'Hello I'm Firestar Phoenixwing. Recently Princess Luna found a diary that belonged to my Great, great, great, great, great... well you get it, a great grandmother that was alive a long time ago. 1000 years ago, to be exact; right before Nightmare moon first showed up the first time. Her name was Hemlock Phoenixwing. At the beginning of the story, she seemed to be the same age as the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Ok here we go...'
I'm not like other ponies, I know because I don't like the sunlight like the other ponies. I much prefer the soothing moonlight. My story to what happened before the events of this war will explain my motive to fight; even though I am not the type who would take any aggressive moves to harm anypony or be social with anypony. Normally I am shy, but death can bring about a terrible rage, and for that I truly am sorry.
It was a beautiful twilight that overtook the sky as my Father, and I walked down the streets of Canterlot. He had a dark grey coat like me, almost black. His mane like mine was a royal blue and dark navy blue and his eyes just like mine were sky blue. His name was Midnight Phoenixwing. He was going to take me with him to his work to finish up on some business and then we would be going to dinner.
"Stop right where you are traitor," A guard shouted! All of a sudden, my father and I were surrounded by royal guards. "By order of Princess Celestia you are under arrest for attempting to overthrow her Royal Highness and Equestria. You will come with us immediately or you will be executed on the spot! Do you submit?"
"Please tell me sir, may I bring my daughter with me," asked my father?
"We have no orders to take the filly with us. You will leave her and come with us or be terminated."
"No, please, I can't leave her out alone. Let me take her home. have a guard or two accompany me so you know I won't try to escape."
"You will leave her now and come with us!"
"No, I can't," my Father shouted trying to move with me to our house!
The guards pushed my father back away from me. "Will you come with us," demanded the guard!?
"Not without my daughter!"
"Then you will die!"
"Sweetie, don't look at Daddy, turn away, turn- " He didn't finish his sentence as the Royal Guard spears pierced his body. I can still hear the noise of the blood splattering on my back as I turned away. The guards carried his body away leaving me in shock at what had just happened.
After that night my whole perspective on personality changed; I was angry and confused and it felt I could never feel anything again. I spent a couple weeks in the streets, begging for food, water, money during the day. At night after taking a nap I would scavenge for food that was thrown out at the end of the day by the fancy restaurant. Occasionally I would move to a new ally as thought I saw clocked figures watching me at the ends of allies.
One day a guard found me. I tried to run and hide but he caught me and took me to an orphanage. They cleaned me up and fed me and gave me a bed. They even made me go to school! They made us walk to school and the sunlight was blinding and painful for me. My first day at school was a field trip to the Royal Palace. Seeing the guards standing guarding every door brought tears to my eyes and made me wonder if one of these guards were one of the guards that killed my father. I wiped the tears away before anypony could see.
"Do class trips usually go to royal palaces," I asked a filly in front of me.
"Yeah, every year we visit this palace for our class field trip, I've gone three times already," said the filly.
I decided that I would not be going to any places that had a large number of royal guards. As we came into a group I slipped toward the back of the group and when the teachers back was to me, I made a dash for the exit but some of the guards saw me. "HEY, KID STOP!"
I dodged and weaved through the legs of guards and managed not to get caught. Once I was on the street I ran with no destination.
A stallion was walking down the street when he saw a little filly running down the street toward him and that filly looked a lot like Midnight Phoenixwing's daughter and behind her was a royal guard. 'Great, well I better help her. One last favor for her old man.'
The stallion let the filly get close and jogged alongside her. " Hey, kid need some help," he asked. His voice sounded like he was a hardened veteran.
I nodded.
"Alright, follow me." I followed the stallion through some crowds and into an alley where we stopped.
"Who are you," I asked.
"My name's Aquila, I'm a friend of your father." The guard ran past us. "Let's go." We walked down the alley and turned into different alleys until we reached a building.
"Moon Lace? What kind of name is that?"
"It's a safe place for ponies like us. It's where your father worked."
We went in; there were ponies in armor like the royal guards armor but it was black and blue. "Pony's like us?"
"Ponies who can't stand the daylight. Vampires, children of the night, servants of the moon. We go by many names either way we all serve Princess Luna."
"The Princess Luna!? Like the Princess Luna who raises the moon each night? That Princess Luna?"
"How many Princesses named Luna do you think there are kid? Yes, the Princess Luna. Tonight, she will be here and you will be initiated by her into her legion."
"But what if I don't want to join?"
"Look you want revenge for your father’s death, right? Well, this is the only way to find the guards that killed him. We will train you to track them down. Now you can get some rest here until night comes and we are ready for you."
My room was plain, there was a bed and a little night stand with a lamp and a bathroom were I could get cleaned up. I turned on the shower and took a shower. I let the water run down my legs soaking in the feeling of how good it felt to get the street grime off my body after not having a shower in weeks. I dried off and collapsed on the bed and immediately fell asleep. I awoke to the sound of knocking at my door. I looked up and the door opened. It was Aquila.
"We are ready for you. Come on."
I entered a dark room lit only by ponies in robes holding candles on either side of a long hallway. Aquila walked to the center of the room where Princess Luna stood at an altar. "APROACH YOUNG FILLY," she said in her royal voice! I walked toward the altar. She signaled with her hoof to stop once I approached the stairs to the altar. "HEMLOCK PHOENIXWING, DO YOU AGREE TO JOIN MY SOLDIERS OF THE NIGHT AS A MEMBER OF THE LEAGUE OF THE NIGHT?"
"I-I agree," I said.
"GOOD. LET US PROCREED WITH THE INITIATION. MEMBERS REPEAT AFTER ME! I WILL WORK TO PERSERVE PRINCESS LUNA'S DREAM TO HAVE A SOCIETY THAT WILL ADMIRE THE NIGHT JUST AS PONIES ADMIRE HER SISTER'S SUN AND I WILL DO ANYTHING TO PROTECT THIS DREAM! MAY THE NIGHT LAST FOREVER!"
"I will work to preserve Princess Luna's dream to have a society that will admire the night just as ponies admire her sister's sun and I will do anything to protect this dream! May the night last forever!"
"DO YOU, HEMLOCK PHOENIXWING AGREE TO THIS CREED?"
"I do."
"AS A PART OF OUR INITIATION YOU WILL BE INJECTED WITH CHANGLING BLOOD FUSED WITH A CREATURE CHANGING SPELL, SPECIFICALLY BAT! ALL OF US CAN CHANGE OUR FORMS FROM BAT TO OUR ORIGINAL FORMS! IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO JOIN MY PERSONAL ARMY THEN THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO LEAVE! IF NOT THEN WE WILL PROCEED!"
"I-I... agreed."
I was injected with the blood. My vision blurred and I stumbled, and shadows burst around me. I felt strange objects on my back and my head felt very light. I glanced up expecting to see my horn but to my surprise it was gone. My eyes widened in alarm. "AAH!" As I looked at my back I saw leathery wings on my back. "AAH!" I felt my teeth with my tongue. On either side of my mouth were long sharp canines like a dog or a bat. "AAH!"
"Wow. I knew the change is usually gradual but that has got to be the fastest I've ever seen anypony change form for the first time and you got your cutie mark," said Aquila! It was a pony's face that looked like a shadow above a moon.
"I want to change back. This is too much at once! Please!" I felt the tears start to come down my face.
"YOU WILL GET USED TO IT EVENTUALLY LITTLE ONE! AQUILA IF YOU WILL TAKE HER BACK TO HER ROOM. YOU WILL BE HER MASTER; TEACH HER ALL SHE NEEDS TO KNOW IF SHE IS TO SURVIVE THE WAR! FROM NOW ON YOU SHALL TAKE ON YOUR LATE FATHERS CODE NAME, NIGHTINGALE!"
"Yes, your majesty. Come Nightingale," said Aquila.
The robbed figures applauded as I walked out of the room.
When we got back to my room Aquila took out some clothing and two metal objects. He held out the metal objects and I took them. "Those are hoof blades; you will be trained in how to use them later." He then gave me the cloth. It was a robe with a hood. "That was your father's robe it allows you to turn invisible in the shadows, we just cut it down to fit you."
The next couple weeks were spent training in how to fly, aerial combat, regular combat, changing my form, and combat magic. There was one final test to prove I was ready to join Princess Luna's army. We met on a building on restaurant row where a guard was patrolling the area in bat pony form.
"Ok Firestar this is your last test to prove you want to join us in our conquest. You will assassinate the guard below," said Aquila.
"What?"
"Come now you didn't expect there to be now blood shed when you joined us. Besides you said you wanted revenge for your father’s death. A life for a life. But if you don't think you can do this you can walk away now."
"No! I-I'll do it, it's just, I'm- I've never been an aggressive pony."
"I understand. Whenever your ready jump down and take him out. Afterwards we will all change forms, and we can blend in as if we were passerby's."
I looked down at the guard who didn't even know what was about to happen. "Now," I shouted! I jumped down, spreading my wings to slow my fall, and landed on top of him but I hadn't killed him. I drew a knife from my saddle bag and positioned it so that I would cut his throat but before I could kill him, he stared pleading; tears streaming down his face.
"P-p-please! Don't do it! I don't want to die! Oh, Celestia please help me!"
That made me stop cold. I couldn't kill this pony. I started tearing up, torn by my new family who wanted me to kill this pony or let him live and be kicked out of the Soldiers of the Night.
"Nightingale, you can do it. I believe in you," Aquila said softly. He saw my struggle and said softly let me help you."
He put his hoof on my hoof that held the blade. "On three we will cut him together. The first kill is always the hardest. One, two, three."
We slit the guard’s throat. His blood splattered the stone road staining it a dark red. He gasped, trying to breathe. I stood over him feeling horrible at my action. Ponies in the street screamed for help as they saw him dying.
"We have to go before the guards catch us! Come! We have to regroup!" We ran down the street towards our group and heard the guards closing in on us. We made it to our group and turned into our pony forms. As we walked back to Moon Lace, we walked past the dead guard’s body surrounded by his comrades and for a moment I thought I saw the dead ponies face look directly at me and move his lips as if he was trying to tell everyone where his killer was. I tried to tell myself that his death was revenge for my father and that he had to die in order for me to join the League of the Night but no matter how I looked at the situation I just felt bad about the whole thing.
"Congratulation Nightingale, you are now an official member of the League of the Night," Aquila said!
"Aquila, how did you deal with your first kill?"
"My first kill... was a friend. He was going to talk about our group and ruin Princess Luna's plans to the royal guards. For weeks after I felt terrible about what I had done. I felt that I had betrayed my friend. But I also knew that he betrayed the league. After a few more kills I felt better for what I had done; and I know you will too."
I gave Aquila a hug, thanked him, and went inside. He was right about feeling better about the killings. Within a few weeks I had gotten over killing the guard but I to this day I still can't wipe that look he had as we walked back to the hide out from my mind.
After about a month of being in the league we were all called to a meeting where Princess Luna was going to enact her plans; but something seemed off about her.
"MY TRUSTED FOLLOWERS OF THE NIGHT, TONIGHT WE ENACT MY PLANS AFTER MANY YEARS IN THE PLANNING!" Everyone started cheering. "THANK YOU, THANK YOU! AND NOW TO REVEAL MY PLANS!" The air started to grow cold and dark. Dark Blue magic started swirling around Princess Luna. The magic suddenly burst all around her. When it disappeared, Princess Luna was still standing there but she looked different. Her mane was pure dark blue with white diamonds twinkling like the night sky. Her mane was different too; it was almost black. And her eyes looked like a dragon’s eyes. "WE WILL OVERTHROW MY SISTER WHO RAISES THE CURSED SUN! ONCE WE OVERTHROW HER THEN THE NIGHT SHALL LAST FOREVER!" Everyone started to cheer but somehow, I just couldn't help but feel that this would be a very bad idea. "I HAVE HAD TRUSTED OFFICALS DEVELOP PLANTS THAT WILL GROW IN THE MOONLIGHT SO THAT WE MAY CONTINUE TO LIVE IN OUR! NEW! EMPIRE! FROM THIS MOMENT ON EVERYPONY SHALL KNOW ME AS NIGHTMARE MOON! NOW EVERYPONY MOVE OUT AND ATTACK ANYPONY WHO MAY OPPOSE US! ATTACK ALL THE CELESTIAL GUARDS! WE ARE NOW AT WAR!" Everypony cheered!
We burst out of the door of Moon Lace and ran for the castle. Many guards saw us and charged us with their spears. I dodged several guards and started flying up onto a nearby roof. Looking down I saw the Guards and the League of the Night clashing struggling to enter the palace. Above me I heard a loud explosion. Princess Celestia flew out of the smoke followed closely by Nightmare Moon. Nightmare shot a laser beam from her horn at Celestia, but she dodged it and counter attacked with her own laser. There were a few moments where the two struggled but in the end Nightmare Moon knocked Celestia through the glass roof of the main hall and Nightmare Moon followed after her. Looking down I saw that the league was retreating back to Moon Lace. But I had to see what Nightmare was going to do with Princess Celestia. I jumped off the building and glided to the abandoned palace doors. When I opened them, I saw something I wasn't expecting; the princess was about to use the famous Elements of Harmony on Nightmare Moon. "NNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOO," She shouted! The beam from the Elements blasted Nightmare Moon toward the moon. As the beam disappeared the moon started to grow dark dots on it in the shape of a unicorn head.
I started charging Princess Celestia but stopped about ten feet from her. She was... crying? I saw the tears roll down her cheek and I lost my fury, and I approached her slowly. "I'm so sorry my dear sister, Luna," She whispered.
"Princess Celestia... I am sorry; and on behalf of your sister’s army, we surrender. You can punish me, Nightingale - Hemlock Phoenixwing, for what I have done."
Princess Celestia swiped the tears away and stood up. "Why should you be punished you have done nothing to me?"
"I and many others have betrayed you and Equestria."
"I see. Can you tell me why you would join my sister’s secret army or why she wanted to overthrow me?"
"A few months ago, my father was killed by some of your royal guards. His name was Midnight Phoenixwing. They claimed that he had betrayed Equestria. They said you ordered his death. A few weeks later the league found me. As for why your sister betrayed you, I can only guess that she was jealous of how everypony would praise the sun and none would do the same once night came."
"I see, but she wanted the night to last forever. Though that would be a short forever once all the plants died from lack of sun light."
"She told us that she had made plants that would grow in the moonlight."
Princess Celestia nodded, "I think I understand now. I did not give her the love she deserved, nor did I praise her for her work. Thank you, Hemlock, but I must say that I never ordered any arrest for a Midnight Phoenixwing or anypony else for more than a few years!"
"What! Then who would have ordered my father’s death?!"
"It was I!" I turned around and saw Aquila walking through the door badly injured.
"What! Why would you kill my father he was a part of the league." I started tearing up.
"He was a risk to the league. You remember the story I told you about me having to kill a friend. Other members of the group were there as well. We thought that with him gone and your anger to get revenge on the guards that we would win for sure; but we miscalculated the probability that the Elements of harmony would be used! And now I find you surrendering to the enemy! You've not only betrayed me but the league as well."
"The league is gone! They lost, no, we lost! You were like family to me! I would have probably joined eventually without my father dying!"
"Enough! You could never have joined us! You would have been too weak and too scared; just like you are right now!"
Aquila drew his sword and charged but Princess Celestia intervened. She spread her wings and she burst into a flash of light blinding Aquila.
"Guards arrest this stallion for betraying Equestria and attempting to murder two of its citizens."
The guards came out of nowhere and took Aquila away.
"I see now that you are not at fault for what has happened. You were manipulated into all of this. Please if you would I'd like all of Equestria to hear your story."
She handed me a dark blue book with a moon on it. "Write in this and tell the tale of how this all happened. If you would like you can stay here in Canterlot with me until you are old enough to live on your own. I also want you to go to school here to learn to strengthen your magic and learn what everypony else must learn."
"Thank you, Princess. It is an honor."
The End
'Well, that's my great, great, great, great, great times 1000 Grandmothers story. Apparently, she even knew Star Swirl, the bearded who helped her start Celestia's School of magic which was partly owned by my father which I inherited. Thanks for listening!'
Author's Note
This is the short story I was talking about. The second story will be in out after this story is complete. If you want to see what the ponies in this story and the last one here is the link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3-rkVdQDtO9MG5NWTRia3pCN1E
Update: Just fixed some spelling and grammatical mistakes. I'm working on a 3D animated version of this story. I'll update this once I've posted something.
