On the Wings of Heros

Princess Luna looked down at Equestria, just like she had for a thousand years after she had been banished. The moon was a very lonely place, and Luna knew it all too well.

Humming tunelessly, the Princess of the Night strolled among the various craters in the moon, following her horn towards an odd magical signal. She stopped humming as she approached the dark side of the moon.

Luna hated the dark side, while it also scared her. Various beasts and magical creatures lived there. Because they'd never seen the sun, they constantly needed to absorb Equestrian magic to sustain themselves. They had been there when Luna had begun to despise the ponies and her sister. Their whispers had driven Luna to become Nightmare Moon.

Luna stopped on the edge. She hadn't crossed the threshold in years. She'd gone on a hunt for the beasts, a vengeance quest against those that had made her into a monster. She broke off when she felt the familiar stirrings to create everlasting night.

With a deep breath, she stepped onto the cold surface. Immediately the voices returned, but Luna ignored them, and finally found the source of the signal.

A trench had appeared, and it didn't look natural to Luna. She spread her wings and floated into the trench. Illuminating the rubble allowed her to see what was down there. A tunnel had been dug, going around in a tight circle. Only this section had caved in, and Luna could sense the faint traces of a light spell, so she began to sift the rubble, looking for any clues, and she came across an old sword.
It was dented, the blade dulled after being buried under tons of rock. Luna examined it, and recognized the marking on the hilt. An old pony had made swords with that exact marking when Luna had been banished. How had Skylark been able to purchase this sword when the pony making them died long ago?

With reverence, she undented the blade and sharpened it to a razor's edge. Wiping the hilt clean, she placed it between her teeth and took a couple practice swigs. The sword was perfectly balanced for her, just how she liked it.

Luna didn't believe in coincidences. She knew every action had a purpose, from the Elements of Harmony returning when Nightmare Moon did, to the events leading up to Twilight and her friends getting their cutie marks, even to Twilight's parents meeting due to an accident. Luna was convinced that Celestia was privy to that information, but when she asked her sister, she merely smiled and said 'Not now, little sister.'

Luna musings were interrupted by a loud roar, and the familiar chill travelling up her spine. She turned, and saw three Tiger-Scorpions. They were attempting to encircle her. A predatory grin spread across Luna's face, and she took a fighting stance.

One charged. Luna took a step back, and slashed down through it's neck. It disappeared with a *pop*. The other two mewled at the death of their brother, and retreated. Luna was sorely tempted to give chase, but she resisted the urge. She summoned a sheath and placed the sword into it, and started her flight back to Equestria. She wondered if Skylark wanted the sword back, and if not, would he let her have it? Surely a blind pegasus has no need for such an ancient weapon.

Luna landed lightly on the desert sand. She looked up and walked towards a group of ponies busy putting up a sign. It read: 'The town of Harmony. Population: 34.' The ponies spotted Luna, and immediately bowed.

"Princess! We didn't expect you so soon!"

"It's alright. I came to speak to Skylark. Is he here?"

"Y-yes! He's in the house at the end. You can't miss it."

"Thank you. It looks good!" Luna smiled and continued her walk. More ponies bowed as she passed. She nodded to each in turn, and knocked on the house that was specified. Skylark opened the door.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Hello, Mr. Skylark." Luna said softly.

"Princess?" Skylark bowed deeply. "My apologies, Princess. My vision isn't what it used to be."
The corner of Luna's mouth jerked upwards.

"It's alright, Mr. Skylark. May I come in?"

"Yes, yes!" Skylark moved aside, and Luna stepped into the house. It was cozy, not unlike the cottage that she had spent most of her fillyhood in. Sunflare stepped out of the kitchen and bowed.

"Princess! It's an honour! Would you like some tea? Or perhaps a piece of pie?"

"No thank you, Ms. Sunflare."

"Ok!" Sunflare helped Skylark over to their couch. "Please, have a seat."

"Thank you." Luna removed the sheath and placed it on the floor in front of Skylark.

"What's this?"

"I found this on the moon. I believe it is yours."

"Ah." Skylark slid the sword out and touched it. "Yes, this was mine."

"Can you remember where you got this? It has a marking that I remember from long ago."

"Let me see..." Skylark's face went slack for a second. "Yes... it was a pawnshop in Manehatten. The shopkeep said it was an old sword, so we got it for a couple Bits. For such an old thing, it's tough."

"Quite." Luna sheathed the sword. "Would you mind if I kept this? I can get a replacement, if you'd want one."
Skylark waved a hoof in the air.

"Take it! I doubt I'll be fighting with a sword of that caliber ever again."

"Thank you, Mr. Skylark. This means a great deal to me." Luna rose, and bowed slightly to Sunflare. "I must be going."

"Princess, wait!" Skylark called out. Sunflare sat next to him, and he put his foreleg around her. "We have a question for you."

"Oh?"

"Well, you see... Me and Sunflare... well, we ah... you know..."

"You dolt!" Sunflare giggled. "We're going to have a baby!"

"The only problem is, we can't really think of a name for the little 'un." Skylark looked sheepish. "We were wondering if you could... name him."

"Or her." Sunflare put in. Luna was taken aback.

"Me?" Luna immediately thought of a dozen names, and dismissed them almost as quickly. She looked at the hilt of the sword.

'No coincidences.' She thought.

"How about Duskrider?"
Sunflare smiled.

"That's perfect! Thank you, Princess."
Luna smiled, and turned to leave when another thought crossed her mind.

"If Duskrider has the ambition to be in the Royal Guard, let me know. I'll reserve a spot for him in my personal guard. If what I've heard about your swordsmanship, Mr. Skylark, then Duskrider will be a welcome edition to my team."
Both Skylark and Sunflare were speechless.

"That's... that's an honour, Princess. Thank you."

"Thank you, Mr. Skylark. You've given me a piece of my fillyhood. This is the least I can do."

As Luna left the house, the sun warmed her face. She felt the cool breeze, and looked up to see where the sun was. Celestia had moved it down towards the horizon. Luna flapped her wings and headed back towards the castle.

It was nighttime, after all.