Moonlight Terror

“OVER HERE!” Leeroy yelled at his team mate to get him to pass the hoofball, “I’M OPEN, I’M OPEN!” Leeroy yelled even harder, trying to keep his breath as he ran into acres of space.

Thunderlane finally looked up at Leeroy, seeing him in acres of space he kicked the ball in front of Leeroy so that he could continue running forward onto the ball. Leeroy continued with the ball, being the furthest pony up the field he forced the goal keeper on the opposing team to rush out of goal, seizing the opportunity Leeroy kicked the ball over the goalkeeper and sent it into the back of the net.

Leeroy ran over to side lines to celebrate with Thunderlane in a planned dance, which shortly became interrupted as other team members came crashing into them, hugging him in jubilation.

Later that game Leeroy kneed one of the opposing players in a fit of rage for no real reason, he was not even aware that he had done what he had done. He was sent off and he went straight home in disgust at himself.

The East Cloudsdale Blues went on to draw the game 2-2, resulting on them going through to the Final of the most prestigious junior hoofball trophy in Equestria on a 3-2 goal aggregate, the Equestria Cup, they did not have an easy team to face, they were up against the greatest hoofball team in Equestria, Blaugrana FC.

It was a wild party for the team of pegasi; never had they dreamed of getting this far, they defied the odds. Leeroy was not aware of the victory as he went straight home.

“Why did I do that?” Leeroy questioned himself over and over again, winding himself up, making himself angrier each time he repeated the question in his mind. Leeroy noticed that he had not been acting himself recently; he had been getting more aggressive in his behaviour, something that he usually despises in other ponies.

Leeroy looked in the mirror and at the bandage that was wrapped around one side of his face, “It’s all because of this… this thing.” Leeroy thought to himself, making him even angrier, he raised a hoof in preparation to punch the mirror into pieces.

Leeroy heard a knock on the door just in time to save him from punching the mirror; he could not believe what he was just about to do. He went downstairs and opened the door. “WE DREW LEEROY, WE DREW!” Thunderlane latched onto Leeroy in jubilation, jumping up and down.

“We… We did?!” Not even Leeroy could believe this, “What’s the point, I’m not even going to be there.” Leeroy was remembering the disappointing events from earlier.

Thunderlane was disheartened to see his best friend in the state that he was, “Your goal was the one that put us through, without you we would be out, that’s something to be happy about!” Leeroy’s face lit up with a huge grin, that was just what he needed.

“That is true, but if we win I’ll not be able to lift the trophy as captain, you know that’s what I’ve always wanted.” Leeroy was trying to pick out negatives from what happened.

“So we’ll talk to the hoofball association and see what they can do, if not you can still party!” Thunderlane was finding all the right words, “Now come on, there’s a party on at Silverspeed’s, and it’s waiting for you!” Thunderlane grabbed Leeroy out of the house, Leeroy had no choice.

***

Luna sat idly on her bed, throwing a ball on the wall so that it would bounce back to her, “I really should be getting on with my royal duties,” Luna was feeling lazy, “Meh.” She dismissed the work she had to do; she knew that Celestia would most likely take care of it anyway.

Luna heard a knock at the door and instinctively placed the ball under her bed and threw herself into a chair that spun as she got onto it. Staring into the mirror that was placed at her desk she steadied her breathing, “Come in.” Luna said coolly as she turned to face the door.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” Celestia peeked her head around the door to find her younger sister, surprised to see her at her desk, although she doubted she was doing anything productive.

“Only my work,” Luna responded, smiling innocently, hoping to make it look like she was doing work. “What can I do for you sis?” Luna asked enthusiastically.

“Had anything happened to you recently? Say… the past week?” Celestia asked, curious as to why Luna had been behaving strangely.

“Nope.” Luna responded quickly, wanting to stop the conversation dead.

“Okay then,” Celestia looked to the floor, hoping for a different answer, she knew Luna was hiding something. “If nothing’s wrong, why did two of the guards see you crying in the garden?”

Luna looked away from Celestia, trying to think of an excuse as to why she could have been crying, “It’s just… all of the things that have been happening, all these ponies dying for no reason.” Celestia wrapped a wing around Luna to comfort her as a tear began to well up within her eye.

“It is a terrible shame,” Celestia began to sympathize with Luna, not knowing the truth behind her pain, “But you’re royalty Luna, you have to be brave no matter what and you should not let it get to you.” Celestia placed a hoof under Luna’s chin and turned her head slowly, wiping away a lone tear with the other hoof.

“I wish I could, but it just hurts too much.” Luna couldn’t bear thinking about it, whether or not she believed she was the one who caused the deaths it was still sad to think about, but it was all nothing compared to how she felt about Leeroy.

“It hurts us all, but it’s best to move on.” Celestia stood up, “I have to go to perform some royal duties, why don’t you come along?” Celestia did not want to perform her duties on her own, “It’ll help take your mind off of all this.”

Luna did not like the sound of having to get out of her room, she just wanted to be left alone and locked within her room, “Thanks, but I think I’ll pass,” Luna had stopped crying, she turned to face herself in the mirror and thought about how she must of looked.

Celestia did not say anything else, but just walked out of the room, this was unusual as she usually said goodbye to Luna. This made Luna a little worried as this meant that something was wrong, either Celestia did not believe what she was saying or Celestia is hiding something from her.

Luna didn’t think about it for too long, she looked out of her window that overlooked the garden and looked at the tree where Jack was buried, she quickly turned away retrieved her ball from underneath her bed and started throwing it against the wall as she had before Celestia intruded.

“And don’t you think of leaving your room until you have done the work I gave to you!” Celestia burst back into the room, having suspected that Luna would slack off and not do the work, “And I WILL be back in to check it.” Celestia knew that would do the trick.

Luna gave Celestia a cold look as she walked back over to her desk to continue her work whilst not saying a word.

Celestia left the room without saying a word, making it clear that she was disappointed in Luna.

As Luna faced her desk, she took a look at the lunar calendar that was located just right of her mirror, “Looks like there’s going to be a full moon next week.” Luna thought to herself slowly, she started thinking about what had happened, and what might happen if it is all true.

“I’ll have to do something, to see if it’s all true.” She thought as she tried thinking about what she can do to make sure she is not to blame for all that had happened, to prove Jack wrong and that he is nothing more than a figment of her own imagination.