This Fading Night

Log 4, Date Moon Cycle 11, 27th Day, 214 A.D. (After Discord)

Nothing has happened since I've sent the letter. The night still feels cold and bleak, and I am really starting to miss its companionship. With my mother gone, my family estranged, and pretty much no friends, the night is all I really have left in this world. The fact that it has become so distant makes me feel...well, useless, and rather lonely.

I'm not gonna let this drag me down, though. As I previously mentioned, I am going to start investigating. I've already bought tickets to Everfree City, and hope to soon meet Luna. I don't know what exactly I'll say to her, how I'll explain the situation, but I'm just hoping that she'll understand my story and save me the trouble of feeling like an awkward school filly trying to explain to her teacher an unbelievable story of how her homework ended up getting misplaced. Or I'm guessing that's what it might feel like. I've had that happen before, and it was pretty embarrassing.

Anyway, I've got my bags packed, and am scheduled to leave on the train first thing tomorrow morning. I won't be returning for a few days, so I think I might do a little bit of sight-seeing and souvenir shopping before I go to the palace, to help ease whatever nerves I might have. I'll also be staying at a motel located near the center of Everfree City, on the west side, so I'll be close to both the market and castle. A win-win.

On another note, I saw something pretty strange in the sky tonight. I wasn't really going to write about it, cause at first I didn't think much of it, but now that I look back, I can't help but feel it was a bit...odd, even with how things have been in the night sky lately. There was this odd black spot between the Andrublia System and the Horex Galaxy. I know that doesn't sound all that important, but there was supposed to be a small asteroid field there. I know asteroids are always on the move, but they were still there the night before, and it didn't seem like they'd be going any place soon. It's almost like something was blocking out the asteroids. Or like something destroyed them. I'm not really sure, but it only makes me feel more worry for Princess Luna. If things in the night sky are starting to disappear, what does that mean for the Princess? I can only hope to get to her in time and try to help her. I'm not sure how much a normal pony like me can do, but there's no harm in trying, even if I fail.

Signing Out,

Crescent Eclipse

Luna finished reading the fourth entry, taking a small break to look up at Discord. He seemed to be deep in thought, appearing troubled by something he must've heard in Crescent's writing. Not sure if she should break him from his trance, Luna hesitantly reached out to tap his arm, but then he finally seemed to emerge from his stupor and noticed what Luna was doing. He quickly withdrew his paw hand, which had been resting on the table, and Luna had been about to poke.

"Oh, don't worry about me, Lulu. Just thinking back and imagining is all," Discord assured the Princess of the Night. Luna, after a moment's pause, pulled her hoof back, letting it fall back onto the chair next to her other front hoof. "You just seemed to be out of it. I'm not sure I've ever seen you like this before." Discord bit his lower lip for a second and looked away, careful not to let his fangs pierce his skin, before releasing his lip and turning his attention back on Luna. "Yes, well, there's a great deal you don't know about me, or this pony. And before you ask me to explain, I think you better continue reading. I'm sure she wrote down most of it, and you'll get the answers you seek by the end of the journal."

Luna wasn't quite sure how to take Discord's cryptic message, but obliged, turning the journal to the next page and beginning to speak it out loud.

Log 5, Date Moon Cycle 11, 29th Day, 214 A.D. (After Discord)

I arrived in Everfree City yesterday, and was quick to find my hotel room and fall asleep the minute my head hit the pillow. Honestly, I'm not sure about this anymore. Don't get me wrong, I do want to help the Princess, but this trip has taken a huge toll on my finances, which were already shabby to begin with, and I'm afraid I'll go home to find my stuff either repossessed or on the front lawn.

While this alone would have made me cancel the whole trip to begin with, Tartarus, anypony would have cancelled in my situation, I can't help but feel that I can't abandon my mission. Something in me is urging me on, telling me I need to talk to Luna. I can't really explain it, but I'm going to listen to it for now and try to get into the castle tonight. I know it seems like a bad idea to try and ask for an audience with one of the Princesses in the middle of the night, but it's the most logical course of action when it comes to Luna. She's mostly up for only nighttime, except for the rare occasion, and while her bat pony guards are a bit scary, I've come too far already to back out now. If I want to talk to Luna, I have only tonight and tomorrow night, and I'm going to actually have to sleep at night tomorrow if I want to catch my train home.

Here's hoping everything turns out alright. I don't think I have too much to worry about, so long as the guards don't turn me away, or Luna refuses to see me. I'll report back later with what happened. For now...

Signing Out,

Crescent Eclipse

Luna once more paused briefly, both to turn the page and think about what she'd just read. Crescent must not have been able to get past the guards. That was the only explanation, considering she didn't remember anypony visiting her within the months leading up to her becoming Nightmare Moon. Though why the guards hadn't even told her about Crescent trying to visit...it was all very suspicious. Luna guessed the only way to find out what was going on was by continuing to read.

Focusing on the journal once more, Luna cleared her throat and began the sixth log.

Log 6, Date Moon Cycle 11, 30th Day, 214 A.D. (After Discord)

Things have not gone as I'd hoped. After coming all this way, it seems I won't be able to do a thing to help Princess Luna, who I am more then sure by now is the cause for the darkness seeping into the night. I say I'm sure because I spotted her last night before I tried to seek her audience. She was wandering down one of the hallways in the top eastern side of the castle, and was passing by a large stain-glassed window depicting the defeat of Sombra, an event which happened not very long ago. Her head was hung, and she had this troubled look on her face. I tried to catch her attention when I saw her, but she seemed to be too caught up in her thoughts, and disappeared on the other side of the window without even glancing up.

I had immediately picked up my pace when I saw this, and arrived at the front gate within seconds. However, upon making my request to see Luna, the guard told me that she was refusing visitors, and did not wished to be bothered. I tried to explain the situation to them, and what I saw as I was making my way here, but they refused to listen, saying that they'd only let me in if the matter was, 'actually urgent', or if I had a large enough group with the same concerns. I still tried to get inside to see Luna, but the guard forced me away, threatening the dungeon if I didn't leave.

I had no choice but to listen. If I hadn't, I'd have gone to jail, and there's no way I'd get to see Luna then. I need to find out what's wrong with her, and help fix it as best I can. But I don't know how I'm going to do such a thing. They didn't believe me, one probably crazy-sounding pony, about how urgent this matter actually was. The only hope I had was if I could get other ponies to agree with me. If the guards thought enough citizens were actually as worried as I, they'd have no choice but to let us in, considering the well-being of Luna was their duty, and if other ponies were that concerned for the Night Princess, then it was their job to make sure everything was actually alright.

But there's nopony I know or have heard of that might listen to me about this, or even already have their own concerns for Luna. This whole thing seems pretty hopeless. Unless...no, that's crazy. I couldn't do such a thing. I don't even have the money for it. But I could always make it...

Maybe I could find other ponies out there who'll care and listen. I just have to search. If I could find others, I could get in, and together, we might be able to help Luna. Our Princess of Night is suffering, and as her royal subjects, it is our duty to try and help her. I can't be the only one who sees this. Right? Of course I'm right. It's time to start making plans. I've got loads of places to go, and fellow night lovers to find. I just really hope the worries I had about being the only true pony loyal to Luna are false. Something has to be done to help Luna, or else something terrible is going to happen. I can feel it in my gut.

Signing Out,

Crescent Eclipse

Luna found herself once again staring blankly down at the pages, confusion swirling through her brain. There was so much here that didn't make sense, things that were once more out of place.

"Bu-but I didn't order the guards to turn away visitors. I never said any such thing over that span of time. What in Equestria is going on here?" Luna looked up at Discord for answers, but the Chaos Lord was twiddling with his fingers, trying to look anywhere but at Luna. When she saw this, Luna's eyes darkened, and she glared Discord down. "Did you have anything to do with this, Discord?"

The draconequus was very quick to answer this question, finally looking up at Luna and shaking his head, paw, and claws in a no,no,no motion. "Heavens no, Luna! Even when I was sealed in stone, I knew you were suffering, and while I have to admit I did find it amusing back then, even I wouldn't have sunk so low as to keep your subjects from visiting you. I was never cruel or low enough to kick a pony when they were as down as you were. I mean, sure, there was the whole thing with me messing with Twilight after I drained her of her energy and friendship, but that was gloating, and I stopped when I realized what I was doing. I, after all, only seek amusement, not pain."

When Discord was done speaking, Luna gauged whether or not she could trust him, and after a little while, she eventually calmed down, the anger leaving her eyes, to once more be replaced by puzzlement. "But if it wasn't you who told my guards to turn away subjects, who was it?" Discord was instantly back to twiddling his thumbs. "Oh, I don't know. Perhaps a traitorous or overprotective Captain. No real way to know, so I guess we should just move on and continue reading. Maybe we'll discover the answer later down the line."

Luna didn't buy his little act for a second. He was acting far too fidgety and paranoid. Leaning forward, Luna forced Discord to look up at her by enveloping his serpentine head in her magic and jerking it up. "Discord, who told the guard to turn away anypony who came to see me?" There was a long staring contest after Luna finished asking her question, one that caused the tension in the room to increase tenfold. At first, it didn't seem like either were willing to give up the stare and lose the match, but Discord eventually started to crumble. Luna was a far stronger pony than he, and had had far more intense moments with Celestia. In other words, Luna was a champion at this little game, and she wasn't about to lose her title.

Letting out a sigh and breaking eye contact, Discord frowned while a triumphant grin spread across Luna's face. Leaning back, she waited patiently for Discord to collect himself after his defeat, and turned to her with a slightly nervous expression. "Very well, Luna. I'll tell you. But you have to promise not to ask questions afterwards. Simply continue reading the journal. I can pretty much say for a fact that the answers you seek are told further down the line." After a moment's thought, Luna nodded, wordlessly agreeing to Discord's terms.

Taking a minute to compose himself and ready for the storm, Discord said, "The pony who was responsible for barring your subjects from seeing you was your sister, Celestia."