The Day of the Eclipse

I suppose the best way to start a story is to start it from the beginning, but I believe things are better when you start from before the beginning. You know, sort of establish things before they change. So I will start from when times were simple.

I’m an Earth Pony, born and raised in Canterlot by the captain of the guard himself, a brutish, angry, stubborn Pony who I don’t really aspire to become based on his rotten attitude. He expected me, as his firstborn son, to take the reins in his position one day, although as a Foal I despised the idea. He was killed when I was only five in a War between the Earth Ponies, the Unicorns and the Pegasus, took a nasty blast of dark magic in the heart, and rotted his body from the inside out, brutal. My Mother, however, was my true role model, she cared for me even though we had little money, was kind, loving and just overall more of a Father figure to me than my actual Father.

I gained my cutie mark when I was twelve, an image of half the sun, half the moon, with a sword striking down through the middle. I got this whilst training at the Royal Guards School, where I managed to upstage one of the teachers with my sword-handling skills. Despite this, I never understood what it meant to me, and I still don’t.

This is where we get to the Day of the Eclipse.

If you don’t know what that day is, it’s regarded as the day where Princess Luna overtook her Sister, Princess Celestia, by turning into Nightmare Moon. The battle was awful. My Mom and I watched it from our house, as it could be seen from miles around. We saw a bright flash of light in the sky, the final yell from Celestia before she hit the ground, and a crash of thunder, rain started to fall down. In the distance we heard the voice of Luna, except something was not right about it, it seemed more sinister, yet equally enticing.

She proclaimed that Princess Celestia was dead, and that she would be the eternal ruler of Equestria, under an ‘eternal night’. There was mass hysteria all across Canterlot, with the royal guard attacking Nightmare Moon, attempting to avenge their fallen ruler. It was no use. She used her mighty horn and wiped out each and every last guard. The tyrant then released her own army of Bat Ponies, so we had no choice but to run from the city. My Mom’s old, brittle legs couldn’t keep up with mine, and she stumbled, fell back and was ripped to shreds by a flock of three blood-lusting flying Ponies. I had lost both of my parents by the time I was fifteen.

I couldn’t sit to grieve over her loss, and I had to run as fast as my legs could take me. It took me all my strength and stamina to out run Nightmare Moon’s army. I also escaped from Canterlot and into the wilderness and fields in between Canterlot and the Everfree Forest. In the distance I could hear cries of death, blood being spilt, and above all else, the cackle of Equestria’s new leader, Nightmare Moon.

I wandered the empty fields for days, only ever stopping to eat some berries I found in the grasslands or drinking from a nearby stream. I got tired, weak and ill all within a matter of days. I use the term ‘day’ loosely, considering that daylight no longer exists with Celestia not being around anymore to bring up the Sun.

I stumbled across a small Slum in the middle of a Grass Plain. Only a group of five Ponies actually inhabited it, but they saw my critical state and they nursed me back to health. As time went on I went to live in this Slum, which was given the name ‘The Glimmer of Hope’.

Of course this was all roughly speaking 5 or so years ago. Nowadays The Glimmer of Hope houses up to fifty different ponies of different races, creeds, size and age. We feel like our group are the only Ponies left around. Considering now the only other Ponies we encounter are Bat Ponies out for our Flesh. I’ve lived through these dark times from day one, and I won’t forget what Nightmare Moon has done to my Mother. We have all tried to adjust to this lifestyle, but the only way we could actually make things normal again is to dethrone and kill the bitch herself.

One day, I will venture back to Canterlot and only leave when Nightmare Moon is dead.

That one day also appears to be closer than I, or anyone else, would’ve expected.

I’m Moonlight Militia, and this is my story.