Chapters It had been a night worth celebrating in Ponyville and throughout Equestria, with Nightmare Moon forever gone the summer sun celebration had an extra kick to it, every pony in Equestria was partying, non-more so than Pinkie Pie and Ponyville!
The Elements of Harmony were all sat at a table along with Celestia, Luna and a few guards so that nothing gets out of hand and to show that whilst this is a celebration she still wanted to make things look serious.
After the celebrations took place it had become nightfall and Luna decided to leave, she felt out of place mingling with the local ponies, she felt alone despite everyone being joyous for her. “I think I’m going to call it an early night sis, I’ll see you tomorrow at breakfast” Luna said enthusiastically to Celestia, hiding her true thought on the matter.
“Whatever makes you happier Luna,” as though she knew how Luna felt, “Just stay safe” she said with a hint of concern in her voice. She turned to a guard sitting next her, “May you escort Princess Luna back to Canterlot?” Even though he was asked, he knew he didn’t have a choice.
“Oh er, Princess Celestia ordered me to escort you back to Canterlot castle” The guard stated enthusiastically, clearly looking forward to escorting her all the way back to the castle. Maybe he could get to know her? Become a friend of the royal family? Or even become a Prince! All these thoughts bounced around the young guards mind.
“Typical Celestia, she rarely ever lets me be alone” she stated, with a hint of frustration in her voice.
“One would have to assume she just wants to keep you safe, especially after all that’s just happened”, Luna turned around and looked at the guard, who wanted to take back what he had just said in a worry that she will be mad at him.
Luna laughed at the guard quitely, “I guess so”, her spirits suddenly became higher than they were, thanks to the nervous pony following her. “What is your name?” she asked nicely.
“My name?” He asked confused
“Yes, you do have a name don’t you?”
“It’s Jack” He had never been asked his name by anyone anywhere near as important as the Princess.
Luna chuckled again at the nervous pony, she had never been in direct contact with anyone like this for over 1000 years, it was such a relief to her to have found someone she could talk to and not feel out of place.
***
They spent about 30 minutes talking to each other, about family, what’s changed over the last 1000 years of Luna’s absence, and what it was like to be trapped on the Moon over thousands of years.
“The… The moors?” Jack suddenly became startled and scared.
“Yes, what’s so bad about that?” She said inquisitively
“Apparently there’s a monster that roams the moors, surely even you have heard of it?”
“I have, and it’s just an old Mare’s tale, if you want to be had a go at by Celestia for leaving me to go through the moors alone” She said, impatience growing inside her. Jack took head of the advice and decided to follow her.
***
It was dark on the moors, the grass was unkempt and there was a permanent, thin layer of fog that hugged the surface of the grass.
“It’s a beautiful full moon out tonight” Jack said, whilst lost in his own thoughts, looking up into the night sky.
A bizarre noise came out of the darkness. “Did you hear that?” Jack asked, his voice suddenly became nervous.
“Yeah I heard that” said Luna, even her voice had a hint of worry.
“What was that?” asked Jack, looking around with his eyes peeled open, with Luna looking behind them.
“It could be a lot of things” replied Luna, reassuring herself that there is nothing that lurked in the darkness.
They continued walking whilst looking around to try and see if they could find what the source of the noise was, but they could see nothing but darkness all around them.
They heard the noise again, but this time it was louder, closer. Although it no longer sounded like a muffled noise, but a roar from an animal, but not like any animal they have ever heard of. Both of them now looking worried “I vote we hurry up and get back to the Castle” implored Jack, doing his best to hide how scared he was, even though it was not working.
“Yeah” Luna gave a worried answer, along with an assertive nod. They quickened there pace across the moor, their eyes darting around to see if they can find whatever it is that is playing with them.
The thing in the darkness roared another time, this time fainter, but still ever present “What in Celestia’s name is that?” Jack asked, even though he knew Luna did not know, nor did he expect a response.
“We should just keep moving, the quicker we move the faster we can get to the castle” ordered Luna, who had a small voice in the back of her head telling her to fly off and leave Jack. They had quickened to a slow run, in order not to become too tired, should the thing show itself to them and the need to sprint would arise.
The thing let out another growl, whatever it was it was right in front of them, both Luna and Jack looked dead ahead, knowing the thing was somewhere in the darkness in front of them, neither of them able to look away, in case it appears, it growled again, but from somewhere else, the frightened ponies backed up, “It’s moving, it’s circling us,” He stood in front of Luna to protect her, the thing growled again, “Ah fuck”, his voice trembled, not making any attempt to try and hide his fear.
“What’s the plan?” Luna asked in a hope that he could think of something
“What plan?” Jack responded, looking at Luna with a blank face and worried eyes.
“Let’s just keep walking” Luna tried her best to think up of something, but it was all too much for her to take in, “it’s just a lovely stroll on the moor, tra la-la la-la. Isn’t this fun?” Luna tried to motivate herself and Jack in any way she could, even though the tone in her voice did anything but motivate them, anything to try and escape from this nightmare. They both set off slowly, in case they run into it.
The thing let out a quite mumble, but it was enough to let the two frightened ponies know where it was “It’s right in front of us” exclaimed Luna.
“You think it’s a dog” asked Jack, taking a wild stab in the dark as to what it may be. Luna shook her head slowly, Jack was too fixated on the area of darkness directly in front of them to notice her responce. The thing roared again “Celestia damn it, what is that?”
“Maybe it’s a sheep dog or something?” Luna knew it wasn’t like anything she had ever heard of. “Come on turn slowly and let’s keep moving” Jack was too fixated in front of him, so Luna gave him a slight nudge to get him to follow her.
“Nice doggy” Jack tried to keep his spirits up, trying to think of anything to get his mind off it. “Good boy” Luna pulled Jack closer getting him to focus on running away.
“Come on Jack, walk away”
“Walking away. Yes, here we are, walking away” Jack’s breathing had increased, the look of panic written on his face as he walked as quickly as he could. Jack turned his head to check if he could find anything.
“Can you see anything?” Asked Luna, with hope that he cannot see whatever it is that is following them.
“No” He replied bluntly. The thing roared yet another time.
“Sounds far away” Luna tried to calm herself with the thought.
“Not far enough” nothing could take what might happen to them off of Jack’s mind. “Come ooooon” Jack tried to urge Luna to go faster by nudging her slightly, he did not care if she was royalty, anything to try and get them out of there. They began running in any direction apart from where the roar was coming from, which was from the direction of the castle.
“But Jack where are we going?” Luna’s voice was now filled with fear, the speed they were running was now becoming a sprint.
“I don’t know I’ll tell you when we get there” Jack only had one thing on his mind, and that was to get out of the moors, even if he walked into the Everfree forest, anything was better than this.
“Okay cause….” Both Jack and Luna were cut off by their own screams as Luna fell over, thankfully it was just a hole in the ground.
“You really scared me you silly pony” Commented Jack, reaching to pull Luna back up, both of them had a massive look of relief on their faces, thay laughed as they locked hooves to get back up. This was what they needed to lift them up.
But before Jack helped Luna up, something came out of the darkness and tackled Jack to the floor, Luna shot back up and looked for a moment as this monster bit deep into Jacks neck, tearing his body up, leaving holes where blood began leaking out. “Oh Celestia help, please, Luna get this thing off of me!” Jack implored, his voice screaming in pain!
Luna was already gone, her wings working like never before, she could hear Jack screaming for her, for any help at all. Even if she could help, what could she do? His wounds were so bad that if she did manage to kill whatever that thing was she would never be able fix those wounds, nopony could. Tears stared building in Luna’s eyes, but she could not cry, she was trying to get away too much.
Eventually Luna slowed down “Jack…” she whispered under her voice, she quickly flew back, hoping to arrive in time to save him. However, with one last scream the shouting stopped, Luna knew what had happened but refused to believe it until she saw him.
Jack’s green coat was now covered in blood, his body was a mess of holes, his face barely recognisable, blood stained the surrounding grass. Luna wanted to crawl into a ball and cry beside Jack, ‘You stupid mare Luna, why did you leave him’ She tortured herself with this thought.
Suddenly she saw the thing running at her, roaring to intimidate. Luna had to act quickly, she turned to run as fast as she could, but it was moving fast, like nopony, like nothing, she has ever seen before. Luna stretched her wings and began to fly upwards, but the thing leapt up and bit her on the on the bottom of her right hind leg, she screamed in pain and kicked it off, the thing fell, Luna didn’t bother looking back, she just wanted to get back to the castle.
***
It had been an hour of flying until Luna eventually reached the castle, she climbed through her old bedroom window. Her room was still neat and tidy just how she left it, save for a few scrolls laying on her desk, her walls were dark violet, with a bed made with silver, and a dark blue covering. A large oval mirror took up most of the wall in front of her bed. She expected to be greeted by dust, and lots of it, but Celestia made sure that the room was to be cleaned, in case she ever got her sister back.
She planted her head on an old pillow and began to cry loudly, the thought of Jack and what just happened refusing to go away no matter how hard she cried. Her crying became so loud that Celestia could hear it as she arrived back from the celebrations.
Celestia burst through Luna’s door, “Luna! What’s wrong?” her voice ridden with concern as she saw her sister crying uncontrollably.
“Jack………Thing…….Attack…….Us……Dead….” Celestia could not work out what her sister was saying, Luna was in a state of massive shock and began hyperventilating heavily, Luna eventually collapsed to on the bed, her leg leaking blood onto the bed.
“GET ME A DOCTOR NOW!” Celestia screamed down the corridor to get someone to help her sister get to the royal Infirmary.
“JACK!” Luna yelled as she awoke bolt upright from her bed in the Royal Infirmary. She was sweating and her sheets where drenched. “Where… Where am I?” Luna said slowly as a migraine attack soon took effect.
“You are in the Royal Infirmary, now please get onto this wheelchair so I can escort you to another bed, you’ve made these bed sheets so soggy” Nurse Redheart gave her a stern look, making it clear that she doesn’t have a choice in this. Princess or not.
“Ow!”Luna tried to walk to the wheelchair, but she collapsed due to a pain that shot up from her right hind leg. She wondered how she got it for a second, but then she remembered everything that had happened leading up to now. A tear began to build as she started to remember Jack laying on the moor surface. She bravely swept it away with a hoof. She had to look proper. She is a Princess after all.
“Please take it easy, the doctor has given you a heavy sedative, you need to get some rest” Luna did not respond, but breathed deeply and dosed off whilst being wheeled to another room.
***
Luna woke up with the same nurse in the room as the last time she woke up. “How long was I… out for?” Luna still felt tired, but she did not have a migraine anymore and she was able to wiggle her hind leg without any serious discomfort.
“It’s been 3 weeks since you collapsed,” Nurse Redheart responded bluntly, clearly not in the mood for joking around or going the extra mile. “And before you ask, you came in with a few bumps and bruises, the only serious damage was to your hind leg, but it’s healed much quicker than we expected”. The Nurse clearly did not want to be bugged, so Luna did not bother asking any more questions.
‘Three weeks? Surely not?’ Luna thought to herself, amazed that she has been out for so long and not suffered any brain damage. The room itself was quite simple; one window to the left of the bed, white walls, a chair to the right of the bed, and one main light and a personal light on a table next to the chair.
Nurse Redheart returned with a tray with some food on it and she handed it to Luna, “Thank you Nurse Redheart” she said politely and enthusiastically, trying to cheer the nurse up.
“I went to medical school, and why? To give food to snooty royalty” the Nurse mumbled under her breath, doing everything she could not to show any empathy what-so-ever. Luna watched her leave the room and a grin appeared on her face when she closed the door.
Luna sat up to take a bite from a piece of toast and as she looked up a look of shock and fear swept across her face.
“Hey.” Jack said nervously, raising one hoof. “Can I have some of that toast?” Jack asked, happy as he was before the incident. His body was bloodied and torn: two huge gashes ran down his face until it hit a missing chunk of skin that should be covering his throat, pieces of flesh dangling under the right of his chin, the rest of his body was riddled with holes all over his body. The wounds seemed new, but there was no blood coming out of the gaping wounds that spread all over his body.
“Get out of my room now!” Ordered Luna, her mood quickly turned sour by his unexpected visit. She was more frightened about what was going on, but she tried to hide it behind anger.
“Now that wasn’t the greeting I was expecting. You’re hurting my feelings Luna” Jack walked closer to Luna, sitting down on the bed whilst Luna backed off, back flat against the back of the bed. He then picked up a slice of bread using Magic from his broken horn and took a bite “Tastes good”.
“Hurting your feelings? It’s a little unsettling to see you rise from the dead to visit me” Her voice sounding uneasy as she fidgeted about, trying to get comfortable.
“I’m sorry I frightened you Luna, but I had to see you” Jack’s voice had suddenly become a little more serious as he took another bite out of the toast.
“Aren’t you meant to be in the moors right now? I saw you laying there dead!” Luna recalled leaving him there, with no intention of arriving back to collect his body.
“Oh and thanks for that, now I’m just a part of that weremare’s chew toy collection. Even in death life mocks me. Oh did I say how thankful I am?” His voice gave off the impression he was annoyed, even though had Luna been the one to have been killed, he would have left her on the moors.
“Wait, did you just say a… a weremare?” Luna suddenly snapped to attention, not knowing whether to trust Jack or not.
“Yes, a lycanthrope, we were attacked by a weremare” Jack’s tone now extremely serious. “You see I have to warn you.” He announced, whilst taking another bite from his piece of toast.
“Warn me?” Luna gave a look as though she was insane. “I am not listening to this!” Luna covered her ears with her hooves.
“I was murdered by a weremare” Luna let her hooves drop to her side. She couldn’t resist hearing what he had to say, just out of curiosity. “And now I walk Equestria in limbo until the curse is broken.”
“Shut up” Luna did not want to hear whatever he had to say anymore.
“The link to the weremare must be broken, the last werewolf must die. That’s you Luna, you must die,” Luna looked at Jack in disbelief. Jack looked at her with a look of disgust, leaning in “Take your life, kill yourself Luna. Before you kill others.”
“SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP,SHUT UP, SHUT UP AND SHUT UP!” Luna hit the bed in frustration, more at herself than at what Jack was saying.
“Please? Do you have any idea what it’s like? I see dead people all the time. Do you have any idea what it’s like talking to a corpse? It’s boring!” Jack wanted to start begging, but he would not let himself stoop to that level of pettiness, not in front of the Princess.
Luna just cried, into her hooves, she looked up and Jack was no longer there. Perhaps this had all been a dream? Maybe the guilt was playing tricks on her mind? Whatever it was, it had managed to break whatever was left of Luna’s resolve.
***
It had been a month since Luna was released from the Infirmary, and weekly routine trips to the psychologist were finally over, Luna wanted to celebrate by having a nice long lay in. But she woke up early; haunted by a strange nightmare of herself ripping something to shreds the details were fuzzy she could not remember what had happened; only that it was horrible, fortunately it was only a dream. She sat up, realizing that there were white and black strains of hair laid out across her bed sheets, thinking nothing of it.
Luckily Luna woke up just in time for to lower the moon. She had forgotten many of her Royal duties as Celestia has been taking care of them. She knew it had been a tough time on Luna and it was the least she could do. She was tired, very tired. It was almost as though she had not gotten any sleep.
A guard knocked on the door, “Princess Celestia would like you to join her at breakfast in the dining hall, your Majesty” the guard told her through the door, they were never allowed to enter the Princess’ room, unless they were given permission or there was an emergency.
“I’m not really that hungry” This was strange for Luna. Ever since the incident she has had a huge appetite, even bigger than before she was banished to the moon.
“She didn’t sound like she was asking”.
“Fine, I’ll be at breakfast soon.” Luna stated with frustration.
***
Luna had been sitting at the table, playing with her Magic-O’s since she had arrived, she was too tired to concentrate on anything. Conversation between Luna and her sister was nothing more than idle chit chat.
“You’ve got red on you” Celestia pointed at a red spot just under Luna’s chin.
“Oh, so I have” Luna wiped it away with a napkin. It was strange it was there, the Princess had never really liked the colour red.
“Do you think you can get back to your Royal duties now? I noticed you raised the moon by yourself” Celestia tried anything to start an engaging conversation; she was worried that something was bugging her.
“Yeah, I guess” Luna looked like she was going to collapse into her cereal, “I’m sorry, I’m just tired and I want to go to bed” before Celestia could respond, she had gotten up and walked off to her bed room, “See you later Tia” Luna yawned, stumbling over her own hoofsteps.
Luna eventually got back into her room she jumped onto her bed and went to sleep the second her head hit the pillow.
***
Luna woke from her slumber to the same dream, but this time she had her energy back even though she awoke panicked and sweating just like when she first awoke in the infirmary. She remembered everything Jack had told her, the hair on her bed, this strange dream, and how unusual she felt earlier on that morning.
Luna decided to walk around the castle. She came to Celestia’s room and nocked nervously, “Hey Tia, it’s me,” Luna was the only one that ever called Celestia that, so she knew who it was.
“Come in Luna, is there anything I can help you with?” Her voice was filled with concern. It’s not often that Luna would come to her sister at this hour, she would usually be locked away in her room.
“Is there a Zebra that lives near these areas?” Luna inquired timidly, as though she was nervous to ask the question.
“I think so,” Celestia had become deep in her own thoughts as she tried to remember if there was a local Zebra, “Ah yes, there just so happens to be one, she goes by the name of Zecora and she lives in a hut within the Everfree Forrest. You’re not planning on visiting her are you?” Celestia made a point to give her the impression she did not want to go.
“That sounds familiar, I remember hearing a few Ponies in Ponyville talking about her, something about being evil and twisted” Luna knew that Celestia would not let her leave to venture into the Everfree Forrest. Even if she did Celestia would have made her be accompanied by a guard to keep her safe. But this was something she had to do on her own.
“Thanks sis, I’ll see you tomorrow. And sorry for being such a jerk earlier” Luna gave Celestia a hug, to show that despite how strict she was, she still loved her and she only meant by good intentions.
“You were tired, it’s understandable, now get some rest Lulu, you need to catch up on your rest after this morning.” Celestia said as she let go of her sister, watching her leave the room.
***
An hour had passed since Luna had last talked to Celestia; she had raised the New moon to show everypony in Equestria that night had begun. The dream was continually playing through her head as though it was on loop. “There’s only one way to stop these dreams” she said to herself whilst looking out of the window. She opened her windows so that she could fit through them, stood on the ledge and jumped off, spreading her wings and took off in the direction of the Everfree Forrest.
All she could think about during the flight was what Jack said about being a weremare, it could not be possible? Surely not. It was just an old mare’s tale, nothing more… right? She kept reassuring herself she knew better, that everything was just one sick dream that will soon end.
She eventually came to the Forrest. It looked much darker and scarier than it did 1000 years ago, but it seemed oh so familiar. She set down on a path that looked to be leading somewhere of the main road through the Forrest. “This had to be the pathway leading to Zecora’s hut” Luna thought, the path identical to that in her dreams, she could even picture what the hut looked like, even though she had only seen these images in her dreams.
She eventually came upon a hut that looked to be isolated from anywhere else, the hut looked exactly like she imagined it. But how is this possible? She had never seen the hut in all of her life. Whatever it was it looked like there had been a struggle, liquids spilled all over the windows and a cauldron looked to have been thrown out of the window. Either that or someone was trying to re decorate when they shouldn’t be.
Luna nocked on the door, but the door opened as she did so, the door handle had been broken and the bottom hinge had been knocked off. She slowly but surely walked into the hut whilst staying on alert in case whatever had attacked this place may still be on lurking somewhere inside. A sudden smell of rotting flesh hit her. Her stomach churned. She had never smelled anything so vile in all her life.
The interior of the hut had broken masks scattered about; spilled potions everywhere, combining to make a strange, bright green substance. She treaded carefully to make sure she did not come into contact with the substance.
Luna looked around the room and spotted an upturned bed with a single hoof poking out from underneath the mattress. Luna looked in horror as the lone hoof was surrounded by blood. She crept up to the bed and slowly lifted it. As she did her gag reactions kicked in when she saw that there was nothing else under the bed. Just a hoof. A lone hoof that looked like it had been bitten off violently.
Luna saw a trail of blood that led from behind the bed and stopped at a hidden trap door that was concealed by the bed. As she opened the door all she could see was darkness, she crept into the cellar, stopping as she hit the bottom.
Luna used her magic to light up the room so she could see what lurked in the darkness. What greeted her sent chills down her spine. Tears began to well up in her eyes. Every fiber of her being wanted to break down and cry.
Zecora laid there. Mangled. Parts of limbs missing. Her face beyond recognition. The only reason she knew it was Zecora was that there were spots of black and white in the mix of the blood. Zecora’s stomach had been ripped out of her and her insides were dangling in front of her. Whatever had happened, it was worse than the fate Jack had met on the moors.
Luna ran out of the cellar and jumped though the broken window; her wings paralyzed from the horror that she had just witnessed. As she ran, she began to slow down until she reached the old castle where she was freed from Nightmare Moon.
***
Luna stopped and stared at the night sky from underneath the ruins. It was so quiet and tranquil. She began to believe what Jack was saying what had happened at the Hut was exactly as she remembered from those dreams.
A new monster had formed inside her. But she could not let anypony know about this, not even Celestia. She knew she had to kill herself but she just couldn’t do it. “I’m so sorry Jack” Luna whispered as she began to cry, she then laid down, and began to cry herself to sleep; thinking of what else this monster would do, who else it would kill.
Luna awoke in the ruins of the old castle, her neck felt stiff from sleeping on the hard stone surface. Her eyes were dried out, with red veins surrounding her pupils. Everything that had happened seem to have blurred into one big dream, she still did not know whether to believe what Jack had told her, despite seeing Zecora in her mangled state.
“GAAAH!” Luna jumped up and screamed, seeing Jack again, his coat no longer the lovely soft light green it was, but instead a darker, more rotten green that seemed to be slowly peeling off, leaving more of his skeletal figure visible around his wounds, the flesh still clinging on to what little life it had. His wounds were no longer blood red, but darker, dried up patches of flaky skin. “You are NOT real!” Luna remarked, confident that this was all a part of some sick, twisted dream
“Oh don’t be such a putz Luna.” Jack said, looking rather happy for someone who is un-dead. Luna did not look as surprised as the first time he showed up unexpectedly.
“What do you want?” Luna asked impatiently, wanting to get the conversation over and done with quickly, so she did not have to keep dealing with him.
“I just wanted to see you Luna.” His face was looking cocky, he sounded full of himself.
“You’ve seen me, now go away!” Luna stared into Jack’s eyes, hoping he would leave, but she knew he had something to say and was not going to leave until he had spoken.
“I’m sorry to be upsetting you Luna,” his voice was sincere “but you don’t know what’s going on do you?”
“Actually yeah I do, every full moon I’m going to grow larger in size and start a mass murder spree.” Luna’s voice had a slight hint of sarcasm.
“Yeah, that’s right.” Jack was shocked that she had come to terms with it, not picking up the sarcasm.
“And that I killed Zecora two nights ago.” Luna’s voice became serious.
“Well, actually,” Jack’s voice became mischievous. “She was a victim of the same weremare that got me.” Jack said, looking smug, seeming to get joy from Luna’s distress.
“But the dreams…” Luna mumbled
“Those were passed down with the curse; it’s something that rarely happens. I guess.” Jack explained, happy to help, as he always had been.
“But the hair and the blood…” Luna was confused, trying to take in what he was telling her.
“Oops…” Jack placed a hoof over his mouth, his eyes darting to the sides.
“You’re one sick bastard, you know that right?” She asked rhetorically, she felt so angry with Jack, had the opportunity arisen, she would have killed him herself.
“Honestly I would have thought you knew your moon cycles better than this,” Jack’s voice became patronising, “there hasn’t been a clear full moon since the day I was killed, have I thanked you for that already?” his tone became sarcastic.
Luna felt stupid that she hadn’t remembered it was only a half moon two nights ago. “Go away Jack, and get out of my life!” Luna felt her pride damaged by the trick he played; she took up a defensive pose, lowering her head, ready to pounce.
“What are you gonna do? Kill me some more?” his face had the obvious expression of sarcasm written all over it.
“If you’re not careful!” Luna was growing impatient with his games. “Why was he doing this? I thought he was not happy to be upsetting me!” Luna wanted Jack to answer these questions, but she kept them to herself instead.
Jack’s face suddenly became serious, “Tomorrow is a full moon and the Pegasus are not planning on a cloudy evening. You are going to turn into that same monster that attacked us. You are going to kill innocent ponies, stop being so stubborn and kill yourself Luna, before it’s too late.” Jack remained serious, Luna knew what he wanted her to do, but she could never kill herself, even if she wanted to.
Luna looked down at Jack’s hooves, pieces of flesh and bone were missing. “Are you really dead?” Luna was horrified by the sight of Jack.
“What do you think?” Jack countered Luna’s question with another.
“I think you’re just another part of my imagination. I think I’m going crazy, that this is all part of a bad dream.” Luna shook her head, looking past Jack.
“Celestia damn it! You gotta believe me Luna.” Jack insisted.
“That what?” Luna took a sarcastic tone “Tomorrow under the full moon I’m going to turn into some sort of blood crazed monster and start killing everypony? Bullshit!” Luna could not believe she had just swore, but she was so angry at Jack she did not know what else to say. “Especially after you lied and tricked me into believing I killed Zecora!”
“I never lied to you, I would never lie to you, I just thought you would kill yourself with guilt, so we can all get out of this mess, nopony else getting hurt.” Jack started to reason with her, but Luna was having none of it.
“Nopony else would get hurt? Don’t you think my death wouldn’t upset almost everyone in Equestria, especially had it been through some sort of suicide…” Luna tried to reason back but Jack soon interrupted.
“Wouldn’t you rather them be unhappy over something they will eventually get over, or would you rather they die and become like me. And I’m not having a good time here, just look at me.” Jack came over as aggressive, even though he did not want to.
Jack suddenly became serious again, “You’ve got to take your own life.” He said sternly, with no emotion, hoping that she would eventually listen to reason.
Luna shook her head in disbelief, “I will not accept this, go away!” Luna ordered him, even though she had no power over him as she once had.
Jack rolled his eyes, no longer in the mood to try and convince her that she is a weremare. “Oh just one more thing,” Jack looked sad as he looked to the ground, “Could you bury my body in the Canterlot Castle gardens?” Jack looked up at Luna, with an expression of sadness written all over his face.
Luna nodded humbly, even though she was mad at Jack, she still felt guilty for leaving him on the moors to die. She turned to look at Canterlot Castle, “I’ll do it tonight, so I have the cover of nightfall…” she turned to face Jack, but he had disappeared from sight, Luna looked in all directions to see if she could spot him, but he had gone completely.
Luna started walking to the moors; she needed a good long walk to try and think things through, to come to terms with what just happened. The walk would be long enough to ensure that the darkness of the night would cover the moors, and that she could take the body to the gardens and not be caught.
***
Night had arrived as Luna walked through the moors, recalling everything that had happened on that night, trying to picture a path to Jack’s corpse, if it was even still there.
She saw something in the distance, she was tempted to use her magic to light up and check whatever it was she was looking at was Jack, and the real Jack at that, but she did not want to attract any unnecessary attention so she refrained from using her powers.
She walked up to whatever it was she saw, she saw a hole in the ground, stepping over it. She had recognised this hole as the one she stepped in before Jack was attacked, which means that Jack’s corpse must have been nearby.
She stepped to the left and looked to the floor. Jack’s body laid there, dried up and lifeless. Tears began welling up in Luna’s eyes, remembering what a sweet pony he had been; a lone tear ran down her cheek and landed on Jack’s corpse.
“Surreal isn’t it?” Jack whispered into Luna’s ear, she had not flinched as he spoke, almost expecting him to show up. “How do you think I feel? Seeing myself as a dead corpse?” Jack did not look to be in the same mischievous mood he was in back at the castle ruins. Jack leaned into Luna, “Come here, I have something to show you.” Jack gave an excited smile as Luna began to follow him as he walked backwards.
Luna followed Jack hesitantly, but allowed it to happen. They stopped when they reached another corpse, this time the pony had suffered from a fall of a great distance, her neck was broken and her bones mangled.
Luna looked at the dead Pony in horror, “Recognise her?” Jack asked, still fixated on the body.
“That’s… That’s Derpy!” she always had something a little off about her, even in the few moments they had met during the party after Nightmare Moon had been defeated. Luna fell to the floor crying, “Why did you show me this?!” Luna yelled at Jack, wanting an instant response.
Jack took a second to respond, knowing that Luna wanted an instant answer. “She was the last weremare before you, she was the one who killed me and turned you into the monster you are going to become in less than 24 hours, and there’s only one way to stop it. Kill yourself, just do it before you harm others.”
“Stop telling me this, you sound like a broken record.” Luna had gotten back up, wiping the tears from her eyes. Jack showed off his black teeth as Luna walked past him to gather Jack’s body. “You should count yourself lucky that I decided to bury you in the garden as you wanted.” Luna did not face him as she talked.
Luna tried to hoist Jack’s body on her back, gently balancing it to make sure it did not fall off during flight. Luna spread her wings and flew off into the distance. Jack watched as Luna flew off into the darkness, “Beware the moon at night Luna!” he yelled, as though he was trying to help; he knew she was not listening, even though he was in clear earshot of her.
***
Luna reached the Royal Garden, it was empty, and all the workponies had done their job and had gone home to their families for the night. None of the guards were around; they never were around the gardens unless there was a royal party that occupied them.
Luna used her magic to get a shovel that was carelessly thrown on the ground. Luna gently put Jack’s body onto the floor. Luna began to dig, silently crying to herself, wishing she had never taken that shortcut.
When she felt the grave was big enough, Luna placed him into the grave; she took her time to take the hoof his lifeless head was resting on away. She had only just realised that his eyes were still peeled open; she gently took her hoof and closed his eyes.
Luna then began to cover up the grave, taking one, long last look at Jack, the real Jack. As she finished filling the grave up, she dug up some flowers from a nearby flowerbed, she placed the flowers on top of the grave.
Jack was watching from a distance as Luna did all this, he felt like showing up and saying something, something that would eventually push her over the edge, but he couldn’t. Not after watching that. He began to sob quietly, unable to cry, he let out a series of quiet whimpers.
***
Luna had awoken from her sleep, she felt horrible, the memory of burying one of her closest friends played on her mind. She knew it would stick with her forever; or at least an average ponies’ lifetime to forget.
Luna looked out of the window, “The moon is rising already?!” she was shocked that she had been asleep for so long. A note had been slid underneath Luna’s door. Luna read the note, wondering what it said.
“Dear Princess Luna,
You have been invited to a party that’s being thrown just for the hay of it! Everyone has been invited but it just wouldn’t be the same without you!
See you at the Party,
Luna considered the invite, although she took what Jack had told her the morning before seriously and decided to be cautious. “I’m sorry Pinkie” Luna whispered to herself, as though somehow Pinkie could hear her.
Luna was getting restless and lonely as everypony from the castle had left to attend Pinkie’s party. Save for a few guards that were hanging around in the guards’ quarters.
Luna had a personal fridge in her room, just in case she got hungry and did not want to go all the way down to the kitchen. She looked in, the fridge filled with small snacks and chocolate bars, “Not hungry” Luna told herself, sounding confused, she had never felt full up without eating this long.
She paced around the room, continually remembering that Jack had told her what was going to happen on this fateful night. She tried reading a book, getting a nap and even attempting to write poetry, but she was filed with energy, she was restless.
Luna walked to the window, the full moon clearly visible in the night sky. “Looks like this was all one big nightmare after all” Luna chuckled to herself.
Luna’s chuckles did not last for long, she hit the floor holing her head tightly. “AAAH IT HURTS, CELESTIA DAMNIT. I’M BURNING UP!” Luna screamed in agony, her body began to sweat uncontrollably. She had never felt pain like this before. She felt every muscle in her body tear, every bone break.
She slowly raised her hooves to her face, they grew in length right before her eyes, it felt as though someone was stretching her skin, it felt like it burnt, her bones cracking and breaking whilst snapping into place at the same time. Her muscles were stretching and tearing. “PLEASE. HEEELP MEEE! PLEAAASE!”
Luna fell onto her back, screaming in agonising pain as her hind legs started to stretch and grow, “PLEASE HELP ME! J… J… JACK!” Luna pleaded from the pain, not knowing who else to scream for. “I d… didn’t mean to call you a b… bastard Jack.”
Luna’s mouth suddenly started to extend from her face, her pupils had shrunk to a small dot. Her teeth began to slowly grow, becoming ever sharper, the nerves inside her teeth twisted and tangled. Her ribs had begun to distort, they snapped off, grew then reattached themselves. Her royal garments had torn off. Her shoes pinged off, smashing the glass mirror.
“AH… AH… AAAAAH!” She let out small screams as she tried to catch her breath. Her horn started growing outwards; tearing the skin it grew from. She closed her eyes tightly, and then opened them, screaming as she does, as a surge of pain came from her wings, her eyes no longer had any colour, but they were completely black, surrounded by a dark yellow glow.
Luna’s screams of pain had become a loud roar as she got up, her wings still growing. Whatever it was Luna turned into, she was not in control of it; she was locked within this monster. Jack was right.
The thing let out a huge roar, it could easily be mistaken for Luna, but it clearly was not anything like the Princess. It took a look outside of the bedroom, its sights locked onto Cloudsdale, it leapt through the window, smashing glass everywhere.
Two guards broke down the room and rushed to the window, “We might have a bit of a problem.” One guard whispered to the other as they both watched the beast fly off to Cloudsdale.
Hoops, Dumb-bell and Score were standing in a cloud field, surrounding the young pegasus Leeroy Wingkins. Score was hovering over him to make sure he didn’t fly off, whilst Dumb-bell stood on his tail, making sure that he did not try to run away.
“Let’s see what you have to give us this time.” Hoops laughed as he rummaged through Leeroy’s bag, throwing whatever he could find that was of no use to the ground, “Oh lookey here, looks like we got ourselves a few chocolate bars!”, Hoops’ mouth started filling up with saliva as he went to take a bite.
Leeroy interrupted him, “Come on Hoops, I got those for my family and my special somepony.” His voice alone told them that he was afraid. “How would you like to explain to the police how you stole my things?” Leeroy sensed that was a bad choice of words as soon as they left his tongue.
“Oh yeah?” Hoops was having none of it, he turned to face Leeroy, showing a smile that had no good intention. “Maybe you can explain to your family how you got that black eye and bruised jaw.” Hoops looked menacingly into Leeroy’s eyes. The other bullies laughed.
“Not again…” Leeroy braced himself for a flurry of hits as Hoops raised a hoof, taking it back, ready to hit the innocent young stallion in front of him.
The bullies’ laughter soon fell short as a strange noise came out of the distance. Hoops lowered his hoof slowly while looking over his shoulder to see what could have made the noise. “What was that Hoops?” Asked Dumb-bell, as he looked at Hoops, who was still looking behind him.
“If I knew I would have told you, don’t you think?” Hoops asked rhetorically, trying to hide his fear behind sarcasm.
They heard the noise again, this time it sounded more like a roar. “Maybe it’s Klutzershy summoning one of her animals to come and get us.” Remarked Score, as the trio laughed loudly. Remembering the days they bullied Fluttershy.
A roar came back at them again, this time clearer and closer. Instinctively, Leeroy tried to run away, but Dumb-bell was holding onto his tail far too tightly.
“And where exactly do you think you’re going?” Asked Dumb-bell, cocking up an eyebrow, looking at him in a condescending manor.
“I’m trying to get out of here, take my stuff I don’t want it anymore. Just let me go!” Leeroy was afraid of whatever was making that noise, nowhere near as afraid as what the bullies were about to do to him.
A loud growl could be heard in the distance, triggering an idea to form inside Hoops’ head. “But if you get away, who’s going to check whatever it is that’s making that noise?” Hoops stared down at Leeroy, he grabbed hold of him and pushed him in the direction the noise was coming from.
Leeroy was frozen to the spot, frozen in fear, he wet himself. “Nice…” Remarked Hoops’, a look of disgust written all over the trio’s face.
Leeroy slowly walked forward as the trio began to back away. As Leeroy moved forward, he saw a dark blue outline come out of the darkness, its eyes glowing in the darkness. The thing let out a roar as it began to run towards Leeroy.
The trio looked at each other as they heard familiar screams. Each of them suddenly feeling guilty, they ran to see what had happened. The screaming suddenly cut. The image they were greeted to triggered Score’s gag reflex, the other two just watched as this monster tore into Leeroy’s skin.
The beast was too fixated on the corpse it was devouring to notice the three bullies watching in horror. “What do you think we do?” Asked Dumb-bell, speaking louder than he thought, the beast slowly raised its head and stood up, towering over the three pegasi.
“Well I would say we run.” Suggested Dumb-bell, his voice started to stutter towards the end, he was clearly not trying to hide the fear that was building up inside him.
The beast now started to walk to them, slowly. Teasing them. “Run? That sounds like a good idea. Let’s run. RUN!” Hoops’ clearly sounded panicked, both he and Dumb-Bell ran. But Score just stood there, too afraid to move.
The beast ran into Score, biting off his head, leaving his blood to stain the cloud that he once stood on, now he lay there, headless. His head rolled along the floor as the beast of the night looked up, spotting the two fleeing pegasi.
“Did you just see that?! That thing just killed Score!” Dumb-bell looked back up at Hoops in disbelief. Hoops himself was not trying to look back, but to focus on where to go next.
The beast ran, gaining momentum whilst stretching its wings. It leapt up into the air, flapping its wings to keep itself afloat. Hoops looked back, his curiosity finally getting the better of him. He saw the monster catching up to them, quickly.
“Don’t look back, just keep flying!” He yelled at Dumb-bell, trying to focus on flying faster. They would never be able to outfly that thing, it was too fast.
Hoops’ had spotted an old building that had been used as a weather factory, but had been abandoned a few years ago during the Great Pegasus Strike. “Look over there, we can hide!” Hoops ordered Dumb-bell and pointed to the old factory.
Dumb-bell followed Hoops into the factory, not questioning what Hoops had told him to do. Neither of them realised they were trapping themselves within the building they as they walked through the entrance.
“Can you hear that?” Dumb-bell whispered as they heard a pair of wings flapping, they heard the flapping cut off when they heard something collide with the roof. The noise echoed around the empty hall, filled with cardboard boxes covered in dust.
Suddenly, the roof collapsed in on itself, with the midnight beast following through. They both looked in awe as the monster fell to the ground, maintain its sense of balance. A large piece of the ceiling had collapsed onto Dumb-bell, pinning him to the ground.
“Help me get t… this thing off of me” Dumb-bell pleaded as Hoops began to try and lift the fallen ceiling off of his friend, but he failed to do so.
Dumb-bell stopped struggling and thought to himself for a second, blood began to dribble from his mouth. “Just go. Go and save yourself!” Hoops just looked at him, a tear built up in his eye. He nodded at Dumb-bell. He ran and jumped through a window that had been boarded up, he injured himself, breaking a leg, but he flew instead of running to save himself the pain.
Dumb-bell watched Hoops leave. He turned his head to face the monster, coming terms to what was about to happen. The monster leant down, looking its victim in the eyes, breathing in his face. The beast’s breath smelled of rotten flesh, blood dripped from its fangs onto Dumb-bell’s face.
The last thing Dumb-bell ever saw was the gaping mouth of whatever it was that killed his friend. If he had not sacrificed himself Hoops would have been added to that list.
***
It had been a long day at work for Doctor Whooves as he left later than expected, one of the Doctors at Ponyville hospital had fallen ill and had notified the hospital before they could get a doctor who’s day it was to have off, but instead had to have the Doctor stay in late.
He had to miss most of Pinkie Pie’s party in order to stay at the hospital, but fortunately he managed to get out in time to catch the end of the party. In order to do so he had to take a detour through some back streets in order to get to the party in time for him to get there in enough time to have fun.
He made a quick stop at his house to put on his traditional party fez, washed his face and went on his way, trotting enthusiastically as he did.
Whilst walking through the streets of Ponyville Doctor Whooves thought he saw something out of the ordinary in the corner of his eye, something that looked larger than an ordinary pony, but looked to have the same body. He shook it off as his imagination playing tricks on him, everpony see’s things that are not real at night time.
As Doctor Whooves came to the first backstreet he though he heard a noise behind him, “Hello?” He asked, his voice had a hint of nervousness “Is there somepony there?” No response came. He shrugged it off as his imagination playing tricks yet again.
Doctor Whooves trotted further into the back street, this time a peculiar growling noise had come from behind the now anxious earth pony. “I think you’ll find this is not in the least bit amusing!” The Doctor’s voice now became shouting volume, letting anypony nearby know he is there.
Doctor Whooves continued walking through the back street, looking behind him to see if whatever it was that was making these peculiar noises was lingering about behind him. Maybe even following him.
He heard a small growling noise, although it was clear enough to let him know it was right behind him. He turned slowly, shocked at what he saw. He had never seen anything like it before, it was big, twice the size of any other pony.
The Doctor turned and ran. The beast following slowly, toying with him, watching as he panicked to get away. The Doctor eventually escaped the backstreets, he saw another back street, this time it had fencing around it to try and keep other ponies out.
Doctor Whooves ran towards the fence, making an attempt to leap over the fence. The fence caught his hind hooves, he fell forward and crashed onto the floor, twisting his hoof, and hurting his neck.
He got up and started limping towards the end of the alley, Sugar Cube Corner was just round the corner, he could hear Pinkie’s favourite song playing faintly in the distance. He fell over unable to take the pain anymore. “Please, somepony, anypony help me!” Doctor Whooves yelled, hoping that at least one of the ponies at the party could hear him.
The Doctor turned on his back, facing the fence he tripped over. The beast simply jumped over it with ease, not even bothering to use its wings. The Doctor let out a small whimper of fear as the beast walked closer, slowing down as it did so.
***
It was an exciting party at Sugar Cube Corner as it always was, but Twilight Sparkle’s mind wandered elsewhere, she could not help but notice that Princess Celestia was not saying anything about her sister, which was strange as she always liked to talk about her.
Suddenly Twilight’s ears had snapped to attention as she thought she could her someone yelling for help, she turned to Celestia, “Did you hear that?”
“Hear what my faithful student?” Celestia asked, clearly not knowing what Twilight was asking about.
“I think I heard somepony in distress!” Twilight tried to yell over the music, but at the same time she made sure Celestia was the only one that could hear her, and she was doing a good job at it too.
“Probably just your imagination playing on you.” Celestia suggested, thinking little of what the Unicorn was saying, no matter how serious Twilight was being.
“I think I’m going to go check it out.” Twilight told Celestia as she was getting ready to leave.
“Twilight wait,” Celestia looked serious now, “Did you really hear a pony in distress?”
“Yes, I promise I did.” Twilight made sure she was in no joking mood.
“Well then I am coming with you, and we will be accompanied by two of my Royal Guard.” Celestia pointed towards the door, where her guards remained on watch to ensure no trouble makers got inside, or in case things got too hairy inside the party.
Twilight and Celestia walked outside of the Sugar Cube Corner, Celestia pointed to the guards and then to herself and Twilight, to tell them to stick to them.
Each of the ponies heard somepony scream in the distance, whoever was screaming was clearly on no happy mood. Each of their heads turned to one dark backstreet as they could hear smaller screams, each one getting fainter, but not any better at all.
The two guards ran ahead to the backstreet. “STOP WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING IN THE NAME OF CELESTIA!” One guard yelled as they approached the street, closely followed by Celestia and Twilight.
The monster heard the guards, they startled it as it ran through the fence, leaving a feather tangled with a piece of metal where she had torn through.
The sight they were greeted to was ugly, and that was being nice. The Doctor lay there, one half of his face missing, torn off by the monster. The Doctor turned to face Celestia, clearly on his last few breaths.
Twilight let Celestia handle the dying pony, she was always better at dealing with other ponies than her. Twilight saw the feather that had been snagged by the fence. Not knowing what to do, she listened into what the Doctor was telling Celestia.
“Now tell me, what happened?” Celestia asked in a soothing voice, she knew the last thing this pony would have wanted is to become uneasy in his final moments.
“A p… purple monster c… ca… came out of the darkness a… a… a… and attacked me, i… i… it looked l… l… l… li…” The Doctor suddenly coughed up blood before he laid on his back. The Doctor had died in the Princess’ arms.
“What did he say Princess?” Asked, Twilight, even though she was eavesdropping on the whole conversation.
Celestia looked up at the moon, then she looked back at the Doctor. “He did not say anything.” Celestia stated whilst looking away from Twilight. Twilight quickly picked up the feather using her magic and hid it in her mane.
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.
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.
Twilight woke up from a nice long lay in, it was the day after Pinkie’s weekly Friday party and it had been as crazy as ever. However the thought of Doctor Whooves plagued her mind, not knowing what exactly to think of it all. “Who could do something like this?” Twilight whispered under her breath, she had never known any pony to commit such atrocities to one another. Or even that another pony could attempt anything like this.
She remembered that she had hidden the feather she had found on that night. She pulled it out of her messy mane and looked at it closely.
Twilight sat there for a full 10 minutes staring at the lone feather, not sure what to make of it nor what it could have come from. The colour of the feather looked so familiar, but Twilight failed to recognize the colour at all.
It was a cold and wet day in Ponyville, the pegasi had made it a wonderful two weeks of sunshine and the town needed a large dose of rain. Every pony was indoors, trying their best not to get drenched by the spring downpour.
“Surely the girls noticed something odd last night.” Twilight thought to herself, wanting to find out exactly what happened. Twilight grabbed her coat and began to make her way to the front door, thinking what she was going to do and how she was going to do it.
As Twilight stepped outside of the library she pulled her hood up, ready to get to work. She mapped out what she was going to do in her head. Visit Sugar Cube Corner, then it’s off to Carousel Boutique and then branch outwards from there, finishing with Rainbow Dash.
As Twilight trotted through the market centre she wondered why every pony was hiding away from the rain, a little rain never hurt any pony. It must be due to the fear of catching the pony pox, it is usually at its height this time of year, especially when it rains like this.
As Twilight approached Sugar Cube corner she could not help but notice the lack of ponies queuing up, even for a rainy day such as this. As she entered Mrs. Cake was standing at the till looking bored out of her mind. “Oh hello Twilight,” a sudden look of happiness spread across her face like wildfire, “What would you like to buy?”
“Actually I’m not here to buy anything.” Mrs. Cake’s face lost some of its happiness, but still glad to see Twilight. “I came to see Pinkie Pie, is she in?” Twilight already knew the answer, but she just wanted confirmation.
“Yes, she is up stairs as usual.” Mrs. Cake pointed a hoof towards a stairwell that led up stairs towards Pinkie Pie’s room.
“Thanks.” Twilight said enthusiastically as she nodded politely. She turned and walked towards the stairwell, wondering if Pinkie Pie had cleaned up since the Party.
As Twilight reached the top of the stairwell leading into Pinkie Pie’s bedroom the smell of cake frosting caught her nose, almost sending her into a trance of happiness as she remembered eating that wonderful chocolate cake the night before. The thought of what else happened that night snapped Twilight to attention as she continued going upwards.
“Pinkie Pie?” Twilight asked in a raised voice, hoping to catch Pinkie’s attention as she spotted her tidying up the party décor from the night before. Pinkie Pie turned to face Twilight, greeting her with a big smile.
“Well hello Twilight Sparkle!” Pinkie yelled in her usual up beat voice. She jumped at Twilight and tackled her to the ground in one big hug.
“Whoa settle down Pinkie!” Twilight laughed as Pinkie got back up, helping Twilight to her hooves. “I’m only here to ask you something.”
“You can ask me anything Twi!” Pinkie still in her exuberant mood, she sat down in front of Twilight, preparing for any question Twilight had planned.
“Did you notice anything strange last night during the party?” Twilight asked in a serious manner, seeming to have no immediate effect on Pinkie.
“Hmmmmm…” Pinkie suddenly seemed to be lost in her thoughts, she rubbed her hoof on her chin as she recalled the night. “Well Rainbow Dash hit the cider harder than usual, but nothing too peculiar.” Pinkie said, she knew it’s not what Twilight wanted to hear but it was better than nothing.
“Thanks.” Twilight said with a nervous smile, looking disappointed but she was not surprised that Pinkie gave the answer she did.
“Although,” Pinkie extended, a smile shot up all over Twilight’s face, “My Pinkie sense told me there was going to be a doozy on that night, I thought it was just telling me it was going to be a super fun party!” Pinkie’s voice lit up with excitement yet again.
Twilight was much happier with that, no matter how small it was. “And they stopped about the same time you left strangely enough,” Pinkie Pie suddenly lost her trail of thought, “Did something happen to you when you and Celestia left?” Pinkie looked deep into Twilight’s eyes to try and read what she’s thinking.
“Oh nothing, just needed some… fresh air.” Twilight smiled at Pinkie nervously, she never was a good liar, let alone lying to Pinkie Pie. “Well I best be moving on.” Twilight smiled nervously as she quickly ran out.
Twilight let out a sigh of relief as she left Sugar Cube Corner, thankful to get away from Pinkie before she managed to get the truth out of her. “Now to Carousel Boutique.” Twilight mumbled to herself whilst she put her hood up over her head as the rain pelted her head.
Twilight knocked on the entrance to Carousel Boutique, Rarity was often busy on a Saturday so she did not want to intrude on anything. “Oh hello Twilight dear,” Rarity said surprised, keeping her head indoors to avoid getting her mane wet.
“Hey Rarity,” Twilight said with a smile on her face, “Did you notice anything strange last night?” Twilight wanted to get straight to the point so she could get out of the rain.
“Not to my recollection, now please excuse me I must attend to Sweety Belle, she’s come down with a positively awful case of pony pox.” Rarity slammed the door in Twilight’s face.
“Nice to see you too?” Twilight mumbled as she made her way to Fluttershy’s cottage.
Twilight trotted through Fluttershy’s front garden, it looked beautiful even though it was a rainy day. The rain was getting trapped in the moss and grass that covered the cottage. Twilight quietly walked to the door and nocked gently.
Fluttershy opened the door timidly, poking her head out, peaking at the unicorn that was in front of her. “Oh… It’s you… Hey Twilight.” Fluttershy looked at Twilight timidly.
“Hey Fluttershy,” Twilight let herself into the cottage, eager to get out of the rain, “Did you notice anything out of the ordinary yesterday?” Twilight wanted to move on, she did not expect much from Fluttershy.
“Well, nothing really, my animals were acting a little bizarre but they usually get like that when it’s a full moon lately.” This piqued Twilight’s interest, although it was nothing for her to go on.
“Oh before I go,” Twilight remembered something, “Is this from any of your animals?” Twilight pulled out the feather she had gotten the night before.
Fluttershy examined the dark blue feather, “It’s certainly not from any animal I have, maybe it was something from the Everfree Forest?” Fluttershy scared herself thinking about the forest, that place always gave her the creeps. “I’m sorry I can’t help you much.” Fluttershy looked at the floor, almost as if she were ashamed of not being able to help Twilight.
Twilight put the feather back in her mane so it would not get lost. “That’s alright,” Twilight giggled, “I’ll see you around.” Twilight smiled at Fluttershy as she waved a hoof.
It was still raining heavily in Ponyville, and the water was starting to get through Twilight’s coat which began to frustrate the violet unicorn.
Twilight saw the big red barn of Sweet Apple Acres in the distance gradually get closer, “Surely Applejack knew what was going on? She always did.” Twilight thought to herself, the thought of what happened that night constantly bugging her.
Twilight looked over the apple orchard, even on a rainy day such as this Applejack would work hard to ensure that Ponyville would be able to get there apples on time, as to avoid the same events as the previous apple famine.
Twilight spotted Applejack taking refuge underneath an apple tree at the far end of the orchard, Twilight sighed as she did not want to walk that far in this weather, at least she has the trees to keep her from getting wet.
Applejack sat underneath a tree tapping a hoof against the floor impatiently, wanting the rain to stop. “Confound these Pegasus ponies an’ their rain.” Applejack grumbled, looking up at the sky. Applejack spotted Twilight and started to smile at the thought of having company.
“Heya Applejack.” Twilight said enthusiastically; glad that she would be talking to Applejack under the shelter of a tree.
“Well heya Twi’!” Applejack greeted Twilight eagerly, “So what brings y’all to the farm?” Applejack doesn’t see Twilight around the farm often.
“Did you see anything strange last night?” Twilight asked, hoping Applejack could shed some light on all of this.
“Hmmm now let me see,” Applejack did not want to disappoint Twilight, “Nothin’ out of the usual durin’ the night,” Twilight looked down in disappointment, “Although before all this cloud kicked in ah did see Luna flyin’ away from the farm with Winona barkin’ at the Princess.”
Twilight looked confused, “Why would Luna be at the farm?” Twilight wanted to get to the bottom of this.
Applejack shrugged her shoulders, she didn’t have the slightest clue.
“Ah really hope that helped Twi’.” Applejack commented, “But ah can’t stay and chitter chatter for any longer, rain or no rain ah gotta harvest these apples, ah’ll catch up with y’all later.” Applejack went on her way to start harvesting the apples.
Twilight simply waved a hoof and went on her way. She thought it was strange of Luna to be visiting the farm, perhaps she was just exploring Equestria and happened to be passing by at such an odd time.
Twilight dismissed it as a coincidence and decided to get moving towards Rainbow Dash’s house in the clouds.
Rainbow Dash’s home was in the middle of a field, so Twilight wasn’t getting any dryer as she approached the pegasus’ home. “RAINBOW DASH!” Twilight yelled to get the attention of Rainbow Dash, after the party she wouldn’t be surprised if she was still in bed hung-over.
Twilight picked up a small stone and catapulted it at Dash’s window, hoping not to break anything but at the same time get the rainbow coloured pegasus’ attention.
Rainbow Dash slowly arose from her bed, her head feeling like it was shattered into pieces. She dragged her hooves across the floor as she slowly made her way to the window where Twilight threw the small stone.
“I’m trying to get to sleep here!” Rainbow Dash yelled out of the window, trying to find the perpetrator who dared to wake her up. “When I get my hands on I’m gonna…” Rainbow Dash was stopped as she saw who it was. “Twilight?!?!” Dash was surprised to see her.
“Could you come down here for a second?” Twilight was yelling to overpower the noise of the heavy rainfall that surrounded her.
“What?!?!” Rainbow Dash was struggling to hear Twilight, every noise blended into one in her current state.
Twilight sighed as she quickly cast a spell upon herself that would allow her to walk on the clouds, a moment later she teleported up to where Rainbow Dash was standing. Rainbow Dash fell to the floor as Twilight unexpectedly appeared next to her.
“Could you make this quick, my head is killing me!” Rainbow Dash was in no mood to fool around, not even if it meant spending time with the Wonderbolts.
“Did you notice anything strange yesterday?” Twilight cut to the chase, she did not want to get on Dash’s bad side.
“Nope, although apparently there was some sort of attack in Cloudsdale, but I don’t know, now lemme get back to sleep!” Rainbow Dash stomped into her room, leaving Twilight to find her own way out. She was now lost in her own thoughts.
***
Luna snuck into her room through her window, dripping wet with rain. She walked into her personal bathroom and grabbed a towel to dry herself off. She franticly dried her mane, it looked extremely messy, even more so than when she just wakes up.
As Luna lifted her head up, she noticed the medicine cabinet was open, she looked at herself in the mirror, “Grrrr. Roar.” She said mockingly into the mirror, showing off her teeth as though she was about to bite into something.
Luna closed the Cabinet, then showing Celestia in the reflection, “EEEK!” The sight of her older sister frightened her. Celestia had one eyebrow cocked up, showing that she was not impressed.
“And where were you exactly?” Celestia asked, “You were not at the party nor did the guards notice you in your room.” Celestia wanted answers.
“I was er… Taking a midnight stroll, that’s all.” Luna let off a nervous smile, knowing full well that she was lying and the kind of thing that would happen to her if Celestia knew it.
“Then would you mind telling me what your garments were doing laying on the floor? In Pieces?” Celestia was not impressed at all.
“It was hot, I just wanted to cool off, and I did not want any other pony to recognize me in my stroll.” Luna said, feeling much more confident about her lying than she already had.
“Okay then,” Celestia looked at her with a hint of suspicion, but then dismissed it as nothing, “You enjoy the rest of the day Lulu.” Celestia left with her usual prowess, smiling as she did so.
Luna let out a big sigh as she sat at her desk, looking into the mirror. She picked up the torn garments that Celestia had placed on her desk. Looking at the garments, she kept switching her looks between herself in the mirror and the torn garments, wondering what exactly happened the night before.
It had been two weeks since Leeroy had been attacked and already he was being released by the Hospital, “Keep that wound covered at all times,” said Nurse Sweetheart, sounding enthusiastic as she ever did, “The last thing we want is it becoming infected.” She explained.
“I’ll make sure Nurse.” Leeroy nodded, listening closely to what the nurse had to say. He looked in the mirror in his room one last time, looking at the bandage that covered the entire left half of his face.
As Leeroy walked out of Ponyville Hospital he was suddenly tackled to the ground by two other pegasi, “Oh man it’s so good to see you again!” Said a very enthusiastic Thunderlane, happy to see his best friend again. “We all thought you were a gonner!”
“Yeah, you had us worried sick!” Blossomforth said, her voice still sounded like she was worried for the pegasus. “At least you’re fine now.” Her worried voice had been replaced with a much more upbeat one, she smiled at Leeroy, giving him a big hug.
“Whoa, what happened to your face dude?” Asked Thunderlane, staring at the bandage that covered half of Leeroy’s face.
“You know, I’m not quite sure,” Leeroy lost his trail of thought at this question as he raised a hoof to feel the bandage, squinting in pain as he put extra pressure onto the wound, “I just woke up with this bandage on my face.”
“Well whatever it is, it doesn’t look pretty.” Blossomforth did not even want to think about what could lie underneath the bandage, the mere thought of what it could be sent shivers down her spine.
“Well I’m sure you’ll have that bandage off in no time,” Thunderlane wrapped an arm around Leeroy’s neck in a friendly gesture. “At least you can start playing soccer again, the team really suffered without you.” Thunderlane was eager for his return.
“As much as I’d love to, I can’t play,” Leeroy said, not wanting to disappoint Thunderlane, “On account of this bandage, the Nurse said I shouldn’t be doing anything like that.” Leeroy explained.
“Since when did you listen to other people’s advice?” Thunderlane remarked humorously. Knowing he would not be able to change Leeroy’s mind set.
“Do you even remember what happened?” Blossomforth asked with intrigue, wanting to know what exactly happened to the unlucky pegasus. “There have been many rumours about what happened.” She informed Leeroy.
“All I remember is being mugged in a field,” Leeroy trying his best to remember, “And then, something came out of the darkness,” Leeroy was struggling to remember, “And then I woke up in a hospital bed, feeling so angry, I never felt like that before.
“Well you did nearly die.” Blossomforth looked at Leeroy with a blank face as he returned the look.
“And you were being mugged before.” Thunderlane added in good humour.
“Thanks for the reminder.” Leeroy responded sarcastically, wanting to wipe the memory from his mind.
The three pegasi began to make their way to Cloudsdale, the sun gleaming in the clear blue sky. “So how does it feel to be finally out of the hospital?” Asked Thunderlane, making small talk to pass the time.
“It’s alright I guess, having ponies at your beck and call sure is great though!” Leeroy liked the thought of having other ponies doing everything for him, “Although the food isn’t that good.” Leeroy weighed up the negatives to the positives.
***
Luna sat in her room, staring at the wall blankly, bored out of her mind with nothing to do. She thought about all the events that happened a week ago, she heard some of the pegasi that were attacked had survived, although one is badly injured and the other is now under psychiatric evaluation at the Cloudsdale asylum .
Luna did not know much about Lycanthropy, only that it existed in old myths and legends. The very thought of such a thing happening to her made her chuckle. These stories were only made up to scare fillies and colts, nothing more.
Luna wanted to take a stroll through the gardens to take her mind off of these preposterous ideas that floated around in her mind.
As she left her room a pair of guards outside her room began to follow her, “Please let me be, I do not wish to be followed.” Luna ordered the guards, who nodded and stayed their post at Luna’s bedroom.
As Luna walked through the gardens she couldn’t help but take in all the wonderful colours being put on display by all of the exotic flowers, bright pink, bright blue, dark red any colour that you could think of was in these gardens.
Luna walked past a tree in the middle of the Canterlot Gardens, she looked down and spotted a bunch of flowers that looked very out of place. “Beautiful flowers by the way,” Jack appeared behind Luna, leaning into her ear.
Jack frightened Luna, “You gotta stop doing that,” Luna was not amused, “It scares me so much!” Luna looked at Jack with her eyes half shut, staring into his cold black eyes.
“I’m sorry, but you do make this so much fun.” Jack laughed, not caring how much he made Luna uncomfortable.
“This was a nice spot to bury me by the way.” Jack told Luna, feeling that he should at least tell her what he thinks of his burial place, where no pony will ever dig up, hopefully.
“I always did like this tree, whenever I felt frustrated I would always come here and just watch the sunset,” Jack reminisced about his previous life, remembering all of the fun things he could do which he now could not.
“Although now I am un-dead,” Jack added, “I can watch the sunset on the top of the mountain, it is just so beautiful.” Jack was going off on a tangent, he never knew when to stop talking.
“And your point is?” Luna looked confused, not understanding the purpose of Jack being here this time.
“I just thought I would pop by to say hi. Hi Luna!” Jack seemed happy as he always is, he clearly had no intention of upsetting Luna this time.
“Just leave me alone.” Luna did not want to talk to Jack, no matter how nice he was being, she just did not want to hear what he had to say.
“One of those pegasi you attacked survived,” Jack only knew that Hoops had survived the ordeal, “He’s now in the Looney bin, poor kid had to be out in a straightjacket.” Jack felt sympathetic to Hoops, knowing that it was not his fault.
“And why are you telling me this?” Luna did not see the point to what Jack was saying.
“Just to tell you that you are ruining lives,” Jack’s tone took a more serious note, “You’re not just killing ponies, but now you’re driving them to insanity!” Jack went cross eyed, trying to make his talk a little more humorous than usual.
“And you think I did this?” Luna pointed her hoof at herself. Jack clapped his hooves together in a sarcastic manor.
“Well not you exactly, but the other part of you.” Luna knew exactly what Jack was talking about.
“You don’t expect me to believe this again do you?” Luna rolled her eyes, forever refusing what Jack was saying.
“Of course I’m saying it’s you,” Jack stared at Luna, “The pegasus who escaped gave a description of what happened, whatever attacked him looked a lot like you.”
“It could have been an escaped animal from the zoo.” Luna tried to search for an explanation.
“Yes, I’m pretty sure there are many Alicorn looking animals that can walk on clouds that are in zoos.” Jack interrupted Luna sarcastically, not giving Luna a chance to explain.
“Now I have to go, I’ve got a hot date with a corpse.” Jack said enthusiastically, looking forward to the night ahead, “But you know what to do, just jump, or other lives will be destroyed.”
“I will not be threatened by a walking meatloaf!” Luna had had enough with Jack.
“Fine, I’ll be on my way.” Luna turned around as she heard some guards coming towards her. As she turned back she noticed that Jack had disappeared.
“Are you okay your highness?” The guards had overheard what Luna was saying.
“Oh nothing.” Luna sat down and looked at her hooves, then up towards Cloudsdale.
***
Leeroy and the two following Pegasi touched down in the Pegasi town centre, so they could walk with each other even more.
“I see not much has changed.” Remarked Leeroy as he looked around.
“Well it was only a week.” Thunderlane replied, giving Leeroy a stare. The three pegasi continued walking, talking about anything that came to their heads.
They had gotten to the rural outskirts of Cloudsdale. “Well looks like this is my stop,” Thunderlane ruffled Leeroy’s hair as he walked to his front door. “I guess I’ll see you around!” Leeroy yelled as he walked inside.
“So,” Blossomforth said, eager to catch up with him more personally, “How does it feel to have your special some pony back?” she asked smiling at Leeroy.
“It’s not that bad.” He smiled at Blossomforth, being thankful to see her one more time.
The two pegasi walked and talked to a good half hour, Leeroy explaining how scary it was to be mugged. Blossomforth listened with intent, not ignoring a single word.
“Hey watch were you’re going jerk off!” Leeroy yelled at another pegasi as he bumped into him as he walked past, the frightened pegasus ran away from Leeroy, frightened.
“Whao, what was that about?” Blossomforth looked at Leeroy, surprised at his attitude.
“I… I don’t know.” Leeroy was never the type of pegasus to act like that ever, but he just assumed it was some sort of side effect after what had happened.
The rest of the walk home was unnerving for Blossomforth, she had never seen that side of Leeroy. They eventually got to Blossomforth’s cloud bungalow. “Well I guess this is me,” She gave Leeroy a hug and a peck on the check, making him blush.
“I’m sorry about earlier, I don’t know what came over me.” Leeroy felt embarrassed about the earlier incident.
“It’s fine, I can understand,” Blossomforth walked to her front door, “See you tomorrow.” Blossomforth blew a kiss at Leeroy, who stood in happiness as he watched her walk inside.
Twilight lie on her back at the base of a tree, waving the feather she gathered at the scene of Doctor Whooves’ death in her face, thinking if she should even bother to investigate any further.
It did not even seem like any pony even cared about what happened on that night. “Four ponies died and no one even cares?!” Twilight asked herself, wondering why no pony was even bothering to investigate, or even ask any pony what happened.
Gossip about the incident had died down, so Twilight had nothing to go on, except the one pony who she knew had survived, completely oblivious to Leeroy’s survival. She wanted to investigate this deeper, to know exactly what was going on.
Word had it that Hoops was locked up in Cloudsdale Insane Asylum, this was just a rumour, but one of the few rumours about the incident that were left.
Twilight thought long and hard and decided to give Hoops a surprise visit to see if he could still talk about it. Twilight had heard that Hoops had almost lost his mind completely, and that he spent the rest of his days locked up in a straightjacket, rambling about the unfortunate incident.
Twilight did not know where the Cloudsdale Asylum was, so she decided to go to the pony who knows the great pegasus city best, Rainbow Dash. “As long as she isn’t still hung over.” Twilight giggled to herself, remembering the inebriated state she was in the last time they had met.
Twilight approached the impressive house in the sky, “RAINBOW DASH!” Twilight yelled in an effort to get Rainbow Dash’s attention.
Rainbow Dash peered out of her window, looking much happier and not at all hung over, “Hang on a sec!” Rainbow Dash yelled back, still recovering from a long sleep.
Rainbow Dash eventually flew down to greet the violet unicorn, “What can I do for ya Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked, her face lit up with a cheeky grin.
“I need you to take me to Cloudsdale Insane Asylum.” Rainbow Dash’s smile was soon erased from her face.
“You want me to take you where?” Asked Rainbow Dash, her voice confused, a little bit puzzled at the request made by Twilight.
“I said I want you to take me to Cloudsdale Insane Asylum,” Twilight retold Dash her request, this time looking at the pegasus with a face of seriousness, “Unless you’re afraid?” Twilight teased Dash, knowing that would get a response.
“WHAT?!” Dash responded, she never likes it when some pony says she is afraid, “Of course I’m not afraid, who do you take me for? Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash did not intend to make fun of Fluttershy, only use her as an example due to how she is afraid of almost everything.
“So you’ll take me?” Twilight’s face lit up at the thought of getting her own way.
“Fine I’ll take you,” Rainbow Dash sounded like she was going against her will, that Asylum had always given her the creeps.
The unicorn and pegasus decided to walk to Cloudsdale as Twilight was in no way capable of flying, despite knowing a flight spell as it would tire her out too much for the job at hand.
“So why do you even want to go to the asylum?” Rainbow Dash did not know anyone who could have been linked to Twilight that was in the asylum.
“You remember that incident on Cloudsdale a couple weeks back?” Twilight asked.
“Yeah, as it happens I do.” Rainbow Dash knew of it, but she had only heard the rumours, it never interested her.
“Well rumour has it one of those pegasi had survived,” Twilight informed Dash, “And rumour also had it he lost his mind, ended up in the psycho ward.” Twilight thought to herself, it could not have been an easy ride for the pegasus.
“Who do they say it is?” Twilight had peaked Rainbow Dash’s interest on the matter.
“They say it’s a pegasus named Hoops.” Twilight had no idea about the history between Rainbow Dash and Hoops, the cyan pegasus was not one to tell of her past, at least not the negatives.
“Ugh, I hate that guy.” Rainbow Dash suddenly remembered all the tough times Hoops and his minions had put her through.
“Why? I heard he was such a sweet pegasus.” Twilight did not know whether to trust what she had heard through rumours or whether to trust the words of Rainbow Dash.
“Let’s just say that we never saw eye to eye and that he loved to pick on any pony with a rainbow coloured mane.” Twilight knew what Dash meant, after all she is the only pony to have a mane that was so colourful.
Twilight felt sorry for Dash, but there was nothing she could do to help her with her past troubles.
Twilight and Rainbow Dash were directly underneath Cloudsdale. “I never have seen Cloudsdale like this.” Twilight looked directly up, putting a little bit of strain in her neck.
“I guess I’ll see you up there.” Rainbow Dash took off, flying upwards towards a cloud road that led to the Asylum.
Twilight concentrated as she cast a spell upon herself that allowed her to walk amongst the pegasi atop the clouds, she never really did see what the big deal is with living on a giant cloud. After she cast the spell she concentrated on how high she would need to teleport.
In a flash of bright light Twilight appeared right above the clouds, her hooves a foot off the cloud surface. “EEP!” Twilight let out a high pitched squeal as she instinctively closed her eyes as she fell softly onto the cloud.
Rainbow Dash laughed at Twilight, being a pegasus she never understood why Twilight was so nervous about stepping onto a cloud.
Twilight looked down to make sure she was standing firmly on all four hooves. She smiled with an embarrassed look on her face as she looked at Rainbow Dash, knowing how much of a fool she must have looked to the pegasus.
“Well the Asylum is just down this road,” Dash seemed to be in a hurry, “You’ll know when you get there when you see a big creepy house. Hehe.” Rainbow dash let out a nervous laugh as she tried to fly away.
Twilight grabbed the end of Dash’s tail with her magic. Rainbow Dash crashed into the ground as Twilight slammed her back onto the ground with more force than she thought she used.
“HEY!” Rainbow Dash was not pleased, “What was that for?!” Dash looked at Twilight with a face like thunder.
“Sorry,” Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash sincerely, “But where exactly do you think you’re going?” Twilight did not understand why Rainbow Dash was in such a hurry to get away, after all it was the weekend.
“That place gives me the creeps,” Rainbow Dash tried to explain, “Ever since I was a little filly and I used to fly over it for practice, it’s just plain creepy.” Rainbow Dash looked into the distance to find the place of her nightmares.
“Well I certainly can’t go there on my own.” Twilight looked at Dash with big gleaming eyes, trying to get her to feel sympathetic for her.
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, “Fine!” Dash said in a huff, clearly going against her own will. No matter what her say on the matter was. “I’ll go, but I AM NOT going inside.” Rainbow Dash made it clear about what it would take for her to accompany Twilight.
Twilight’s face lit up with a blinding smile, she loved it when she got what she wanted, which was very nearly all the time.
As the duo approached the Asylum Twilight could see why the place gave Rainbow nightmares. The building was run down; it almost looked like it tilted to one side. It was covered in moss and ivy; it looked like it would crumble to the ground if you so much as leaned on it.
There was a gate that was half open that led into the courtyard, a rainbow fountain was in the middle of a circular cloud road. “Can I go now?” Rainbow Dash asked, eager to get out of there.
“If you could wait out here that would be nice.” Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash, not wanting her to leave her all by herself in such a rundown area.
Twilight opened the front door hesitantly, the door creaking as it opened slowly, some pony really should have put oil on the hinges.
As the unicorn slowly walked inside, the interior of the building was a lot brighter, yellow walls with small red flowers painted on the skirting of those bright yellow walls. Attending a counter across the room from Twilight sat a very distressed looking pegasi, staring into space.
The pegasus looked down at Twilight, confused as to how exactly a pony who was not gifted with pegasus wings could walk on the cloud tops. “Can I help you?” Said the pegasus, who had a blank look and her voice could not have sounded any less enthusiastic.
“I have heard you have a patient that goes by the name of Hoops?” Twilight asked politely and enthusiastically, not allowing the receptionist in front of her intimidate her.
The pegasus suddenly snapped to attention at the mention of Hoops, as though mentioning that name was banned and could never be mentioned. “Yes,” The pegasus looked sad and sympathetic, “I never have seen such a tragic case.” Twilight felt sorry for the pegasus, working in these sort of conditions must have been a drain on her attitude.
The pegasus suddenly looked at Twilight with a stern look, “If you are intending on visiting him you must wait here for a moment,” Twilight listened to every word the pegasus said, she was clearly in no joking mood, “And when you are talking to him, try not to agitate or frighten the poor thing.” The pegasus almost looked to sympathise with Hoops.
Twilight just nodded and sat down, reading the latest gossip magazine with the headline ‘Trixie revealed!’ “Nothing but drivel yet again.” Twilight mumbled to herself as she put the magazine down and slumped in a chair.
Ten minutes later another pegasus walked in to the room, “You here to see Hoops?” He asked with a stern voice, staring coldly at Twilight.
“Yes.” Twilight responded reluctantly as there was no other pony in sight, the closest pony was Rainbow Dash, and she probably ran home.
“Come with me.” The pegasus started walking straight away, Twilight had to move fast just to keep up with the pegasus.
“I’m sorry if this place intimidates you,” The pegasus broke the awkward silence as they walked down a dark corridor, “But this place never really gets any pony so the mayor of Cloudsdale never really took care of this place, Hoops is the first pony we have had so we never really took care of the place either.” He explained to Twilight, apologising for the state the asylum was in.
Twilight didn’t respond, but was anxious at seeing Hoops for the first time, especially in his current state.
“Well here he is,” The pegasus unlocked a steel door, “Just don’t do anything to get him started, we still don’t know how he’ll respond.” The pegasus whispered as he backed away.
Twilight entered the room as the pegasus closed and locked the door behind her. She squinted as she saw something huddled in the corner of the room, shaking and mumbling. “Hey there,” The frightened mess turned to look at Twilight, silent and anxious. “Hoops, is it?” Twilight was being as delicate as possible with her words, trying not to impose on the frightened pegasus.
“Y… You know my n… name?” Hoops stuttered, clearly traumatised by whatever it is that put him in this state.
“Yes, my name’s Twilight.” Twilight pointed at herself, smiling as she did, trying to get him on her side. “I have some questions for you.” Twilight was not asking, she wanted answers, one way or another.
“D… di… did they s… send you I… in here?” Hoops was suspicious, the ponies who ran the asylum had tried asking him what had happened, but they didn’t get anything out of him.
“No no. Think of me as a friend.” Twilight was trying her best to be friendly and not turn this into an awkward encounter.
“O… okay.”
“Now tell me, what exactly happened on the night you started acting like this.” Twilight put it as delicately as she could.
“N… nothing. We were a… all fooling around an… an then the others d… ditched me.” Hoops responded, believing every word he was saying.
Twilight was not convinced, she pulled out a feather from her mane and showed it to Hoops, “Perhaps this will refresh your memory?”
Hoops’ face sunk, “W… We were playing with this animal an… and we heard someone stalking us.” Hoops seemed to be less nervous now, “I asked Dumb-bell to keep it quiet, and he d… did.”
Twilight still wasn’t convinced, “Are you sure? Are you sure that it wasn’t some other pony that you were telling him to keep quiet?” Twilight was remaining calm, not wanting to frighten Hoops.
“Well, we sent the animal to s… see what it was that was stalking us. T… then it just stopped making a noise, so we went to see what happened.”
“What happened next?” Twilight was pushing Hoops for answers.
“Whatever it was, it was big, vicious and it killed it,” Twilight noticed that Hoops had stopped stuttering. “It killed the animal, that thing killed the animal.” Hoops began to cry, “Oh Celestia, oh Celestia, it was Leeroy. That thing killed Lee… Leeroy!” He was stuttering on the words as he gasped for air as he cried.
“I didn’t want h… him to die…” Twilight looked at him, feeling bad for bringing this up. Hoops looked up at Twilight with hatred spelt across his face. “Why did you make me remember that?” Hoops wanted to repress that memory forever, no matter what it meant.
“I’m sorry, I’ll leave you alone now.” Twilight did not want to put Hoops through anymore distress than he was already in. She walked to the door and knocked on it twice, the door opened as she looked back at Hoops who was crying quietly in the corner as he remembered the ordeal.
Twilight left the asylum, she saw Rainbow Dash staring idly at the fountain. “Hey Dash,” Twilight called her over, “You ready to go?”
“I’ve been ready to leave ever since we got here.” Rainbow Dash was eager to leave. “So…” Dash wanted to address the elephant in the room, “How is he?”
“You don’t wanna know.” Twilight felt sad after what just happened, she took one quick look back as she and Rainbow Dash began walking back to Ponyville.
“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.
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.
Leeroy fell to the floor, tearing off the bandage that covered one side of his face, revealing the scarred and maimed tissue that was left over from that fateful night.
The full moon beamed down on Leeroy, penetrating every cloud that got in its way. Leeroy was getting worse and worse as time went by, “SOMEPONY, ANYPONY HELP ME!” Leeroy yelled, but his pleads for help were muted out by the loud music inside.
“I’M ON FIRE!” Leeroy knew he was not on fire, but he might as well have been as he felt an extreme heat suddenly brush over him. “GAAAAAAH!” Leeroy yelled in pain as he felt his skull fracture in several places, his ears felt like they were bending, his ear drums picking up more sound than he was used to, the faint music now became as loud as if he were standing next to the speakers.
Leeroy curled up in a ball, feeling his head growing in size, he tried to lift his hooves to hold his head, but they were broken and the muscles had torn apart, making it impossible to move them without putting himself through an intolerable amount of pain.
Leeroy felt his spine crack, instantly making him stretch out across the floor, his back pushing out. “SOMEPONY KILL ME PLEASE!” Leeroy would rather have died than experience this amount of pain, he felt his teeth pushing through his gums, making them bleed and split as they did. When the teeth reached an abnormal size, the gums healed around the teeth perfectly.
“OH CELESTIA, WHAT’S HAPPENING TO ME?!” Leeroy didn’t want answers; he just wanted this to stop. Leeroy’s wings cracked and grew rapidly, becoming too large for his body to cope. His wings fell to the floor, pinning his body to the floor, the base of the wings almost popping out of the socket as they became triple the size of his body.
Leeroy felt his chest implode, his ribs cracking into his body, but his organs remained un-harmed. His chest suddenly grew in size, his ribs expanding, “GAAAAAAH!” Leeroy let out another cry of pain, his anger welling up with each passing second.
Leeroy’s arms had suddenly increased in muscle size whilst tearing and repairing themselves, the muscle crushing the bones that lay in-between, Leeroy lied there motionless, unable to move a muscle in his body. He let out faint screams, giving up on anypony hearing him, his hatred for them welling up inside him, even though he did not hate any of them, no matter what was happening.
Leeroy felt his voice begin to change, he became dizzier, feeling as though he was about to become unconscious. His bones in his arms began to rebuild, pushing the muscle outwards as the tough bone within was forcing the muscle, making his arms look three times the size of any other normal pony’s muscle size.
Leeroy’s hind legs soon followed suit, the muscles crushed his bones, however one bone fragment had found a way through the muscle, penetrating his skin, inflicting even more pain upon Leeroy, “I CAN’T TAKE THIS ANYMORE! THU… THUNDERLANE, HELP!” His voice now deeper, feeling everything as his bone wiggled its way back into place in his leg.
“AAAAAHEEERRRGRR!” Leeroy was starting to lose grip of consciousness, his voice turning into some sort of abomination. Leeroy’s hair began to sprout out of his head and tail, becoming tangled up in what could only be described as a tangled mess.
What was left of Leeroy was breathing heavily, panting in, gaining its energy and hatred with every intake of the cold, crisp air. Whatever it was that stood in Leeroy’s place, it had no intention of making friends.
The door to the garden opened, “Erm dude, are you okay?” Thunderlane looked on with concern, spotting Leeroy looking very out of shape and okay.
The monster turned to face Thunderlane, walking slowly, the towering figure intimidated Thunderlane, “Leeroy?” Thunderlane whispered, staring into the glowing eyes slowly moving out of the darkness.
The beast’s breath was blowing into Thunderlane’s face, saliva dripping onto Thunderlane’s face. “Woahohoh you’re getting awful close there,” Thunderlane was trying to not let his fear become apparent, he slightly nudged the monster’s face out of his,
Almost instantly the monster lifted a hoof and hit Thunderlane in the side, sending him crashing into the door and he flew through the air and crashed onto a wooden table with drinks left from other ponies scattered about.
Everypony else looked in awe as they saw the huge figure enter through the door. Thunderlane was doubled over in pain, two pegasi helped him to his hooves. Silverpseed was not happy at all.
“WHAT THE HAY DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!” Silverspeed ran up to the monster yelling in its face. “AND WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT T…” Silverspeed’s rant was cut short as the monster brought its hoof down onto her head, forcing it onto the floor, crushing her head into pieces, the monster’s hoof went straight through her skull, getting blood all over its hooves. The only way they could recognise it to be Silverspeed now was her cutie mark.
Everypony looked on at horror at what they just witnessed, stunned by the gory death of Silverspeed. The monster lifted its hoof and shook off the remains of Silverspeed’s head, its hoof still covered in blood.
The monster’s eyes locked onto Thunderlane. Thunderlane himself knew what he had to do, “Everypony leave, it’s me it wants.”
“You know what that means right?” Wild Fire said to Thunderlane, knowing what would happen.
“I know, but it’s better than anypony else dying eh? Now leave, you won’t have long.” Thunderlane took a deep breath as everypony left in a hurry, all of them taking one last look back at Thunderlane, knowing what they were going to be greeted by when they returned later on.
“What are you waiting for? LEAVE NOW!” Thunderlane yelled at the others who stopped at the door, getting them to run out fast. Thunderlane turned around to be greeted by the monster, almost instinctively Thunderlane threw a punch at the monster, it did nothing, just made it angrier.
The monster grabbed Thunderlane and threw him across the room, smashing him into a framed picture hung on the wall, the glass cutting him in the back, one shard getting lodged into his side. “You want a fight do you? Well I’ll give you a fight!” Thunderlane was determined to go down fighting.
Thunderlane ran towards the monster, picking up a plant pot. He used all of his strength and smashed the plant pot into the bottom of the monsters head, sending it backwards.
“Wait a minute…” Thunderlane saw the same scarred tissue that Leeroy had, at that moment he knew who he was fighting. “No, you can’t be Leeroy!” The monster almost snapped to attention, as though it responded to Leeroy’s name being called.
The monster charged at Thunderlane, ramming him into the wall, the glass now sunk deeper into Thunderlane’s back, “Gaaah!” He yelled in pain, the blood leaked out of a small gap between the glass and his skin.
Thunderlane began to limp towards the garden door, trying to get away, but the beast was too quick. The beast pounced onto Thunderlane, getting ready to bite his head off. Thunderlane quickly moved his head backwards, knocking the monster off balance.
Thunderlane knew there would be no escape, he turned to face the monster. “Bring it on!” Thunderlane taunted him. The beast responded by leaping at Thunderlane, who jumped above the monster, kicking it in the head as he jumped over.
“You didn’t seem to like that much did you?” Thunderlane chuckled, rearing up to bear another attack from the monster. This time the monster pinned Thunderlane to a wall, slamming him back down onto the floor, this time there was no getting out.
Thunderlane stared into the monsters eyes, he knew this wasn’t Leeroy, despite it being his body, he knew that he was not him. The monster took one last look at Thunderlane before biting into his neck, Thunderlane let out screams of pain and terror, blood pouring out of his fresh gaping wounds.
With one final bite to the neck, Thunderlane was silenced. The beast stood proudly over its kill, roaring in victory, the monster now roamed free, but headed in one route, almost as though it knew who to kill.
***
“So far so good.” Luna said crudely towards Jack, who was swivelling around on Luna’s chair playfully.
“Give it some time, you’ll slip up.” Jack responded, wanting to prove Luna wrong, wanting her to realise that she was the cause behind all of this mess.
“Say what you want, I’m not that thing you say I am, tonight just proves it” Luna was fully confident that she was correct.
“That’s only if there’s not another incident like the last, otherwise you’re still candidate number one for being the monster that’s caused all of this.” Luna was aware of the catch Jack had put onto her.
“Why won’t this night go any faster?!” Luna was getting impatient, she wanted the night to fly by so that she could prove Jack wrong and get the whole incident over and done with at long last.
“Why don’t you tidy your room?” Jack observed the mess that he made rummaging about through Luna’s belongings, clearly bored out of his mind.
“Me? Tidy my own room up? HA! Don’t make me laugh.” Luna laughed at the thought of having to tidy her own room up. She was always used to being pampered, from ponies making her the very best food around to tidying her room up, just too bad she couldn’t fully enjoy it with everything that has been going on.
“What is everyone else going to think when they find your room in THIS mess?” Luna had gotten her room messy before, but not this much, her drawers had been emptied and all sorts of things lie on the ground.
“You raise a good point there.” Luna picked up everything using her magic and put everything away quickly, Luna looked bored as she did so.
“Now that wasn’t so hard was it?” Jack remarked after a moments silence, thinking that the time would have passed quicker had she simply gotten up and used her own two hooves to tidy it up.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door, “Luna? Are you in there?” Celestia’s voice could be heard faintly behind the door. Luna quickly got up to her door.
“Yes sister, what do you want?” Celestia let herself into her room, surprised to see Luna’s room was so tidy, and that she was sitting at her desk. Jack placed himself behind Celestia, trying to impersonate her.
“Is there somepony else in here?” Celestia had heard Luna talking, although she could not hear the second voice of Jack.
“Is there somepony else in here?” Jack repeated in a bad impersonation, in a posh Trottingham accent. Luna tried to stop herself from laughing.
Celestia looked behind her, confused as to what she found so amusing, she quickly scanned the space behind her, making sure no one was intentionally mocking her. After Celestia turned her attention to Luna.
“I heard you talking to yourself, is everything alright?” Celestia never knew her to act like this.
“Oh that… I was er…. Doing… er… Oh I was just practicing a speech for when we go to the funerals for all those ponies who have died.” Luna had to think up of something on the spot.
“Is that so?” Celestia was not entirely convinced by Luna’s reasoning, she eyeballed her suspiciously.
“That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.” Luna gave off a beaming smile as Jack mocked Celestia from behind.
“Well at least open your windows and curtains, it’s too hot if you’re stuck in your room all night,” Celestia walked over to the window and opened the window, Luna’s face sunk as the moonlight entered the room, only shining on the door. “As for now, goodnight Luna, I’ll see you in the morning.” Celestia left Luna’s room.
Jack followed Celestia, still mocking her, “If you are not the monster, then you have nothing to be afraid of.” Jack challenged Luna, to see if she would risk it, to see if she was actually right.
Luna thought about it for a moment, “Better safe than sorry.” Luna stayed put, she did not want to chance becoming that thing again.
“Did you say something Luna?” Celestia asked, just about hearing whatever it was that she thought Luna said.
“Oh, er… I only said goodbye.” Luna smiled nervously at Celestia as she cocked an eyebrow and left, much to Luna’s relief. Jack left the room with Celestia, leaving Luna all alone for the rest of the night.
***
Hoops sat in the corner of his cell, they had taken off his straight jacket and was showing signs of improvement, although he was still a little unsociable, he would get frightened at the mere mention of some sort of beast.
“Who’s there?” Hoops yelled out of the small window that was placed at the top of the wall facing out from the main building. Hoops thought he saw something move, hear something brush by but he took no notice of it.
Something growled in the distance, immediately Hoops backed up into the wall and started banging on the door, “HELP! HELP! IT’S HERE THE MONSTER IS HERE!” Hoops yelled, hoping that they would let him run as far away from that place as possible.
Hoops was greeted with nothing but silence, which was strange, if he ever acts up even half as bad as this somepony would have arrived to see what the fuss is about. Something was wrong and Hoops knew it.
Hoops was helpless, he leaned against a wall and waited to see what was wrong, if anything was even wrong in the first place.
He heard something bang against the door, it sounded like it wanted to break in, “STAY AWAY!” Hoops yelled, “I’m warning you!” Hoops had nothing to defend himself with except his own two hooves.
The door opened slightly, “What’s wrong hoops?” Asked one of the care takers, “Sorry about banging on the door, it’s a bit old.
“Nothing, it’s fine now.” Hoops lie with his back against the wall, with relief he let off a big sigh.
“Okay then.” The caretaker left without saying a word, just gave a strange look, looked at the wall, nodded and left.
About 10 minutes later Hoops heard some sort of noise coming from the reception, “HELLO?” Hoops yelled, “ANYONE THERE?” there was no response, Hoops started to get suspicious, unsure of what to make of what is happening.
Hoops heard a banging at the door again, this time it was heavier, whatever it was, it was bigger. Hoops looked for a place to hide, he leaped under his bed.
The door swung open, and there stood a monster of massive size, its muscular physique was one to be reckoned with. Hoops stayed quiet, with one hoof over his mouth to stop himself from breathing too loudly.
The monster then took a look behind the bed, there was nothing but silence. “GAAAAAAAAAH” Suddenly Hoops felt something bite down hard on his hind leg, he was quickly rushed out from underneath the bed.
He kicked hopelessly hoping to hit the monster so that he may have an opportunity to escape, he managed to get a few connections, but they only seemed to anger the monster more than aid him in his escape, the monster growled viciously at Hoops, frightening him to the core.
The monster eventually dug into Hoops, biting at his shoulder, almost biting the arm clean off. The monster was enjoying this midnight feast. It almost seemed to take pleasure from Hoops’ screams of pain.
The monster stamped on his struggling legs, crushing them as though they were tooth picks. Hoops got tired and began to struggle less, his screams of terror and pain had been whittled down to a mere few gasps of air as the monster crushed his chest, causing Hoops’ ribs to collapse into his lungs. Hoops began to cough up blood, spilling it all over himself.
With one last bout of energy, Hoops spat the blood back up into the monsters face, no longer afraid of what it would do. With one final swoop, the monster began to slowly crush Hoops skull, his skull started to buckle under the pressure. Even Hoops tried to struggle against this, out of all the things the monster was doing to him, this was the most painful.
With one final crack, Hoops skull was cracked open like a coconut, the screaming had stopped, all to the monster’s delight. The monster burst through the wall, its teeth still drenched in Hoops’ blood.
