A young Pegasus mare's hooves slid across the crystalline tiles as she received a blow from a dark, intimidating figure. The dark pony emerged from the shadows, revealing herself. She was the dark pony all feared would hunt them in the night. Nightmare Moon. Her armor had been polished, light blue plates fitting to her slender body. The mare's piercing eyes glared daggers at the Pegasus. The blonde maned pony shuddered from the painful wounds she had received, as well as the cold tiles touching her belly. She knew she could not win against a powerful alicorn, let alone take the defensive. She was at the hooves of the terrible, and terrifying Nightmare Moon.

"I see you have given up, peon. Look into my eyes, slave! Look into me... show me your eyes so that I may judge you thoroughly." Her smooth, velvety voice was laced with venom that sounded as if it could kill a large stallion with a single drop. Still shaking, the grey and yellow pegasus looked into Nightmare Moon's turquoise, hateful draconic eyes. Her pupils narrowed as she looked into the dark pony's eyes. The pegasus saw only hate, malice and dark intent in those eyes.. but the mare saw something more. Her eyes darted away, and the slender alicorn mare submerged herself into the shadows, closing her bladed eyes. A single, midnight blue hoof then made a single step just outside of the somewhat gloomy shadows. It was then the mare widened her walleyes as she saw her very own Princess of the Night standing before her. She shrugged off her still bleeding wounds, and bowed with great respect. Why had Luna visited her in her dream? Was she standing as Nightmare Moon? Was this really Luna?

"Please, Ditzy Doo. There is no need for formalities here. This is not the time nor place." With that, Ditzy, or as most called her, Derpy, lifted herself from the bowing position. Still looping the same questions in her head. Her golden eyes shimmered in the moonlight as she gazed at Princess Luna, shocked. Her eyes had several shades of yellow and orange-yellow mixed into them, reflecting gorgeous irises as bright as stars.

"P-Princess, why are you h-here?" She wanted to slap herself. She had stuttered in public. She had stuttered in front of a PRINCESS for that matter! How could she have been so dumb! However, the matter at hoof still demanded attention, and Luna didn't seem to notice, or care.

"I had originally come here to quell your vicious nightmare.. As I was prepared to emerge, your vision of my former self... I had.. noticed something in your eyes I had not noticed before.. they are full of magic. These eyes.. they are strange; as they are only seen in unicorn families with ancient royal blood. You however... You seem to be different.." Luna approached Derpy, a small frown creeping onto the dark Alicorn's lips. "Wh-What do you mean, Princess? Did I do something wrong?!" Derpy had genuinely worried that the issue were her strange eyes. She held back tears. Even to a Princess she was a freak.
"Far from it, Ditzy." Luna allowed a smile to slip out of her somewhat negative demeanor as she gazed down at Derpy. She was shifting through a whole spectrum of emotions that night, and she had clearly been exhausted. Derpy tilted her head, still wondering what Luna's point was.

"Forgive me, Ditzy.. But it is not your condition that I am worried about.. it is your irises." Ditzy was taken aback. Princess Luna was not concerned about her eyesight, but her irises? This was an unexpected change of what Ditzy had thought Luna meant by her 'strange' eyes.

"Luna.. what's with my irises? Is it a bad thing? What's happening? Why did you come here to tell me this!" Luna took a few hoofsteps over to Ditzy, a sharp 'clack' following after the impact on the crystal floor. "Because Derpy.. After seeing this magic within you tonight.. I cannot simply let this go to waste." Luna gave Derpy a smile. It warmed the Muffin-loving pegasus up inside knowing Luna meant no harm. Still, she had the slight fear she was in big trouble for something. Luna then proceeded to help Ditzy off of the cold floor, and used her magics to heal the pony's wounds. It was clear both she and the pegasus were tired.

"Ditzy, I shall arrange a train ticket in three days time. I would like you to come visit me in my castle. I will warn the guards of your arrival so that we may avoid trouble... Pinkie Pie may be a bit of a problem, but nothing that I or the others cannot solve." Derpy's smile faltered. Traveling? This of course, made her nerves arise. "Why can't we just talk here, Luna? It's warm and safer than a.. scary train.." The darker pony's smile did not fall, and Luna began to walk towards the shadows. "It is almost dawn, and it I have other dreams to attend to tomorrow night, as well as the next. I will be in Canterlot, however. Please do not hesitate to call me in your dreams if you have trouble, my Little Pony."

With that, the Night Princess spread her wings, and slipped into the darkness. The dream around Derpy was empty and quiet. The crescent moon shone dimly through the colored glass memorials in the hall. Derpy shivered, awaiting the end of the dream. It would certainly take a long time, and Derpy did not know how to wake herself. She would wait for her alarm clock. Yes. Her pink alarm clock which always woke her up in time for work. She smiled, and nodded, glad to rely on something other than herself to wake up. She would wait. The plan was set.

She would take the train to Canterlot in three days, and until then she could pack, work for bits, and spend time with the cakes. It all formed together and fit perfectly. Derpy had nothing to worry about!

Author's Note

Oh boy. The draft has been stuck in my files for a year now. I rewrote it since I've improved. I feel like I let myself down by beholding this for so long and forgetting about it. Anywho, I had the idea around January last year and decided to write it. I have a few chapters ready but I will release them as I please. (That is if I even keep it published here... or get it published at all on another site )

I seriously don't write much MLP;FIM fanfiction and just mess around with other things.

When I feel like it the art will be changed.. Maybe after the first few chapters. The artist is ~Fly-Grey by what I've heard. I'm not sure if their DA account still stands.
Give them the proper credit however.