The Tale of Night Filly Moon

Your eyes flicker open to the sound of loud cries and the buzzes of invisible insects. You curl up in your bed as you feel it shake under you, and out of the corner of your eye, out the window you notice the cause of the buzzing. The screams continue as you duck under the covers, waiting for this all to end, and then, you hear a voice.

"Children!" The voice of a filly cut through the air, it wasn't any of your friends, nor anyone's you knew. "Leave for the Everfree! It's our only chance! Get out of here while you still can!" It continued, and then a pair of buzzing wings came closer and closer, until it was in your room, searching for the occupant. It searched around for perhaps a minute, however it would stop. A minute longer, it stepped closer to the bed, and began pulling on the cover, and licked its muzzle. From this point, you dart out from under the curtains and right out the window, running to the forest.

Looking around you, you find that the homes are being raided by Changelings, some of your friends and other ponies fainting and captured by the enemy, your homeland being conquered by those that devour love and take the places of those they intend to feed from. You disappear within the underbrush of the forest, and the stomping of hooves in front of you can be heard in the distance.

"Over here!" The voice would say as you grew closer, and then reached a sudden clearing, filled with foals, colts, and fillies surrounding one black filly with a midnight blue with small white dots on her mane. She sat upon a large rock that looked like it could pass for a throne. It appeared that you were one of the last ones there, and after some minutes of sitting there, the filly spoke once more, quieter. "Children of Equestria... I regret to inform you that your homeland has been invaded... " A murmur grew across the area, some whimpers and cries, but then came a sudden hush from the older siblings of some, and she continued. "This travesty has taken the lives of our families, our friends, and our lives shall never be the same. " she paused. There was silence. "But there is still hope that we may be able to take back what was first ours. We are young, and that makes us strong. We must stick together, and hold each other up if we must. We shall not let these creatures of hatred take our parents away without regret. We will fight for our lives, and we will fight for theirs." She stood as if she ruled the world. Her head held high and her hooves made sturdy on the rock beneath her. She continued "...Today we rest... But tonight we take back what's ours!" She said, and stepped down. "We rest at the castle. " And with that, everyone followed her to the castle ruins.

It seemed hardly an hour passed by when hooves could be heard, and groans came as people woke up. It appeared that you weren't the only one who was still tired, as several groaned and whined as they got on their hooves. "Good evening, everypony. " Her voice echoed around the castle. Everyone was clustered around, but no sign of her. When you looked up, however, she sat upon the throne, almost invisible be it not for her mane and eyes that gave a gentle glow in the moonlight that had seeped in through one of the windows. "Tonight we become stronger. We care for the younger, the foals. We aid and comfort them and hide them from possible trespassers. We store food and then burn those sources if need be. We will survive, but we must fight these creatures that now haunt our homes with strategy. We can not make ourselves obvious, and we can not make ourselves known. Go now, search the forest for food and water. Do not eat anything until you're told by me."

And with that, most would leave the castle, including you, leaving behind the youngest such as the newborns or foals. The forest was dark and difficult to navigate. Yelps came every few minutes when someone would trip or walk into a tree. Others would mope and sniffle in the darkness, talking to themselves or some to others about how they worry for their parents, and how they want to go home. Others would attempt to comfort them, saying they will get them back, and all would be good again.

As the night continued many would adjust to the darkness, and began stepping out of the way of each other, and grew quieter. They did what they had to, some returning to the scene of which they had lost their homes, only to see it calm and still.

Upon returning to the castle you would find that it was clear inside, the foals had been moved. "They were moved so they can't be used against us." That voice again. "Did you bring what we need?" As you look around you can't see her, but you set some branches of berries and a make-shift bucket of water on the ground in front of you. "Good."

Minutes later others began to flow into the castle once more, questions arising about the foals but there came a hush as the filly stepped out of the shadows. "Welcome back. Place it all in the middle and move out of the way until everyone has put what they brought back into the pile. " As this was done there were some apples, some wheat, even some pies placed on the floor. A couple buckets or bottles of water. "We will get more later then. For now we rest."

Once they all fell back asleep, whispers echoed across the castle.