Classhates
The pitter-patter of hooves echoed through an empty Canterlot alleyway. The sun was set and stars illuminated the sky one by one. The pony found that it was easier to take the alleyway to her home instead of the main streets in town; it was easier to find her way around, even if the road before her wasn't lit by fancy streetlights. A low groan escaped her throat as she found herself surrounded in darkness. Luckily, she had been here many times during the daylight, and knew where to go without running into a wall or tripping over the occasional small set of stairs that lead up to somepony's side door.
Suddenly, her trotting was cut short as her hooves were mysteriously stuck to the ground. The unicorn mare looked down, and of course, was unable to see anything. "Am I...stuck?" Her voice was faint, but audible. She tried to move, but the bottoms of all four hooves wouldn't budge. Using her magic like a flashlight, she aimed it down at the floor. What she saw next surprised her, probably because it would appear normal to anypony else. There was nothing there.
"I must've stepped in something sticky," The mare sighed as she continued to whisper to herself, "Just gotta know what it is... If I knew a teleportation spell, I could move. Too bad I don't get to that chapter of my book until I finish the three in front of it, though..." Lifting her head, she looked around for other sticky substances. Looking directly in front of her, her heart skipped a beat. A long, tall shadow of a pony was standing beside her. Quickly looking down, the mare proved that it was not her own; a shadow of darkness was underneath her.
Shivering, she glanced behind herself. "H-hello?" In the darkness, she saw nothing. Not even her soft pink magic could reveal the owner of the shadow. Turning to the front of herself, she noticed the shadow was gone. "Stupid mind tricks," she grumbled, "Maybe if that was a real pony, they would've helped me..." Turning her neck again, she peered down the alleyway once more. It felt a lot longer than it really was: she couldn't see the end of it.
A cold chill ran up the unicorn's spine as a slight breeze passed by, brushing against her legs. She wore a dark indigo sweater that kept her forelegs, chest and neck warm. However, the soft winds made a larger impact than she had expected. Shivering once more, the mare tugged at her hooves. They were literally stuck to the road underneath her. Giving up, she knew what she had to do.
"Heeeeeeeeeeelp!" The unicorn mare exclaimed. In addition to being in the middle of an alleyway, a large street was on both sides of where she was at. Windows were open and city lights flickered. Surely somepony else had heard her. The mare waited, hoping to be rescued from the odd predicament she was in.
Moments passed by slowly. The only sounds the lonely pony could hear was of her own breathing and occasional shivers. Autumn was upon Equestria, and slowly summertime was fading into the transition of a colder season. "Hello...? Is anypony there?!" The mare's horn still lit, she darted her head around to look in all directions. Nopony left, nopony right. Only what seemed to be eternal darkness in front of her. Looking behind her, she gasped. The owner of the mysterious shadow had returned.
Not saying a word, the ghostly pony approached the stuck mare. The pony itself seemed almost intangible as she managed to stay close enough to the mare yet far away enough to not emit body heat. They seemed like a shadow within themselves. As the pony stepped close enough to be seen by the mare's magical lighting, the pink aura blew out, as if it were a candle.
The unicorn couldn't tell if the pony beside her was a stallion or mare, a unicorn, pegasus, or earthling... Or if it was even real. Everything seemed too surreal and fantasy to be legitimate. The night's darkness did not help her vision as she tried to make out an image of the being in front of her.
Trying to relight her horn, the Canterlot unicorn could not. "W-who are you?" She asked the figure quietly.
The tall pony in front of her releaved to be a unicorn, as she lit her horn with soft blue magic. Causing her face and body to be a silhouette, all the stuck mare could see was an outline of her face, mane, and the color of her blue eyes. Everything else was swallowed by darkness.
"I have been waiting for you to ask." A proud yet comforting voice replied. It was a female voice, matching with the eye shape and facial outlines the mare could see.
Puzzled, the mare could only tilt her head. Failing to find words, she repeated what she asked before. "Who...are you?" Her voice did not show any signs of fear, but rather, she seemed uncomfortable.
"Many have forgotten me in my years of solitude, but with the events of last year, surely a Canterlot mare would know me." The taller unicorn's horn glowed brighter to reveal her body. Wings sat folded at each side, proving that she was not just a unicorn. Her sparkling hair waved and her height was now reasonable.
"P-princess Luna...?" The unicorn stuttered.
The alicorn nodded. "It is I, the Princess of the Night."
"B-b-but-"
"You know why I am here, do you not?" The alicorn asked.
"I...what?" The mare's glasses slipped down her nose. Because she could not use her hooves or magic, she had to find another way to fix them. Tilting her head back, they adjusted themselves back into place.
"I have been trying to get ahold you of, Moondancer. For the last four days I have failed at attempting to talk to you." Luna narrowed her eyes.
"I am not sure what you mean, Princess Lu-"
"Your dreams are no different from your day-to-say schedule," Luna cut her off, "You fall asleep and all you do is dream about studying! Walking to the library, walking back... Sitting at a desk, paying some bills, grocery shopping, to name a few. Moondancer, dreams are supposed to give a pony a vacation from reality. Even I know that what you desire isn't to be a Magic student all your life. You'll have to do something with that knowledge. Won't you?"
At this, Moondancer grumbled. "You have been stalking my dreams? Isn't that, oh... An invasion of privacy?"
Luna shook her head. "Not when one needs help. If you fell down a well, would you sit there in the darkness, or would it be alright for someone to walk on property that isn't theirs to help you out of it?"
"Come again?"
"Like right now. You're stuck on this road. Would it be wrong for somepony to walk down this alleyway and help you? Stranger danger, I'd say. But also a hero."
Moondancer sighed. "Speaking of which, did you make my hooves stuck?"
"Yes," Princess Luna nodded once more, "It was the only way for me to get your attention. After four nights of failing to get you before you bury yourself in a book, I had to come out of the shadows."
Moondancer grumbled. "Has it ever occurred to you that I do not want to be bothered? I like my life the way it is, without royalty getting in the way of things!"
"However," Luna ignored Moondancer's statement and put her hoof to her chin, "Have you considered that these weren't dreams... But nightmares?"
"Pffft," Moondancer spit. Turning her head away from the alicorn she thought for a moment. "So what if I don't dream about rainbows and sunshine and cookies and stuff?!" Facing the princess, she added, "Try putting yourself in my horseshoes! Nopony left you! Maybe all asleep, but nopony ever discarded your invitation! Nopony stormed out like a little foal and moved away so that they could never make contact with you again! And the ones that seemed like they did care for you didn't even do a thing once I shut myself away! Maybe they didn't realize it was a test! They didn't want to help me at all! Happiness is a lie, everything is all one big lie!!!" Breathing heavily, she continued to vent.
"Do you know what kinds of emotional stress and sadness I went through? My best friend from Magic Kindergarten had betrayed me! In fact, she even uses the term 'Magic Kindergarten' to describe a place she doesn't like! She found five new friends to have, leaving Twinkleshine, Minuette, Lyra, Lemon Hearts and I behind! Were we not good enough for her?! Were we annoying?! Does she think that's she's just so perfect that she can move away, start all over with a new title 'princess' and become everypony's hero?! I would rather be under Sombra's reign than hers! And she lives in a whole 'nother town! She's not even the Princess of Canterlot and I still see her pictures! I hear her name! And all she wants is the attention! Something she thought only she wanted! Something only she needed! Coincidence?! I think not!!"
Tears were forming in Moondancer's eyes.
Princess Luna softly placed a hoof under Moondancer's chin and made the unicorn make eye contact with her. "Maybe Twilight Sparkle needed to start over because of the fact that she was so far from being perfect."
Moondancer jerked her head away from the alicorn's hoof.
"What about your other friends? Don't you have friends at school?"
"They are NOT my friends! They are my classmates, my pupils, my peers. Better yet, my classhates! Nopony worthy of anything except education! Make the world a better place, will ya?!" The tears began to trickle down her face. "Maybe teach a few of 'em to be loyal! To be kind, and generous... Maybe teach them the meaning of laughter and what it means to be honest with each other! If they can learn magic then they can learn those!"
Princess Luna chuckled. "I may not be able to predict the future, but I can tell you the past. I am certain your fillyhood friend has learned that. All of it," Luna's magic began to fade away, "Now, I think it is time for me to have a dream of my own. I wish the best for you. Also, perhaps rethink what you said. You might need to take your own advice." With a gust of wind, Luna was literally blown away.
"W-wait!" Moondancer called out. Her hooves were still stuck to the road, and the winds were getting heavier.
Suddenly, her eyes shot open and she awoke. She sat up in bed, breathing heavily. Soft rays of Celestia's light poured into her bedroom window. Pulling the covers over her face, Moondancer cried softly. Then, she got herself ready, and went to another day of magic school.
Author's Note
This is currently unedited. ^^ If you could leave a like/dislike (with a comment on how to improve) that would mean a lot to me. 
I felt the tags were appropriate, but if I need to add a "mystery" tag I will. (Even though it's foreseen from the descriptions...) Thanks for reading!
