It was your typical day within Canterlot castle. Maids; and butlers cleaning every inch of the palace. The chefs busy preparing the meals for the princesses; and other occupants. Guards standing attention at their designated locations. Yes, everything is as it usually was except for a guard who patrols the halls of the furthest end of the castle grounds.
A Pegasus guard by the name Hazy Nimbus drew the short end of the patrol list. A lone patrol of the old west wing. Now normally something like this wouldn't be so bad. However the old west wing hasn't been used in several years. Some say it is because it is haunted by a vengeful spirit. Others say that it is where princess Luna keeps a monstrous pet that has a taste for pony flesh. Though no pony knows the real reason as to why it was no longer used.
Hazy makes his way to the large black iron double doors that bar the entrance to the old west wing. Gulping he looks at the metal doors and fumbles with the keys to unlock them. Placing the iron key into its keyhole he turns it. A distinctive click tells him that they are now unlocked. Pushing the doors open an ear splitting shriek fills the hall as the ancient metal doors slowly scrape against the stone floors. Hazy folds his ears against his head to muffle the horrible sound.
Hazy looks into the ancient hall. Dust; and cobwebs cover virtually everything. Taking his first step into the ancient hallway the torches that align the walls light up with red fire. Hazy jumps back as they do. He always hated it when they did that! Though he would much rather them be lit then to walk down a dark; and abandoned hallway.
The sound of hoof on stone echoes through the hallway as he makes his way through them. An unusual scratching sounds starts to prick at his ears. These halls were supposed to be empty, but something besides him was there. With chattering teeth, and wobbling knees Hazy makes his way towards the sounds.
"It is just a rat! It is just a rat! Confirm that it is a rat then get the buck out of here!" Hazy tells himself.
Following the scratching sounds Hazy finds himself at a burned wooden door. Barely touching the door it falls off of its hinges. Sending a plume of dust into the air. Hazy's mouth fills with dust. Coughing he looks into the room. It was much darker than the other rooms he had previously seen. A cold sweat clings to his coat as he steps into the room.
Squinting his eyes Hazy peers into the darkness. There were serval strange figures at the edge of his vision. With teeth chattering Hazy pulls out a flashlight out of his armor. Turning it on he flashes it into the room. Revealing...statues lots; and lots of statues. However these weren't your prototypical statues of legendary heroes that would be out in the hedge maze; but rather statues of various bat like creatures.
"Huh!? Bat ponies? Why would some pony make statues of a monstrous myth like them?"
Hazy looks closely at one of the statues. It looks so life like. As if the statue could jump to life at any moment. Hazy inspects one of the statues something moves in the corner of his eye making him jump.
"H...hello whose there!?"
A faint scratching noise answers from deep within the room. Lowering his head Hazy makes his way to the back where the sound was coming from. A beautiful statue of a female bat pony laid before him her eyes seemed to be drawing him in. Before he could even realize it he was making his way over to the statue. Climbing up the base; and looking her straight in the eyes. His face was now mere inches away from hers. She was so beautiful so life like. It was as if she calling him to come; and wake her from her eternal slumber. Closing his eyes he puckers his lips; and goes to kiss the statue.
A faint rasping noise breaks the trance he was in. Looking up at the rafters Hazy sees a pair of glowing red eyes looking down at him. Before he could react the creature lunges at him. He falls back screaming like a little filly. That is when a chorus of laughter soon erupts from behind a cluster of broken statues.
"Huh?"
Three guards poke their heads out from their hiding spot laughing up a storm. Hazy looks at the creature that had lunged at him. It was one of his friends in a bat costume; and colored contacts laughing as well.
"That's not funny!" screams Hazy as he tries to calm himself down.
"Dude you should have seen your face!"
"Yeah I thought you were going to pee yourself there near the end,"
"You guys know I hate bat ponies! Why would you do that!"
" One because nothing ever happens on patrol; and two it was bucking hilarious," answers the one who was dressed as a bat pony.
"You guys are plot holes,"
"Yeah, but we're not the one who was about to make out with a statue of a creature that we supposedly can't stand,"
"Shut up! I have no idea why I was about to do that,"
"Sure you don't," says one of them sarcastically.
"Seriously I have no idea where that came from! There is something strange about that statue,"
They all stop their laughing; and look up at the statue. As theystare at it the air itself seemed to grow colder. A bitter chill creeps through their bones.
"Well whatever the fun is over now. Time to get back to patrol guys,"
"Ye...yeah lets go back to our stations,"
With that they all leave the wing; and head back to the castle. As they do the eyes of the female statue seem to glow as if watching them leave.
Making their way back to the castle something catches their eyes. Something that makes their hearts stop cold. Princess Luna was talking to their captain. Looking at one another they approach their captain; and princess of the night.
"And I swear she was just sitting there cake all over her face," chortles princess Luna as the guards come within earshot.
"Bwahaha! Oh how I would have loved to see that. I bet princess Celestia wasn't amused," laughs the captain of the guard.
"Oh she wasn't! You should have...oh! Hello there good sirs!"
The guards salute their princess; and captain.
"Your highness," they say in unison.
" Why aren't you on patrols like I assigned!?" asks the captain in a serious tone.
" I was ah...coming to look for you sir. Patrol of the old west wing is complete nothing is out of the ordinary there...sir," answers Hazy in a nervous tone.
"The old west wing? Captain why are you having guards patrol that wing?" asks princess Luna.
"It is just a standard routine to make sure we don't have any squatters; or undesirables too close to you; and your sister," replies the captain.
"Oh...I see. While I admire your diligence any pony foolish enough to step hoof into that wing wouldn't be a threat to us for very long,"
"Princess?" asks the captain a twinge worry in his voice.
"No matter please make sure you lock that wing back up. Then remove it from your future patrols good captain. It isn't safe...even for our guards,"
The captain bows to princess Luna as do the other guards as she makes her way to her room.
As soon as princess Luna turns the corner; and out of sight the captain glares at his subordinates with fiery anger.
"You heard your princess go back; and make sure that you locked that wing back up! Than stand guard over those doors until the end of your sift,"
The guards salute their captain before they turn on their heels; and make their way back to the black iron doors.
"What do you think that was about?"
"Something about cake,"
"No not that...well that too; but I meant with the old west wing? What do you think she meant by not safe even for us?"
"Who knows I'm just glad we won't be going back in there! That place gives me the creeps,"
"Yeah, we just have to stand guard in a long creepy hallway in front of a big creepy door. To the most creepy part of the castle that is rumored to be the home of a flesh eating monster. For the rest of the day because that is soo much better," answers Hazy whose teeth were now chattering again.
"Ease up there Hazy at least you won't be alone this time,"
" That is a small consolation,"
Their eyes grow to the size of dinner plates as they look at the black iron doors. They were wide open!
"Did we forget to close the doors?" asks Hazy as he tries to swallow the lump in his throat.
"uh...maybe? I don't remember hearing that grating sound it makes when it moves so...yeah that's it! We just forgot to close it that's all,"
They all chuckle nervously as they look at the entrance to the old west wing. Hazy; and one of the others grab the handles to the doors; and pull. The sound of metal on metal fills the halls. With a loud thud the doors shut. Hazy immediately locks the doors before he lets out a collective sigh of relief. The guards stand there as they were told. However an eerie presence keeps them from relaxing. It was as if they were being watched from the shadows.
Luna enters her bedchamber; and heads over to her desk. She still had an hour before she had to set the night sky. So she decides to do a little light reading. Grabbing one of the many books in her collection she sees an old note from when she first came back to Equestria as princess Luna; and not Nightmare Moon.
Dear Princess Luna,
Here is a collection of my personal favorite authors. I figured that they might be useful in helping you catch up on the thousand years you have missed.
Sincerely yours,
Princess Celestia's student Twilight Sparkle.
Luan smiles as she rereads the thoughtful note. She was right the massive collection of books has helped her with assimilating back into Equestria. Looking at the book that she had decided to read tonight she stares at the cover. It depicted a bat pony standing over a dead pony with bite marks on its neck. Luna frowns.
Personally she never believed that they ever existed; but the fact that they were supposedly creatures of the night that fed on ponies; and stole foals from their beds. Did nothing to help ponies understand her night as a thing of beauty; and not a thing of horror. Maybe it wasn't a good idea for her to dress up her guards like bat ponies when she went to Ponyville on Nightmare Night after all. With an annoyed grunt Luna opens up the book; and reads.
Much as she expected it was filled with nothing; but stories of bat ponies doing atrocious things to ponies. Story after story it was all the same thing. A lone beautiful mare walking down an empty street only to be ambushed; and drained of her blood. After the fourth story of the same thing Luna closes the book; and steps away from her desk. It was time to raise the moon.
Luna steps out onto her balcony. Closing her eyes she lights her horn. As if a faithful pet waiting to be called by its master the moon begins to takes its place in the sky. Followed by the night sky; and stars. Just as she was about to finish setting the night the sound of loud thunder cracks across the sky.
Startled by the sudden explosion Luna opens her eyes. There were only a couple clouds in the sky; but they weren't storm clouds. Then another crack of thunder erupts. This one violently rattles the stained glass windows. Luna squints her eyes as to see the reason behind this unnatural phenomenon.
There high up in the sky were two shadowy figures flying around each other. Were they fighting? Another burst of thunder erupts above the castle. Luna's teeth rattle from the shock as she is forced to close her eyes; and cover her ears. Now intent to see just what the buck was going on Luna locks onto the two figures. Looking into the sky Luna sees one of the shadowy figures was falling straight for her. While the other one was falling somewhere into the city. Luna grunts as she is tackled by the figure; and sent sprawling across her bedchamber.
Recovering from having the wind knocked out of her. Luna feels something warm lying on top of her. Using her magic Luna moves whatever it was that had hit her. With the extra weight now off of her Luna gets up to see just what it was that had tackled her. Her eyes narrow; and her lip quivers as she looks at the figure cradled within her magic.
"Well this complicates things,"
Luna looks at the creature that she holds within her magic. There nestled within her magic was a bat pony knocked out cold. Stepping closer to the pony Luna examines the pony making sure that this wasn't some kind of Pegasus prank. Stopping mere inches away from him Luna could clearly see that it was by no means a joke.
His coat is of a greyish black; and his short choppy mane a warm chestnut brown. Luna gulps as she looks over his body. He is wearing some kind of leather armor. By the looks of it, it has seen better days as there are several tears; and scratches all over it. Casting her gaze down the bat pony's torso Luna stops at his flank. There on proud display was the sun nestled within the arms of a crescent moon. Never before has Luna seen a cutie mark like this one. It was strange yet beautiful in a sense.
Luna looks into the stallion's face. A considerably large goose egg was starting to show on his forehead. That had to hurt! Luna's cheeks heat up as she stares at him for he was quite a strapping young stallion. Maybe early to late twenties? The bat pony begins to stir.
"Oh my head. What happened? Huh? Where am I who are you?"
Luna blushes as she looks deep into his brilliant blue eyes. They were so dreamy. It was as if they were made of sapphires. The long slitted pupils only seem to accentuate their beauty.
"You are in Canterlot castle. My castle. I am princess Luna. Tell me who are you? Where do you come from, and why are you here?"
"I don't remember,"
"what do you mean you don't remember!? You come here assault me while I perform my royal duties, and tell me you don't know why!"
"Yes...owe. Could you please lower your volume? My head really hurts,"
Luna looks at the goose egg on his head it has swollen to the size of a baseball. Biting her lip she looks at the poor creature clutched within her grasp.
" He must be in agony right now,"
Luna gently lowers him to the ground before releasing her magic. The bat pony staggers on his hooves. He looks at her with a small grin as he finally gets his hooves under him.
" Tell me, if I leave to get you something for your head. Will you stay right here?"
" Where would I go?"
"So you will stay?"
"sure,"
Luna makes her way to the door she takes one last look at the bat pony before leaving the room.
The stone walls rattle as thunder booms above the castle. The guards stationed in front of the old west wing cover their heads as dust is sent cascading from the ceiling.
"What the BUCK was that!?" screams Hazy.
"How should I know! Maybe some pony dropped a jar of lightning or something?"
" You sure about that? I have never heard a lightning jar that loud,"
"Are you a weather pony? No!? Then shut it! That is all it was,"
Another burst of thunder erupts much louder than the previous one. They drop to the ground covering their heads as their bones vibrate from its intensity. They lay there for several moments before slowly getting back up. Their ears ringing with a high pitched wail as they wait to see if there would be another thunder clap. When there wasn't they take a collective sigh.
"See I told you some pony just dropped some lightning jars is all,"
"If that's the case than lets hope they don't drop anymore. I think one of my ear drums is ruptured," replies one of the guards as he tries to shake out the ringing in his ears.
"Yeah me too. Maybe we should go see the medic?"
"We can't just up, and leave our post. The captain would have our hides if he found out," Hazy replies.
"Ease up there, it will be fine so long as one of us stays behind to stand guard while the others go, and get checked,"
"Hey! What do you mean by one of us staying behind!? Can't you guys just go one at a time?"
"That would take way too long. If one of us stays behind the others can get checked out faster. So hold onto your breeches scary d' cat you won't be by yourself for too long,"
"Wait why do I have to stay behind?"
"One, because it is your fault that we all got stuck guarding a creepy door, and two out of all of us you are the least deaf," answers one of the other guards who was holding a hoof to his ear.
"But, but...UGH! Fine just make it quick,"
"We will be back before you know it," one of them says as they all stagger into the dark hall.
Minutes pass like hours the silence that surrounds Hazy pricks at his skin. The dark hall in front of him, and the door to the now forbidden wing behind him this couldn't get any worse. Time seemed to stand still as he stands there. If he were in any other part of the castle he could talk to passing maids. Maybe even take one, or two to his apartment for a toss in the hay, but no there would be no maids here. Nor would there be any other guards, or any other pony for that matter. He is alone in the dark.
"Take it easy Hazy there is nothing to be afraid of. You have been in the old west wing hundreds of times, and not once have you come across any flesh-eating monster, or anything else for that matter. It is just another part of the castle. It is just a really, really old part of the castle. That is covered with scorch marks, and broken armor pieces, and really creepy...statues,"
Hazy looks over his shoulder to the black iron doors. It was as if they were calling to him. The air around him grows icy cold as he continues to stare at the foreboding doors. Inaudible whispers could be heard from behind the door. Were they really behind the door, or were they only in his head he couldn't tell. His blood turns to ice as he approaches the doors. He takes the keys out of his armor. Placing the key to the lock he is about to open them. When a loud bong snaps him out of it.
"Huh? What was I doing? Where am...oh right standing guard. Wait was that the clock tower!? What time is it!?"
Hazy pulls out an old pocket watch that was given to him by his grandfather. It had just turned midnight.
"Crap! Those plot-holes never came back! I've been standing here by myself for hours! Oh they are going to get it tomorrow. Well my shift is over might as well head home," Hazy trots off at a brisk pace leaving the iron doors behind.
Princess Luna walks down the moonlit halls making her way to the kitchen. Several of the staff were in a panicked hustle; trying to find out what had caused that loud explosion. She does her best to avoid the bustling ponies. Though she isn't able to avoid all of them. Most of them ask if she was alright, or if she knew what had caused the entire castle to shake. She would tell them that she didn't know either, and would be on her way. As she makes her way the captain of the guard runs up to her. A look of confusion, and worry on his haggard face.
"Princess! Are you alright!? What was that explosion?"
"I have no idea good captain, but whatever it was seems to be over. Maybe some pony had to really use the bathroom?"
"This is serious princess. If some pony is dabbling in something that dangerous we need to take immediate action,"
"Oh come now captain no pony in Canterlot is that powerful. They would have to be as strong as Sombra. Now return to your chambers you can investigate in the morning,"
"Y...yes princess," the captain salutes Luna before turning on his heels heading back to his quarters.
Luna sighs as she continues to make her way to the kitchen. She hopes she was right, and that the bat pony in her chambers wasn't capable of such powerful magic. If he was then all of Canterlot could be in danger. As she steps into the kitchen several chefs were scrambling all over the place gathering pots, and pans that had fallen off of the shelves. She makes no attempt to stop them she simply grabs an ice pack, and heads back to her bedchambers.
The way back to her room was much quieter as ponies were starting to calm down, and head back to bed. Opening the door her eyes go wide. It was empty.
"Oh no, no, no. Where did he go? He said he wouldn't leave,"
Luna frantically searches the room. He wasn't on the balcony, nor was he in the closet, or in her personal bath room. She stops at the foot of her bed. A pair of hooves reach out from under her bed making her jump into the air as they make contact. A pair of slitted eyes look up at her with as the bat pony laughs at his own prank.
"Gotcha,"
"That's not funny," Luna replies as she tries to stifle her own laughter.
"Sorry I couldn't help myself. There were too many ponies barging in here to see if you were ok. So I decided to play it to my advantage,"
"Wait! Ponies were just barging into my bedroom? Wait! How were you not spotted!?"
"They were very loud on their way here I could hear them a mile away,"
"If you could hear them how did you know that I wasn't one of them?"
"Easy you walk much softer than they did,"
"Oh um ok well here this will help with your head," Luna says as she hands over an ice pack.
"Thank you my lady," the bat pony smiles at Luna as he places it on his head.
The night eventually goes back to normal. The halls are quiet as a grave as the night watch diligently patrols the halls for the source of the disturbance. Maids, and butlers go back to bed. Yes, things return to normal well except Luna isn't by herself tonight. Her, and the bat pony sit in silence in her bedchambers as Luna watches over her night. The bat pony simply eats a bowl of fruit watching Luna command the night. Luna glances behind her a blush grazes her cheeks as she sees the bat pony looking straight at her. She coughs before lowering her head. She turns around, and walks up to the pony.
" I think that will do for tonight. How is your head? Any better?"
"Yes, thank you my head is feeling much better now. Thank you for your help,"
"Do you remember anything yet?"
"No I am afraid not, but I found a name etched into my armor. It says: property of Midnight Shine,"
"Midnight Shine? Huh? It is a fine name,"
"Thanks I guess,"
Midnight looks down at the bowl of fruit in front of him. He pushes it towards Luna offering it to her which she graciously accepts. They eat the fruit in silence. A beam of sunlight streaks across the room signifying it was now morning Luna speaks up.
" I should get some rest,"
"Yes, that would be wise, but um if you don't mind me asking. Do you mind if I stay here? I don't really have anyplace to go since I can't really remember anything,"
" You are quite brave to ask if you could stay here...in my chambers...while I sleep. Pray tell what exactly would you be doing while I sleep?,"
"Um...sleeping?"
"Sleeping where?"
"Um...good question"
" Ha...very well you may stay here...for now, but I am afraid the only place suitable for sleep would be my bed, and I am not so inclined as to share my bed with a stranger,"
"That is alright I will sleep under your bed. Just in case some pony barges in again,"
"Hah! That would be problematic. Will you be alright sleeping under the bed?"
"I think so. It was actually pretty comfortable under there while I was hiding,"
Midnight Shine says as he crawls back under Luna's bed. Luna's cheeks grow bright red as she watches the fully grown stallion's tail swish as it vanishes under her bed. She stands there for a few seconds trying to collect herself.
"Are you not going to bed princess?" Midnight asks from under her bed.
Luna snaps her head "Yes!" Luna crawls in-between the covers. Her eyes grow heavy as almost immediately sleep begins to over take her.
"Sweet dreams princess,"
"Sweet dreams Midnight,"
Dawn breaks over the horizon the city begins to wake from its slumber. Slowly ponies begin to drift into the streets to begin their day. An earth pony mare walks out of her apartment building. A pair of glowing yellow eyes follow the beautiful mare as she walks past the corresponding alleyway.
