Moonlight Terror

Luna was tucked tightly in her bed as she turned over; enjoying the wonderful dreams she had been having recently, twisting and turning on her memory foam mattress. It’s times like these that Luna just forgets everything around her.

“Sleeping well?” Luna heard a voice coming from in front of her, she was in no mood to wake up and respond.

“Hmmmm…” Luna mumbled as she lazily opened one eye to see who interrupted her. She didn’t see much through the hair that hung over her eye, but she was sure she recognized the mysterious pony from somewhere.

Luna slowly opened her other eye to make sure the intruder was who she thought it was. She was right.

Startled, Luna sat bolt upright and reared into the back of the bed, “Jack, what the hay are you doing here at this time?!” Jack’s head rested nicely on her bed, he lifted his head up with a smile on his face. “I was asleep before you showed up!” Luna was furious at Jack for interrupting her sleep.

“I just came by to say hi, so, hi, how you doing?” Jack had other motives behind the visit, but he did not want to share them, at least not yet.

“There’s something else isn’t there? It’s never quite so simple with you is it.” Luna had gotten used to the way Jack worked, “You always stop by, being a jerk, saying something, and then you bug off like nothing happened.”

Jack was entertained at the way Luna was seeing through what he did. “In a very small nutshell, maybe, just maybe that’s how it works,” Luna was not impressed by Jack’s rebuttal, “And you haven’t even said hi yet.”

“Hi…” Luna said sarcastically, after that rude awakening he did not want to be interrupted by anyone, no matter how important the matter or how important the individual was. “Now it’s your turn, what do you want?” Luna wanted answers quickly.

“Straight to the point, I see you haven’t changed.” Jack did not look like he was going to tell Luna anything anytime soon.

“For the love of Celestia, just tell me.” Luna was getting annoyed and with Jack, her patience clearly wearing thin.

“You should know why I am here, it’s not that hard for someone who is in charge of the moon’s rising.” Jack was not going to tell Luna why he was there, not yet.

“What is this? Are we going to make our way towards the answer like it’s some sort of riddle?!” Luna did not like how Jack was stalling.

“You know, that’s not a bad idea.” Luna slammed her head into the wall behind the bed and rolled her eyes, Jack laughed at Luna’s actions.

Luna was tired of the game Jack was playing with her, “Let me guess, has it got something to do with the full moon in a few days?”

“And the penny has dropped,” Jack was being overly sarcastic; “It took you long enough didn’t it?”

“Oh shut up.” Jack’s sarcasm was clearly getting to Luna; “Are you here to warn me again?” there could only be one reason behind Jack’s visit with the recent lunar event coming up shortly.

“I am here to warn you funnily enough,” Jack was strangely happy despite the reason why he was there.

“Fine, let’s get this over with, I would really like to get back to sleep” Luna knew she would not be able to get back to sleep, but it was worth a try.

Jack turned serious, “Look, I’ll be honest with you, we’ve done this enough times for you to get the picture, so instead of going around killing everyone, why don’t we think of how we can prevent what happened last time from happening again.” Luna started to take more interest.

“I’m listening.” Luna wanted to hear what Jack had to say on the topic.

“Why don’t you end your own life?” Jack looked at Luna with a blank face.

“Not this again, you’re like a broken record, every single time ‘kill yourself, it’ll help everypony else’, it’s getting boring now Jack.” Luna’s impatience was clearly setting in.

“But you’ll kill others Luna. Do you not understand?” Jack was trying to get the idea into Luna’s mind that ending her life would be better for Equestria.

“I will not be threatened by a walking meatloaf!” Luna wanted Jack to go away, “Is there anyway to prove to you that it wasn’t me who killed all those pegasi and ponies?” Luna wanted an alternative answer from Jack that did not consist of her killing herself.

“There could be one alternative I guess.” Jack started to think to himself as to what Luna could do to prove herself.

“Spit it out then, we don’t have all week you know.” Luna wanted the answer quickly.

“Well, lycanthropy is triggered by moonlight.” Jack was onto something, and Luna knew it too.

“So?” Luna wanted Jack to tell.

“Am I really going to have to spell it out for you?” Jack was surprised that Luna was not latching onto his idea.

“It looks that way doesn’t it?” Luna gave Jack a cold look.

“If you stay in your room all night, curtains drawn and all the sources of natural light prevented from entering the room then you may just stand a chance of getting away with turning, and if it really isn’t you we’ll hear of some sort of killing spree by morning.” Jack was proud of the idea that he came up with.

“I don’t know about you, but I don’t think me spending the entire night in my room would sit well with my sister.” Luna could only think of that one flaw, unfortunately it was a big one.

“Well then think of something because otherwise there is only one alternative, and we both don’t want that.” Jack knew that there could be around the problem.

“You’re the smart one, why don’t you think of something?” Luna wasn’t even trying to think of anything.

“If you want this to happen you will have to find a way yourself.” Jack wanted Luna to think for herself on this one.

“I guess I could give myself an illness through magic.” Luna came up with a solution almost instantly.

“Wouldn’t that just make you ill even after this has blown over?” Jack asked, wanting answers as to how this could work.

“Well if someone gives some pony else an illness through magic, then they could get rid of the illness through magic, but it has to be the one that gave the illness in the first place.” Luna had already thought this through and knew that this was going to work.

“It’s good that you thought that one through, now we’ll just have to sit and wait to see what happens.” Jack was worried that this may not work, there were too many risks to be taken in letting Luna have some form of freedom.

***

It was the finally the day of the Equestria Cup, it was late at night and the clouds covered the sky, nopony could see the night sky. Celestia was watching and waiting to pass the trophy to the winner. Leeroy was also watching from the stands, unable to play.

Thunderlane took a deep breath and opened his eyes to look at the big figure that stood in front of him. Thunderlane felt an enormous amount of pressure as he looked at the ball in front of him and then up at the goal in front of him.

“How could I miss? ” Thunderlane thought to himself as he started to stop thinking, but instead he ran up to the ball.

The rest of the team watched on, some looking away not bearing to be able to see the outcome.

Thunderlane placed the ball sweetly into the bottom left corner; he fell to the ground in tears of jubilation at the sight. The rest of the team ran up to him to congratulate him on winning them the Equestria Cup, it has taken them many years of trying, but they finally did it.

Leeroy ran down from the stadium to congratulate Thunderlane and join in with the celebration.

After they had all celebrated on the field they made their way up into the stadium and onto an open sidewalk just below where Celestia had been sitting, it was time they collected their medals and lifted the trophy for the first time in their lives.

Leeroy and Thunderlane went first, putting their hooves onto the trophy. After the rest of the pegasi had received their medals, Leeroy and Thunderlane lifted the trophy for the team and everyone started bouncing up and down in jubilation.

The clouds were beginning to dissipate and there were small glimpses of the moon, Leeroy started to develop small headaches every time the moon broke through the clouds. Despite this, Leeroy still carried on celebrating, nothing could make this day go bad.

***

Luna was sat in her room, waiting for Jack to make his inevitable appearance, he was not going to pass up the opportunity to bug her on the night of the full moon.

“Miss me?” Luna heard a voice from underneath her bed, she knew it was Jack but she peeked under her bed anyway.

Luna looked under her bed, but she could not find him, “Where are you Jack?” Luna asked as she sat back up onto her bed.

“I’m right here.” Jack said as he sat right next to Luna, who fell off her bed as Jack frightened her.

“Don’t do that again.” She said as she brushed herself off.

“You don’t look very ill, did Celestia buy it?” Jack asked, expecting to find Luna feigning her own illness.

“There is no need; she is at that hoofball match giving everyone a pat on the back.” She said, happy that Celestia would not intervene with Luna on the evening.

“Why the hay are the windows and curtains open? Don’t you remember what I said?!” Jack was concerned that Luna was not taking the necessary precautions to prevent herself from changing.

“There is no need, the clouds are covering the moonlight so there is no danger.” Luna said calmly, full of herself and sure that she was not wrong in any way.

“That doesn’t matter does it? And who says it’s not going to be clear all day you numpty.” Jack was getting impatient and angry with Luna, he did not like how she was taking a laid back approach to a very serious matter.

“Fine. I’ll close them.” Luna said in a stern voice, unhappy with Jack calling her a numpty. She walked over to the window to close it and the curtains.

As Luna reached the window, she started groaning in pain, doubling over onto the floor.

“Oh great, you just had to walk into it you complete…” Jack was furious with Luna, he was blind with rage that Luna walked into the moonlight and began transforming.

Luna stopped groaning and looked at Jack, “Gotcha.” Luna exacted revenge for Jack calling her a numpty, she did not like it when anypony insulted her like that, un-dead or not. Jack was not happy with the stunt Luna had just pulled, but looked at her with a look like he was about to attack.

Luna closed the window and curtains, “See, it’s overcast, there is no moonlight…”

“For now.” Jack interrupted Luna, making sure that she realised the situation was not one to be made fun of.

***

It was nearly midnight and Leeroy, Thunderlane, and the rest of the team had moved the party to Silverspeed’s house. It was a large house with a large garden, with everything a party would need. It was always the house to go if there was a party on.

Everypony was staying indoors where the hectic atmosphere was being contained. Leeroy was starting to develop a headache from all the noise.

“Are you okay dude?” Thunderlane asked, concerned for Leeroy’s wellbeing, he hated to see Leeroy in any sort of discomfort.

“Yeah I’m fine; I just have a little bit of a headache, nothing that can stop me partying.” Leeroy responded, trying to soldier through it so that he could stay with the rest of the party ponies.

“Just go outside and take a breather, you look like you could do with it,” Thunderlane suggested, wanting Leeroy to take the advice.

“With this bandage I look like I could do with a lot of things right now.” Leeroy said jokingly, “I’ll be outside if you need me.” Leeroy began to make his way into the garden.

“I’ll be out to join you in a moment to keep you company!” Thunderlane yelled at Leeroy, but he could not hear him over the loud music being played in the background.

Leeroy looked out of the garden window to see that the clouds had dissipated and there was nothing left in the sky apart from clouds and a full moon.

As soon as Leeroy stepped outside he felt his head explode in agony, he doubled in agony as his body started changing.