feel the biting cold everywhere in her body as she couldn’t move anymore. She had a hellish headache and the feeling that the bones in her back were being crushed; at least that’s what the pain suggested. Was she still alive? Yes a fall like that should have killed her instantly, even though she fell in a lake.
Unable to move, she felt herself slowly sinking into the dark depths. For the first time since she decided to make it all end, she was afraid, and prayed for somepony to help her get out of here. Lacking oxygene, she opened her mouth, letting water pour directly into her lungs. The pain was so unbearable she wanted to hunch, but even the slightest move was still impossible.
Something around the surface caught her attention: it was the alicorn, who had joined her in the water… what an obstinate pony. However, she was somewhat relieved to see her coming. Her eyes were still glowing with a white surreal light while her mane spread around her face and gleamed with a thousand stars. She was magnificent.
The earth pony would have said something, but she only managed to swallow more water until the Princess reached her.
The Princess of the Night quickly put her front hooves around her waist, her gaze slowly losing its intensity. It seemed she was waited for something before getting her out of the water, as if she was still hesitating to let her drown. How relieved she was when she saw the alicorn spread her wings to swing their way up to the surface.
Once out of the lake, the Moon light was almost intolerable for the earth pony, who could only keep her eyes shut. Extreme exhaustion seized her whole body, and without any possibility to resist, she fainted.
The pain in her body was unbearable. She felt like it had lasted forever. Yet she managed to regain consciousness after a long agony. Every muscle in her body was still aching, but at least her back seemed to be in a better state. If her bones had been crushed when she hit the lake’s surface, the incident had left no mark. She felt like she had simply gotten a new body.
When the mare lifted her eyelids slowly, she noted that she wasn’t outside anymore; as a matter of fact, she didn’t know where she was. It was a huge room with a marble floor. A big arch lead to a balcony, and several rows of books were displayed in a shelf that covered the opposite wall all the way.
She lowered her eyes and understood she was in a bed… but whose? The answer was quickly given when a dark shape moved nearby to cover her with a wing. The mare remained completely still, her gaze fixed on the alicorn who seemed to size her up in silence.
She couldn’t tell why, but a strange feeling was itching somewhere in her back. She stretched slowly while repressing the pain with a groan, but she felt again that something was pulling against her shoulder blades. She twisted her body, seeing herself covered with scars already, but felt relief when she saw nothing, but a pair of leather wings…
“But… What the…”
Spotting a movement behind her, she turned around to see the alicorn standing still. She had stayed near the bed but was now much closer to the mare, who was still in a state of panic. She then put a hoof against the torso of the pony she had brought into her apartment, and draw her muzzle closer to her ear to whisper:
“Welcome among us, Jazz the batpony.”
