Moonlight Terror

Luna woke up in the barnyard of Sweet Apple Acres in a daze, confused as to how exactly she got there. She suddenly felt something in her mouth and spat it out, proving to be nothing more than a bit of hay that had taken a morning stroll.

Luna felt her head ping in pain as she raised her head, not aided even the slightest bit as she noticed a dog standing there, growling at her as she got up and slowly moved away. “Good doggy!” Luna said looking nervous as the dog looked to attack.

Luna spotted a small window above the main barn doors. She quickly leaped and using her wings she flew out as Applejack burst through the door “WINONA!” Applejack clearly in no mood to deal with the dog’s antics. “What the hay are ya’ll yellin’ about?” Applejack asked, seeing nothing nearby that would trigger the dog to start barking.

Applejack then turned to leave as she saw Luna flying away from the barn, confused as to why she would be flying in that direction as there was nothing interesting behind Sweet Apple Acres.

As Luna began to fly, she started to think how she had gotten into the barn in the first plan, remembering nothing from the previous night. Perhaps she had gone to Pinkie’s party and she had one too many apple ciders?

Whatever the reason, she felt better than ever! The headache had soon vanished as a sudden burst of energy shot through her body.

Luna decided to show off in the sky, performing all kinds of fancy tricks from loop de loops to barrel rolls. The feeling as the wind whizzed through her mane made her feel even better as shots of adrenaline pumped through her body.

“I. Feel. GREAT!” Luna yelled as she felt like she could take on the world if it tried. She flew as fast as she could in order to get to Canterlot, so that she could take a stroll through the city, calming and composing herself so she would not be bouncing off the walls when she reached Canterlot Castle.

Luna decided to walk through the centre of Canterlot. It had been such a long time since she had been to Canterlot so she decided to keep the tour of the new look until Celestia showed her around the place.

Most of the ponies hadn’t recognised Luna without her royal attire and messy mane, despite her clear difference in shape and look from your traditional pony.

Luna spotted a café as she realised her throat felt on the dry side. She decided to sit outside as it was such a lovely day. As she waited for a waiter to tend to her she couldn’t help but overhear a conversation two unicorns sitting behind her were talking about.

“Oh my, have you heard about the awful accidents that happened in Cloudsdale and Ponyville last night?” One asked to another, his voice sounding posh and snooty

“Oh yes it’s quite simply awful!” The other replied, her voice sounding melodramatic. “It puts your mind back to that awful barber.” Luna started to think, but she couldn’t have become… that monster?

“Barber?” The unicorn asked, trying his best to search his memory.

“You know? That awful stallion that worked on Fleet Street? The one with the pie maker wife?” The mare was surprised her counter-part did not know about that horrid story.

“Oh yes, what a ghastly event that was!” The unicorn remembered in disgust.

Luna turned to face the two unicorns with a look of confusion and worry. “What do you mean, killings?” She asked, her voice told the two unicorns that she was worried.

The two unicorns looked at each other, looking perplexed as to why Luna has not heard about the killings of late. “Haven’t you heard darling?” The stallion asked rhetorically, “Last night some sort of… thing attacked and killed a few pegasi and one pony.” The stallion kept looking down his nose at her whenever he spoke.

Luna suddenly slumped down back into her chair, thinking about what Jack had said. What would happen on that night. She got out of the chair and began to run towards the castle. Hoping to find solstice within the confides of her room.

As Luna ran, she started to slow down into a slow walk, to allow herself to think what she had just heard over. “Maybe Jack was right? Maybe I am going to transform into some monster and kill innocent ponies?” Luna thought, just wanting to get back to the castle.

As Luna walked through the centre, she saw Jack standing next to a cinema. A disappointed look written on his face. Jack pointed a hoof to the cinema and went inside.

Luna sneaked past the cashier, not having enough bits to pay to get in. She crept underneath the viewpoint of the cashier, making sure she remained out of sight.

Luna walked into a room that was screening a film, she looked around and spotted Jack at the back of the cinema, watching the film with either little or no interest. Luna walked up to the back and joined Jack, sitting down next to him.

“Hey Jack.” Said Luna, abounding disappointed.

“Heya Luna.” Replied Jack in a much more chipper mood than Luna, while scratching his nose with his hoof.

“What do I have to say Jack?” Luna sounded like she wanted to make things better.

“You don’t have to say anything Luna.” Jack responded, trying to comfort her, he could clearly see she was in distress.

“Aren’t you going to say I told you so? Rub it in my face like you have been?” Luna felt like she deserved all the stick she could get after what happened last full moon.

“If I were still alive,” responded Jack quickly, his voice now slightly irritated “I probably would. But I did tell you so you shmuck.” Jack leaned in closer to Luna as he called her a shmuck.

“You just look so awful.” Luna remarked as this was the one time she had gotten to sit close up to Jack and talk to him since the incident.

“Thanks.” Jack was being sarcastic, thinking that Luna was merely stating the obvious, and that he didn’t need to be told of his physical condition.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it,” Luna started being apologetic, now knowing that Jack had been right all along, “I don’t even know if it’s me that’s doing it, how could I do such a thing?” Luna knew she would never hurt any living creature, no matter how mad or frustrated she was.

“What about waking up at the barn? Doesn’t that seem strange to you?” Jack was trying to get Luna to think, trying to get her to come face to face with the truth.

“Well even if I was a weremare, I could easily have drunk one too many apple ciders and passed out in the barn.” Luna explained, seeing as that was her initial trail of thought on the matter.

“Or I might be going crazy, 1000 years on the moon alone was bound to mess my head up. Just look at me, I’m sitting in a cinema in the middle of Canterlot talking to a corpse. I’m actually glad to see you.” Luna was now looking relieved as a small smile crept on Jack’s face.

“I’d like you to meet some ponies.” Jack’s mood suddenly dropped as his face looked more serious. “Luna, this is Doctor Whooves, this is the pony you killed in the back streets, we thought it might not have been best for you to see him as he is a fresh kill and still pretty messy.” Jack warned Luna that his sight was not pleasant.

“Indeed, I do look most unpleasant.” the Doctor sounded to be in no good mood what-so-ever. His tone was of a sarcastic nature, intending to make Luna feel uncomfortable.

“Why are you doing this to me?” Luna turned to Jack. A tear began to well up in her eye.

“This wasn’t Jack’s idea,” Doctor Whooves interrupted, eager to get his point across, “He is your friend, but I am just a victim of your carnivorous, night time activities.” The Doctor was staring deep into Luna’s eyes.

“I’m sorry Mr. Whooves, but I don’t know what to say.” Luna started to look like she was going to cry. Jack looked to her with some concern over her well-being.

“You left my wife a widow and my child fatherless,” The emotion was starting to build in Doctor Whooves’ voice, “and now I understand I am to walk Equestria and beyond in limbo until the bloodline to the weremare is severed and the curse lifted.” The Doctor then leaned into Luna, pointing at her with a bloody hoof, “You must die Luna.”

Luna’s face was blank, even though she knew that all she wanted to do was crawl up into a ball and cry until her eyes dried up.

“Luna, this is Score and Dumb-Bell,” Score sat there with his head being held in his hooves, looking towards Luna as his body was facing the screen. “These were the pegasi you killed when you went gallivanting off to Cloudsdale.”

Luna saw how young they were compared to the Doctor, a tear crept down her cheek as she thought of all the misery that had been inflicted upon everypony.

“I can’t say I’m pleased to meet you Luna, even if you are a princess or not.” Dumb-bell spoke, his face beyond recognition.

“What do you think that I should do?” Luna asked, even though she knew what the answer would be.

“Suicide!” Stated Dumb-Bell instantly, more out of revenge than in concern for other ponies safety.
 
“You must take your own life!” Stated Doctor Whooves, he too was more inclined in revenge than concern.

Jack looked at the fellow un-dead ponies, “Well,” He then turned to look at the screen in front of him. “That wouldn’t solve all your problems” All the other ponies looked at Jack, confused as to what he was getting at. Even Luna had no idea what he was talking about.

***

Leeroy Wingkins awoke in a bed, he felt a surging pain go down the left side of his body as he tried to move himself. A cloth covered the left of his face, his chest was bandaged and still pinging in pain. He could see where the blood had bee.

Leeroy was sick over the side of his hospital bed. Dazed and confused. He raised his hoof up to hold his head, he felt the cloth covering his face. He slowly took it off and looked in the mirror opposite his bed.

He couldn’t contain himself as he started yelling in both pain and anger as he remembered what had happened. He remembered what the bullies had put him through. What would have happened had they not shown up.

Leeroy suddenly felt a huge anger bubble burst inside him as he started to thrash around in his bed, hoping that the bullies had died to the hands of that beast, just as Leeroy so nearly did.

Some nurses and doctors had finally entered the room and constrained Leeroy to the bed, ensuring that if he tried to move he would be extremely limited as to what he could have accomplished.

Leeroy stared at the ceiling as he felt himself go to sleep. He thought about killing those bullies over and over again to the point of obsession. It was the one thing that seemed to calm him down. The one thing that made him happy as he laid his head on his pillow, half of his face chewed clean off, revealing the muscles at work as he opens and closes his mouth.