Soldiers of the Nightby bahatumayChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 1Princess Luna sat down on her throne and smiled, her head held high, her mane blowing in the breeze only it could sense. She slowly opened her eyes, taking in her large room. The smile slowly faded as she realized once again that her court was empty. She had no subjects to council, no hopeful ponies seeking for her advice. Still she waited, optimistic. She kneaded her hooves against the cushion, tail waving slightly behind her. Surely there was somepony this Night who needed their princess. But the hours came and went, with only Luna there. Her discouragement grew, and she jumped off her throne ten minutes before her court was scheduled to end with an angry growl. Perhaps a few months ago, this would have driven her into a rage, which would have left large swaths of trees smoking and destroyed a few miles away. Thankfully, she had recently discovered another talent, one that allowed her to be helpful to her little ponies: dreamwalking. As disheartening as it was that her little ponies slept all of the night, it was a great comfort to know that she could be there, in their dreams, as their protector and guide. Little foals, especially, were so relieved to see her. It made her heart melt. She just wished she could see those same expressions when they were awake. The familiar rush of doors across her vision was oddly cathartic. So many ponies she could help. She closed her eyes and listened, feeling more than anything else to see if there were anything wrong. Something called out to her, a disturbance in the dreamscape, and she grinned. It was time. With an idle thought, the doors shifted directions, whizzing by until stopping at the one she’d wanted. The door was wooden, still looking fresh and newly finished. It was the mind of a young earth pony, for sure. She slowly opened the door and crept inside. He sat with his back to the door, playing quietly. His back was to the bed. Underneath that bed, though, something lurked in the shadows. His ears pricked, and Luna quickly faded into the background. A living shadow, thick and inky, emerged, plopping a dark appendage on the ground and dragging itself out. The colt gasped as the shadow came nearer, reaching for his hooves. He tried to scamper away, but it caught hold on his hind hoof and began dragging him under the bed. Luna strode forward. It was time. She stood proudly, head high. The colt gasped to see her, her intrusion shocking him into some semblance of order. Luna lit her horn. The ink puddle seemed to writhe in the light of her horn. It tumbled down in on itself, turning into an evaporating black puddle of water. He splashed it, and chuckled as he realized that he was in no danger. He looked up and giggled. Luna gave him a comforting smile, and he waved as she left him to his sweeter dream. * * * Luna looked around as she closed yet another door behind her. She was probably done here. She let the dreamscape arrive at another settlement, this one a bit further towards the edge of Equestria. She doubted this Las Pegasus outpost would ever amount to much of anything; but as her subjects, they too deserved protection. It was a quiet night in Las Pegasus. She only had one dream to visit here; this one a simple fix. But it was she that felt hurt afterwards. She pursed her lips and sighed. How could a foal be afraid of the dark? Did they not understand its intrinsic beauty? She rolled her eyes… and then paused. There was a little dark patch, far off in the distance. It was unfamiliar to her. Luna narrowed her eyes. Was it an intruder in her dreamscape? She did not spend so long working out how to come here just to give this privilege away. With a simple thought, she brought it nearer. As the dreamscape moved beneath her hooves, it slowly resolved and grew more detailed, and Luna's eyes widened in shock. It was another set of doors. It must have been a far settlement indeed to be so distant; she had never seen these before. The door nearest her was made of tightly bundled sticks, as if improvised. Luna smiled wryly. These little ponies were explorers, surely. And like most explorers, they likely moved during the day and slept all night. She shook this thought off. They were asleep, and might need her help. Dutifully, she nosed the nearest door open and slipped inside. A pony with gray fur slumbered, wrapped tightly in a red blanket. He was inside a small building, possibly a barn of some kind, with lanterns surrounding him. And poking out from under his lip. Were those…? No. Impossible. Still… Unable to restrain herself or her curiosity, she leaned forward. She hesitated, realizing just how intrusive this was; then, in a fit of daring, she stretched a hoof out, intent on lifting his upper lip. It was likely a trick of the flickering lantern light, but she could swear that this little pony had- Fangs! Luna stumbled backwards in shock, tripping over her own rear hooves. Unable to catch herself, she landed hard on her royal bottom, knocking over (and nearly sitting on top of) a lantern. She quickly scrambled to get it upright and looked back at the stallion, looking much like a filly caught with her hoof in the cookie jar, half expecting to have to explain herself. But the pony didn't wake. He barely stirred. She could only stare. What was this? Was this a dream? Was the real dreamer elsewhere? She performed a quick mental search, and was stunned at the revelation. As much as it defied logic, there was no other explanation. This pony, a living, breathing little pony, was of Equestria. And he had fangs. Curiosity overcame her. She'd never seen a fanged pony. What could it be dreaming of? She leaned in closer and concentrated. He dreamed… Of being warm? Luna shook her head. That would imply that this whole dream was just an escapist fantasy of being warm. And she'd seen plenty of escapist fantasies in her day. None of them looked anything like this. Shaking her head, she departed. Perhaps he was on guard duty. She’d likely get a little more insight from another door. The second one held a filly, gray in color like the first one, sitting upon a large rock, her back towards Luna. This in and of itself wasn’t terribly strange. What was strange, though, was the appearance of her wings. Having been blessed with the magic of the pegasi, Luna knew of the joy of flight. She knew the feeling of speed, and the thrilling feeling of wind through her feathers. But this filly didn't seem to have feathers on her wings. They seemed to be a thin membrane of skin over bones. Luna's jaw dropped. If she didn't know any better, she'd say this filly had the wings of a bat. Now that she was closer, she noticed what surrounded her. It appeared to be fruit of some kind. This filly was surrounded by fruit, and she was picking them up and eating them, one after the other. She was still curious about her wings. Surely they, too, were a trick of the light. But there was one way to find out. She leaned down, picked up a rock, and lobbed it over. It landed with a thunk and a clatter. The filly spun around, eyes wide, wings flared, her mouth still open (with tiny fangs gleaming in the light) for the apple she had intended on eating. And her eyes! They were a deep brownish gold, with slits for pupils! Thankfully, Luna had already made herself invisible again. Fascinating! What could have possessed these ponies to dream of themselves with bat-like characteristics? Unless…? No. That would be impossible. Completely inconceivable. Wouldn't it? She stepped outside and tried another door. It slowly creaked open under her hoof. This occupant was lounging around a large fire, feeling very warm. She smiled as one of his fluffy ears flicked idly. This was a happy dream. But he, too, saw himself with fangs and abnormally fluffy ears. She tried a new door. This strange pony, too, dreamed of being warm. He was taking a bath in hot water, fluffy ears relaxed and mouth open in contentment—fangs clearly exposed. One side of Luna’s mouth picked up slightly. She was sensing a pattern here. That smile quickly faded. Dreams were escapes. One could be an outlier. Two suspicious. Three, a pattern. Why would they all dream of being warm? She shook her head and left. She looked to the next door and hesitated. This door belonged to an older pony. Older ponies usually didn’t want or need her help. Unappreciated asleep as well as awake. But curiosity spurred her on, overcoming her hesitation. She slipped inside. This mare also saw herself like a bat. Luna’s eyes widened. She was a mother. And she dreamed of protecting her foals. Her wings, leathery as all the others she’d seen tonight, covered two foals, one on each side of her. They lay there contentedly. One perked his head up, and she retrieved a fruit for him, which he quickly ate, his sharp fangs easily piercing it and tearing it open. Luna inhaled sharply through her teeth. Their reality must have been stark, indeed, to dream of such things as simple comfort. They needed her help. At the sound, the mother looked over her shoulder. Her eyes widened. “Fear not,” Luna whispered as she faded back into the darkness. “I come.” Chapter 2Luna flapped her wings, lifting herself higher above the clouds. She had ordered a saddlebag filled with provisions, and she had taken off after a short nap. She was going to go find this settlement herself, no matter how long it took. Have fun. Just don't forget to raise the moon tonight, Celestia had said. Psh. As if Luna would forget the thing that brought her the greatest joy. Celestia. Luna shook her head and flew on, her wings beating a bit faster now, trying to leave thoughts of her sister behind. Her path took her higher, away from the plains, headed towards the mountains. It was dark, but she could see clearly. That didn't mean she was looking forward to this, though. She had entered a few other dreams in her search for any hint to their actual location, and from what she could tell, they lived near a very tall mountain, tall enough that it could only have been in this forsaken area of Equestria. She shivered. It was really cold up here, and it only grew colder as she flew on. * * * Luna landed lightly on the snow. She ruffled her wings to get the snow off and folded them back down. She looked around, chewing on her lower lip. This place seemed a conundrum. Though the snow swirled outside, it didn't here. The way the mountain was, it formed a little protective cove, almost inviting in this weather. She was veritably relieved to step inside. There was a small clearing inside the cove, holding a forest of tall trees. Luna stepped slowly into the forest. It was eerily calm. The snow and trees muffled sound so well that Luna soon realized that the strange thumping sound she heard was her own beating heart. She continued her journey deeper into the forest. Snow crunched beneath her hooves as she walked, the sound oddly loud in the silence. And then she froze. Something had changed. Something… something wasn’t right. Had she crossed a ward? Awakened something? Was she being watched? She slowly spun around, lit horn held high; but the only sound she heard was the snow underhoof. She bit her lower lip, cast her eyes round about once more, and then walked on. She had come too far to turn back now. The trees seemed to thicken, forcing Luna to weave her way through the trunks. The wind seemed to pick up a bit, sending flurries of snow swirling around her hooves, and the temperature seemed to drop a few degrees. And then the trees thinned out, leading her closer to the mountain. She continued forward, sensing that she would be close. And then she nearly ran into a stone wall. She took a step back, bringing up a hoof to brush against her muzzle. That could have been painful. Wait. No, it wasn’t a wall. It was the mountain. Odd. She’d thought she’d been going around it. She shrugged this off. Mountain ranges were very oddly shaped. Perhaps she had just gotten disoriented. She turned to the right and continued. She continued around the mountain and then stopped short. There was a little steely-blue filly there. She was standing, her back towards Luna, bent over, nosing the snow away to grab a stick. She was gathering firewood. Luna paused. She knew what to expect, of course. The dark fur, the dark tail, the leathery wings; everything was as she’d expected to see, but actually seeing them in the waking world was something entirely different. And then, though Luna had remained silent, the filly suddenly spun around, one hoof raised, teeth bared, ears pinned and wings flared out to make herself appear bigger than she actually was. Luna stared. That wasn’t an attitude she’d expected of a little filly. The little filly stopped and stared, too. She dropped her hoof, and she tried to make sense of this. Her eyes flicked to Luna’s wings, and then stayed fixated on her horn. She squinted. What, had she never seen a unicorn before? The filly took a skittering step back, then turned and fled, taking to the air. Luna quickly spread her wings and followed. She couldn't help but grin; this was a stroke of luck. She'd find their town in no time. She followed the filly back, making sure to hang back enough to not present herself as an active threat, but still close enough to not lose sight of her. She was closer to their settlement than she'd thought; it was only a few moments before she heard snatches of conversation that could only be about her. After all, who else could be a strange pony with a stick in her head? The conversation shifted as another pony, likely her mother, scolded her for telling such tales. Luna made her way around the corner and into open sight. It was oddly pleasing to have everypony present stop what they were doing and pay attention to her. The only sounds were the wind blowing the snow around, and the voice of a little filly hissing, “I told you so!” She took another step forward. She recognized a few of them from the dreams she'd visited. But ponies are not supposed to have so many ribs showing… “You.” Luna spun around. She recognized the mare standing there; though her appearance was more gaunt than in her dream, her eyes were a bit more sunken in, and her little foals stayed huddled by her hind legs. “I know you,” she said, eyebrows knit together. She took a small step forward. “I dreamed of you.” Luna nodded. Others murmured in agreement, saying they recognized her or had dreamed of her as well. She looked up. “Who are you?” she asked in a whisper. Luna lifted her head high. “I am Princess Luna, diarch of Equestria, Guardian of the Night, Keeper of Dreams.” “Equestria?” she repeated, confused. The word was unfamiliar. “This land is now called Equestria,” Luna explained. “I rule with my sister, Celestia. I have come because I have visited you in your dreams, and I know you are suffering.” Cheers, of course, had been too much to expect. Polite stomps would have been pushing it. But the blank stares she got were a little less than she was expecting. She coughed lightly. “If you would,” she tried, “I would like to bring you all with me, back to Everfree City.” Luna was no stranger to being ignored. Ponies did always seem to favor her sister’s day over her night. But to be outright rebuffed—ponies chuckled under their breath, turned away, went back to work, tending the fires and hauling things—was most irritating. She scowled. Even the strange-looking ponies would reject her. Fine. They could all starve, then. But before she could turn away, another pony shuffled in closer. This pony looked older; but by the way he carried himself, he was clearly a leader. “Luna,” he said, his voice a bit shaky. “I am Arctic Night. We welcome you.” He exhaled. “But you will never leave this place.” Chapter 3Luna shifted her weight back, eyes narrowed. She had come in peace; but if these strange ponies wanted to fight, then a fight they'd get. And it would be one they would never forget. But something was wrong. They weren’t pawing at the ground, no ears were pinned, no teeth bared. If anything, they looked… defeated. Pitying. Luna hated being pitied. It was the only thing she hated more than being ignored. She turned to the one who had spoken. “Explain yourself,” she ordered. “You cannot leave,” he emphasized. “And why can I not?” He shook his head and gestured with a sweeping hoof towards the camp. “This is all there is in the world.” Then the world is very miserable, indeed. “Then whence came I?” Luna challenged. “Perhaps Snowy Dusk dreamed you into existence,” he said, gesturing at the mare who had recognized Luna earlier. Luna snorted, finding this offensive. She was the mistress of dreams. And in her extensive study, there was no way to bring something dreamed into the real world. Not that she knew of, anyway. And she wasn’t about to test that theory. A shrill whistle pierced through the air. Arctic Night’s ears pricked. “It is time for lunch. I believe you’re welcome to join us.” Luna chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip. It would be rude to refuse. And, really, as nice as travel food was, it would be nice for a change. Even if it did beg a question. “Would you feed a dream, then?” Luna asked playfully. “Or might there be another explanation to my presence?” “For generations upon generations we have lived here. Many brave ponies have departed, only to return. This is all there is.” “I can assure you, there is much more to this world than this cold rock of ice and snow,” Luna insisted. Arctic expelled a sharp burst of air from his nostrils. “You think me mad,” Luna said, a hint of accusation in her voice. “I am seeing a pony twice my size, with strangely-shaped wings, and a stick coming out of her forehead,” he replied wryly. “At least one of us must be mad.” Luna cracked a smile against her will. * * * Standing beside Arctic Night, Luna stood in line for their food. As a leader, he took his place in the back, something Luna found admirable (if a bit militaristic). She looked around. The ponies—she’d decided that ‘bat ponies’ would do for an appellation for now—were huddled together as best they could in this cave. Small fires dotted the ground, their sole source of heat. There was usually one pony, younger, who had eaten first, and stood, tending it. They were of the few wearing anything; and what clothing they had was worn and threadbare. Luna watched as one’s time was up; he passed the cloak onto his replacement and returned. Eventually, she got to the front of the line. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but it certainly had been more than this. In the basket in front of her was something that looked like a small, blackened pear. Arctic Night held it out for Luna, who picked it up in her hooves (as a princess, she had to be considerate and not use magic around non-magic users) and sniffed it. It certainly didn’t look appealing; but being a princess was not all cake, all the time; no matter what Celestia may have believed. She shook her head and bit. Her first bite attempt didn’t even pierce the skin. Luna scowled and tried again, bringing to full bear her earth pony strength on this stubborn fruit. She regretted it as soon as she did. The skin was hard and thick, and the mealy flesh of the fruit was the most bitter thing she had ever tasted. She gagged. Unable to restrain herself, Luna spat it out, coughing, not even caring how unroyal she looked right then. Surely they weren't living on this, right? But she noticed the baleful, wishful, a few almost bitter glances. She'd wasted their food. A feeling of guilt washed over her. They were starving, and wasting their food—if it could even be called that—would be a profound insult. And a simple glance at the basket told her what she’d already suspected: Arctic Night had given her his portion. She had to make up for this. Luna reached a hoof into her saddlebag. She rummaged for a bit before finding an apple, slightly bruised from the trip, one she'd intended on eating last and only if she were really hungry and would most likely end up discarded at the end of her journey. She held it out in offering. Why didn’t she think of this before? Arctic Night leaned forward, curious, nostrils flared. “It’s like no fruit I’ve ever seen,” he said cautiously. “Try it,” Luna said. “Consider it restitution.” Arctic Night licked his fangs, and then, he leaned forward and sank his fangs inside. Juice from the apple spurted out of the indents of his fangs, and he tore the flesh off much harder than necessary, spreading more apple juice. It was soft and sweet, unlike anything else he’d ever tasted. He chewed slowly, savoring every bite, and it was an uncomfortably long time before he actually swallowed. “If this is a dream, I wish to never wake up.” Arctic Night nearly moaned as he took another bite. As he did, he glanced around. Luna did, too. The bat ponies were staring, longingly. Arctic Night looked down at the apple, sighed, and then passed it to the nearest bat pony. She took a bite, and passed it on. Luna could only stare as the entire colony took increasingly small bites as the apple was passed around. She had been planning on discarding this apple, and here they were nearly worshiping it. The last pony got maybe a little scrap of the skin, and he still chewed as thoughtfully and pleasantly as if he had been given a slice of the most succulent cake. Again with the cake! Luna shook her head. She climbed up onto the table. “There is more in the place where I come from,” she announced. “Come, my little ponies, I’ll take you there.” She turned and leapt off the table and strode forward, heading outside. The lack of hoofsteps behind her made her slow. She peeked back over her shoulder, and then slowed to a stop. Not a single bat pony had moved. “Why?” she demanded. “We cannot leave. There is nothing else.” Luna scowled; but before she could say anything else, there was a shriek from outside. It sounded vaguely like ‘treewalker!’. The bat ponies mobilized, almost faster than Luna could react. Suddenly, the presence of fires everywhere made sense as Arctic Night scooped up a burning branch and rushed outside. Luna followed, curious to know what would cause such a panic. She got her answer quickly as familiar howls split the cold afternoon air, and she sprinted outside. Timberwolves! They lived in the forests surrounding Everfree City, but these were much smaller. Probably much hungrier and more vicious, too. The pony who had originally raised the alarm had made it back safe, but the timberwolves were already surrounding the area. And then Luna gasped. There was a younger bat pony, hiding up in a tree. His hooves scrabbled for purchase; he had jumped and tried to climb up but the branches were too close for him to use his wings properly. They were going for that little pony, and the rest of the pack was intent on holding off the rest of the bat ponies in time for their hunt. In all fairness, this was a decent plan. It was working; one timberwolf was leaping up and catching little chunks of his tail in his jaws. They just hadn’t counted on Luna being there. Instinctively, she powered up her horn and fired a blast of magic. It impacted the timberwolf right as it jumped. It obliterated the timberwolf’s head, and its body had only enough residual magical energy to maintain cohesion for a brief moment before falling apart. The ponies gasped and stared. They pointed at Luna’s horn, they cowered, they whispered behind their burning sticks. This was new. It was new for the timberwolves, too. This new development quickly made her the center of attention. They turned, their appetite staved for now in the face of such a threat. And Luna was quite the threat. She strode forwards, the bat ponies still whispering. They circled around her, snarling, hissing. Even this far away, and probably being a different class of timberwolf entirely, they still had such bad breath. Luna kept her horn lit. The stick slowly floated out of Arctic Night’s grasp, and twirled in midair, now glowing with that same blue light. The timberwolves hesitated, their heads swiveling to follow it as it spun. The little pony up in the tree had gotten distracted; his attention drawn to Luna’s light meant that he was not paying attention to the timberwolves beneath him; nor was he actively trying to climb on top of the branch. And, of course, this made him an easy target for the timberwolf beneath him. It looked up, and it almost seemed to smile as it crouched to jump. The bat ponies cried out and moved forward; but Luna was faster. In a quick motion, she threw the stick, impaling the nearest timberwolf through the head; and then disappeared in a burst of light. She reappeared, about a pace behind it. Luna scowled. She had aimed for appearing right in front of him; her rear hoof was still raised. Missing your mark was such an amateur teleportation mistake, and she silently vowed to leave this little detail out if Celestia ever asked about her journey. Thankfully, a pony (especially one as large as Luna) appearing out of nowhere is an adequate distraction. Made even more so when Luna scuffed a hoof, lowered her head, lit her horn and spread her wings; making herself look like quite the formidable opponent. One timberwolf circled around back and jumped; but the bat ponies had crossed the distance. They fell on it as one, beating it apart with their burning sticks. Though many had gone out in the wind, their combined efforts managed to disintegrate it. While that was happening, Luna fired another blast, taking out the timberwolf under the tree. There were now four timberwolves down, and they had lost all element of surprise and momentum. One timberwolf made a vague attempt to remain defiant; but with every other wolf running away, his courage, too, quickly failed him, and he sprinted away with the rest of them. The bat ponies cheered and waved their sticks as the pack fled. Luna snorted once for good measure, and then turned back to the bat ponies. And it was then that something occurred to her. They cheered her. Luna hesitated. This was a new sensation. She was so used to ponies applauding both her sister and her (or just her sister), and this all on her own was… new. It was quite nice, actually. It was a bit sad, though. Finally, some ponies were recognizing her efforts, and they were freezing, starving, and living in constant fear for their lives. And then it hit Luna. They needed a savior. And Luna could be that savior. She stepped forward. “Citizens!” Luna said, before realizing that technically, they might not have been. Still, she continued. “I can deliver you from the timberwolves. I can deliver you from here. Come with me.” “Nopony will go with you,” Arctic Night said simply. He picked up the stick Luna had thrown and placed it over his shoulder, and picked up a few others nearby. “Must I go and show you?” Luna demanded. “Go if you wish,” Arctic Night said, dumping the branches on the fire. “You will be back. This is all there is.” Luna looked forward again. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the little filly she’d seen at the very beginning. She leaned down and extended a hoof. “Wilt thou go with me?” she offered. The filly gasped and grinned excitedly, baring her fangs once more. She quickly scrambled up, getting on Luna’s back. Luna hesitated, feeling her little charge crawl on. She’d heard the phrase ‘bag of bones’ before to describe a skinny pony; but she’d never actually met a pony for whom was more of an accurate description than a playful exaggeration. “And when we arrive at the Castle of the Two Sisters,” she promised quietly, “you shall have a whole bushel of apples.” Chapter 4Luna flew, her powerful wings beating at a steady pace. The little filly on her back squealed. What fun! This was much faster than she could fly! Flying seemed to come naturally to pegasi, and so it did for Luna, as well. Instinctively, she knew the way she had come, and corrected her path by merely leaning her body. She couldn’t help but smile as the filly daringly took one hoof off her back, and then the second. She cheered, her voice sounding very high-pitched, almost like a squeal. If that were how she reacted to flying, it would be interesting indeed to hear her reaction to the castle. It came as a shock, then, when she burst from the trees into a clearing, only to see the same camp as before. She skidded to a stop, her hooves kicking up snow, her mouth slowly opening in confusion. How was she back at their settlement? Luna slowly shook her head. Impossible. This was impossible. She had flown straight and true. She paused to assure herself that this was the same encampment, and it most assuredly was; for the little filly on her back jumped off and ran to a pony that could only be her mother, excitedly telling her about how fast that strange pony could fly (and how loud her wings were as she flew). Some others gave her sad smiles, as if she were just discovering the truth of this world. But Luna was not one to give up so easily. She furrowed her brow and reached into her saddlebag and pulled out her compass, determined to plot the way manually if necessary. This, too, would be more complicated than she had previously assumed. The needle spun a bit, as if trying to spin through oil, before finally settling on pointing towards the sun. Luna frowned. That wasn’t right. She tapped on the glass covering the compass. It jiggled, but it didn’t correct itself. She pursed her lips. Even this time of year, the sun should have been more eastward than that. She turned and took a few steps forward, and when she looked down, the needle had jumped slightly, now pointing at a two degree angle from the sun. Wait… She closed her eyes and strode forward a good forty paces, intent on walking in a straight line. She should have been in the trees; but when she opened her eyes, she was still in the clearing, and the compass now pointed five degrees away from the sun. Of course! Luna laughed as she suddenly understood. There must have been magnetic ore in this place, enough to throw off her compass and her internal sense of direction. No wonder they thought they could never leave! They were just disoriented! Any attempt at flying in a straight line would just leave them going in circles! She chuckled wryly. Now she felt much better about her flubbed teleportation from earlier. Luckily, she was not limited to just her flight magic. She replaced her compass and lit her horn. This, as can well be imagined, instantly drew the attention of the bat ponies once more. As one, they stopped what they were doing, clearly keen on seeing what she would do now. Knowing that everypony here was watching, Luna smiled softly to herself, and then cast her spell. A shimmering ball of magic materialized in front of her, and, like a ball of ethereal yarn, it unraveled, carving out a trail through the forest and through the trees. Gasps and whispers spread through the bat ponies again. Luna spoke, her voice loud and ringing against the mountain. “My little ponies,” she said. “I can take you away from here. My magic is powerful, and can cut through the confusion. You were trapped here, but no more. I will set you free.” Her voice grew quieter. “Trust me.” Please. She looked around, but none of the bat ponies moved towards her. It must have seemed too good to be true. Were they convinced? Arctic Night stepped forward. Luna felt herself tense. And then: “My little ponies, gather your things,” he ordered, his voice soft but carrying through the cold air. He glanced back at Luna, his expression determined and, for the first time, hopeful. “We will leave at dusk.” * * * Luna stood proud and tall, trying to give off an aura of confidence. Not that she wasn’t confident, of course; but the bat ponies seemed more apprehensive than anything else, and many were looking to her as if for encouragement. Finally, Arctic Night neared. “This is everypony,” he said quietly. “Are you ready?” “I am,” Luna said. “I’m trusting you,” Arctic Night said, just as quietly. “And I will not betray that trust,” Luna said firmly. Arctic Night nodded. It was time. The sun began to sink. Luna flapped her wings once, shooting upwards. She lit her horn and, with a slow toss of her head, raised the moon into its perfect upright position. The bat ponies stared and whispered again. Luna smiled proudly. It was strange to have an audience for this, but she certainly wasn’t complaining. She dropped to the ground. “Come,” she said. “Let us depart.” She lit her horn, cast the spell again, and began to fly. Behind her, she could hear ponies moving against the snow, but could not hear them flying. Their leathery wings made them fairly silent, and she probably would have been intrigued on how that worked if she weren’t so focused on getting home. She led them forward, following the magical trail. Even as her brain knew she was going the wrong way, as her instincts screamed that she was going to run into the mountain if she kept going this far this fast, she trusted the magic. These misgivings weren’t hers alone. “We’re going the wrong way!” she heard somepony whisper behind her. “Follow Luna,” Arctic whispered back. It almost became a sort of rallying cry. “Follow Luna!” “Follow Luna!” It spread like wildfire through the ranks of the bat ponies. Soon, the small forest from before came into view. With a renewed burst of speed, Luna charged forward. And then she felt it. She had crossed the invisible barrier. All of a sudden, she felt a comforting feeling of orientation; somewhat like when one’s ears finally pop and the sensation of hearing properly returns. She skidded to a stop, reveling in this feeling. She grinned and looked around. That smile faded a bit as she did. The bat ponies had, as one, hit the snow. Most were panting hard, hooves to their heads. One foal lay face-down in the snow, unmoving, the only signs of life a few weak twitches of his left hind leg. A few just sat, a few rolled on the ground. What was normal for her was new for them. It must have been disorienting, being hit with that sudden sense of direction. It would be as if she had just given a unicorn wings or something. She chuckled in spite of herself. As if that could ever happen. As the bat ponies recovered, she looked behind to see if all had made it out. A younger pony hadn’t quite made it across. He stared, confused, as he tried to cross but found his body rotating away, his instincts and his eyesight giving him conflicting information. Luna lit her horn and lifted him across, and he soon joined his brethren on the ground. She smiled in spite of herself. Arctic Night stumbled over. “I…” he started hoarsely. “I had no idea.” Luna smiled. “Oh, Arctic Night,” she said, “you have seen nothing yet.” She spread her wings once more. “We fly!” This triumphant cry was answered with mostly pained groaning. She glanced around and realized that nopony here was yet in any condition to fly. “We will wait for us all to recover,” she amended, “and then we fly!” Chapter 5Luna could not stop smiling. This whole journey, the bat ponies were just in awe of everything. They looked, they chittered, they laughed; some even performed triumphant aileron rolls (for likely the first time in their lives). And the way they admired her moon and stars! She had never felt so happy. It was like a self-fueled cycle of happiness. At a signal from Arctic Night, Luna banked down. The bat ponies were weak, and were not used to flying long distances. They needed to rest every so often. The foals, too, were not strong; most of them had succumbed to exhaustion and were riding on the backs of others. Their attention focused on the ground, too. Lights from another settlement drew their attention. “Is that another town?” “It's so big! There must be hundreds of ponies there!” Luna had the distinct impression that introducing these ponies to the villages here would spark mass terror and rumors of vamponies for years to come. “Perhaps,” she said. “But we really should continue on if we are to make it back before dawn.” * * * “Whoa! What is that?” There was only one thing that was magnificent enough to draw such a question. Luna banked slightly and neared the asker. “That is the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters,” she answered. “Ooh. And you're one of the two pony sisters?” he guessed. “I am,” Luna answered. “My sister Celestia and I.” “Whoa!” He performed an aileron roll. “I can't wait to meet her!” Luna suppressed a slight scowl and quickly returned to the front of the flock. They’d already met a princess, hadn't they? * * * Celestia looked up at the sky and pursed her lips. Luna still hadn't returned. What had she gotten herself into? She was still active, judging by the moon in the sky; but wasn’t that just like her sister to rush off without thinking. Her musings were interrupted by a guard rushing in. “Princess!” he started. “From the north! Princess Luna approaches, leading a large group of… somethings!” ‘Somethings’? Intrigued, Celestia spread her wings and flew out the window. She hovered above the castle and squinted. Sure enough, Luna was coming, and… She squinted harder. Strange. The beings behind her seemed to be ponies, but with bat-like characteristics. They all had dark coats, fluffy ears, leathery wings, and slitted pupils. What were they? But Celestia prided herself on being a benevolent leader, regardless of who she was ruling over. She made eye contact with Luna, nodded, and then dropped down to the large open courtyard. Luna understood. She circled around once, and then landed lightly on the ground. Celestia walked forward, making sure she maintained her regal posture as she did. These ponies had fangs! They were like bats (hopefully not the vampire kind), or some other creature of the night. No wonder Luna had found them. She always did like creepy things like that. Luna turned and spread her foreleg wide. “Celestia, I present to you the bat ponies of the mountains.” Celestia inclined her head. “Welcome to Everfree City,” she said pleasantly. The pony nearest Luna bowed as well, and the others followed suit. But no other words were spoken. Celestia glanced down at them, and then back towards Luna. “Are they civilized?” she asked in a stage whisper. Luna pursed her lips. “Yes,” she said coldly. Celestia skated over just how offensive her words had been. “How did you find them?” “I discovered their colony as I visited the Dreamscape.” “Oh, yes,” Celestia said lightly. “Dreamwalking.” Luna’s jaw tightened. Dreamwalking had taken her months to discover and weeks to master; and Celestia had always treated it as if it were a simple parlor trick. It was important to her, and Celestia had never even bothered to ask how she did it. “I imagine they’re quite hungry after such a long journey,” Celestia said. “I’m sure the kitchens would be more than accommodating, even at this late hour.” As if Luna hadn’t already thought of that. And she happened to like this ‘late hour’. “I’ll take them there,” Luna said. “And then I believe the West Ballroom will be large enough for them to bed down for the night.” Celestia nodded. “Well, good job, Luna. I'm proud of you. It's a good project you've chosen.” Luna suppressed her scowl. Her sister’s words were hollow and patronizing. If it didn't directly involve her, Celestia didn't care about it. She probably thought the sun raised itself in her honor. With forced politeness, she inclined her head, and then turned around. “Come!” she ordered, her voice barking out a bit more than she’d meant it to, and she flew off towards the kitchens. * * * Copper Pot scowled as he scrubbed at one of his namesakes. He was a great chef. Really, he was. He just had the unenviable position of working the night shift. “I hate the night shift,” he grumbled, taking some of his frustration out on the pot. “There’s nopony around. Waste of talent, that’s what it is.” He tossed it with a bit more force than strictly necessary on the pile of clean pots and pans, and picked up another. “I’d love to cater for a whole army of ponies; but no, I get stuck here. The extra pay was not worth it. Stupid night-time. I hate it.” A snort of air behind him made him freeze. Slowly, painfully, he looked back over his shoulder, where he saw one rather miffed Princess of the Night. The pan fell from his hooves, and he almost hit the ground right along with it. “Princess, I beg your pardon, I misspoke; I didn’t really mean-” “Cease your sniveling,” Luna growled. She inhaled, held her breath for a moment, then exhaled slowly; and when she spoke again, her voice was a bit more calm than before. “Didst thou not say that thy wish was to be in charge of a feast for an army?” It had been more hyperbole than anything else, but Copper Pot was not about to deny his princess a request. “Uh… yes?” “And to create grand feasts?” Copper Pot shrugged and gave a sheepish smile. “As much as any other chef,” he said. Luna smiled. “Then thou hast an opportunity.” She turned and gestured behind her. Copper Pot poked his head around Luna. His jaw dropped. Ponies, like ponies he’d never seen before. Fluffy ears, coats with varying shades of gray, and fangs! His breath caught in his throat. Was he to be the one on the menu?! “They’re travelers,” Luna said, ignoring his fear. “Bring bread, hard cakes, cheeses, and fruit.” She smiled. “Lots and lots of fruit.” “I…” Copper Pot swallowed. “I’ll get right on that.” * * * Copper Pot was as good as his word. Within moments, he was bringing out a large tray of bread, complete with a large slab of butter. He set it on the nearest table, taking a moment to make sure that he maintained a sufficient distance from their fangs, and quickly leaving for more. When he came back out a few moments later, the bread was gone; as was the butter. And now all the bat ponies were looking intently at him. Feeling uncomfortably like the main course (again), he slid the second tray out (a bit closer to the edge this time) and walked quickly back to the kitchen, casting a glance or two over his shoulder as he did. When he came out the third time, the tray was empty once more, and they were all sitting up excitedly, fluffy ears pricked, hooves kneading against the table. He paused, and then a little smile crossed his face. With a new spring in his step, he slid the next tray on and hurried back to the kitchens. Luna watched in fascination as the bat ponies tore into everything Copper Pot brought. Everything was quickly torn apart and shared as evenly as possible, and even the crumbs were getting licked up. She did have to cringe as one pony ate the butter plain; but other than that, it was fascinating. Slowly, surely, they began a conversation. It was pretty simple small talk, mostly about the food they’d just eaten or a particular decoration they’d passed on the way here; but it was such an improvement over their defeated, listless attitude of before. Similarly, Copper Pot was ecstatic. Nothing makes a chef feel quite so fulfilled as seeing ponies enjoying their cooking. And he pulled out everything. Bread, cheese, cornbread, danishes, puddings; everything he brought, the bat ponies devoured. And eagerly waited for more. He grinned as he checked the larder. They were tearing through the extras; it was drawing near to what they needed for tomorrow. He glanced around, and realized that he hadn’t even brought any fruit out yet. But he could easily change that. He quickly arranged a platter full of apples neatly—even if they were just going to inhale them, he did have a personal standard to keep up—and he carried it outside. Luna’s attention was drawn to one bat pony in particular. She was closest to the kitchen door. She suddenly stopped talking. Her ears pinned. She turned to the door, muzzle up, lips pulled back, sniffing. The ponies around her perked up, quickly imitating her. Copper Pot stepped outside the door, and every bat pony fell silent. He continued walking, and then slowed to a stop. Something was wrong. They were watching him, and those slitted pupils looked surprisingly sinister. One little bat pony couldn't wait; he burst out of his seat like a sprinter in a race and dove for the nearest apple. And just like that, the dam broke; and in the space of time it took Luna to blink, Copper Pot had been quite literally swarmed by bat ponies. He shrieked and pushed away as best he could; but his protests were pretty much drowned out by the squeals of pleasure of the bat ponies feasting on the apples. Just as quickly, they departed; leaving a very dazed Copper Pot (and an empty fruit tray) laying on the ground. “I think they like those,” Luna said, pleased. Copper Pot slowly pushed himself up. “I… I’d agree with that, Princess,” he groaned. * * * It had taken a long time, but finally, every last bat pony had eaten their fill. Some of the youngest were already dozing, leaning against other relatives or just on the table (one was sleeping with his head on a half-eaten roll); and even many of the adults were yawning. Luna stood and moved by the door, and when Arctic Night followed, they all blearily made their way over. Luna couldn’t help but grin. This was likely the first ever time any of them had eaten themselves to exhaustion. The castle staff had obtained plenty of blankets and pillows, and the bat ponies organized themselves. Luna noticed that even though they were gathered in families, they were still all huddled together. She smiled. Here, they would soon learn that they were now safe and warm, and would likely spread out a bit. Now that the bat ponies were out of any danger, her curiosity was allowed to roam. Where were they from? Were they even ponies? * * * Many positions in the court were held by ponies who had inherited their positions. Others were appointed at the whim of the princesses. Still others were elected. The position of Royal Scientist was held by a stallion who was offered his job when he broke into the laboratory with the express intent of performing an experiment using silver. He had been caught when the mixture he’d been working on had exploded in his face. It was more of his desire to learn and insatiable curiosity than his innate ability that earned him this position. Luna stepped outside, and that stallion was currently hiding just outside the door “Morning Star. How did I know you’d be here?” Luna asked. “I do my best thinking at night, Princess,” he said simply. “And the fact that I returned with an as-yet unknown tribe of ponies had nothing to do with it?” Morning Star chuckled. “Perhaps.” he said coyly. Luna chuckled, too, before getting down to business. “What think you of these... bat ponies?” “I believe they’re pegasi. Or, were, at one time.” Luna squinted and cocked her head. He explained. “One of their cloaks, though tattered and worn nearly beyond recognition, bears a strong resemblance to the ancient Pegasopolis flag. I think—and this is just me guessing, of course—that they’re long-time descendants of a segment of the Blue Squadron.” Luna squinted harder. “Who?” “In ancient pre-unification history, the pegasi tried to expand their reach northward, believing that the other tribes were not as strong as they and would not be able to follow. The Blue Squadron were those who were sent out to see if there were any place fit for colonization to the north. The ones who returned—and some didn’t—said that the world was far too cold up there, and so the pegasi moved downwards.” “Where they ran into the unicorns and earth ponies,” Luna finished, a little smile on her face, “thus leading to the unification of Equestria.” “Exactly. So, these, then, must be the descendants of some of the scouts who didn’t return. With so small a population bottlenecked, they experienced their own natural selection based on the stimuli of their area. They developed silent wings to avoid predators, darker fur for hiding in the shadows, slitted eyes for seeing in dim light, fluffy ears to maintain their body heat.” He grinned. “It’s fascinating, really.” “So they are ponies?” He nodded. “And, theoretically, would be able to mate with any other pony, and produce viable offspring.” “Theoretically?” Morning Star chuckled. “They've only just arrived,” he said. “It’ll take some time before we see any new mixed-tribe foals running around.” “They are here to stay now,” Luna said firmly. “So I suspect you’ll be seeing them soon.” “Sounds good,” Morning Star said pleasantly. He leaned in closer to Luna and whispered, “Because, between you and me, they’re pretty cute.”
Chapter 1Princess Luna sat down on her throne and smiled, her head held high, her mane blowing in the breeze only it could sense. She slowly opened her eyes, taking in her large room. The smile slowly faded as she realized once again that her court was empty. She had no subjects to council, no hopeful ponies seeking for her advice. Still she waited, optimistic. She kneaded her hooves against the cushion, tail waving slightly behind her. Surely there was somepony this Night who needed their princess. But the hours came and went, with only Luna there. Her discouragement grew, and she jumped off her throne ten minutes before her court was scheduled to end with an angry growl. Perhaps a few months ago, this would have driven her into a rage, which would have left large swaths of trees smoking and destroyed a few miles away. Thankfully, she had recently discovered another talent, one that allowed her to be helpful to her little ponies: dreamwalking. As disheartening as it was that her little ponies slept all of the night, it was a great comfort to know that she could be there, in their dreams, as their protector and guide. Little foals, especially, were so relieved to see her. It made her heart melt. She just wished she could see those same expressions when they were awake. The familiar rush of doors across her vision was oddly cathartic. So many ponies she could help. She closed her eyes and listened, feeling more than anything else to see if there were anything wrong. Something called out to her, a disturbance in the dreamscape, and she grinned. It was time. With an idle thought, the doors shifted directions, whizzing by until stopping at the one she’d wanted. The door was wooden, still looking fresh and newly finished. It was the mind of a young earth pony, for sure. She slowly opened the door and crept inside. He sat with his back to the door, playing quietly. His back was to the bed. Underneath that bed, though, something lurked in the shadows. His ears pricked, and Luna quickly faded into the background. A living shadow, thick and inky, emerged, plopping a dark appendage on the ground and dragging itself out. The colt gasped as the shadow came nearer, reaching for his hooves. He tried to scamper away, but it caught hold on his hind hoof and began dragging him under the bed. Luna strode forward. It was time. She stood proudly, head high. The colt gasped to see her, her intrusion shocking him into some semblance of order. Luna lit her horn. The ink puddle seemed to writhe in the light of her horn. It tumbled down in on itself, turning into an evaporating black puddle of water. He splashed it, and chuckled as he realized that he was in no danger. He looked up and giggled. Luna gave him a comforting smile, and he waved as she left him to his sweeter dream. * * * Luna looked around as she closed yet another door behind her. She was probably done here. She let the dreamscape arrive at another settlement, this one a bit further towards the edge of Equestria. She doubted this Las Pegasus outpost would ever amount to much of anything; but as her subjects, they too deserved protection. It was a quiet night in Las Pegasus. She only had one dream to visit here; this one a simple fix. But it was she that felt hurt afterwards. She pursed her lips and sighed. How could a foal be afraid of the dark? Did they not understand its intrinsic beauty? She rolled her eyes… and then paused. There was a little dark patch, far off in the distance. It was unfamiliar to her. Luna narrowed her eyes. Was it an intruder in her dreamscape? She did not spend so long working out how to come here just to give this privilege away. With a simple thought, she brought it nearer. As the dreamscape moved beneath her hooves, it slowly resolved and grew more detailed, and Luna's eyes widened in shock. It was another set of doors. It must have been a far settlement indeed to be so distant; she had never seen these before. The door nearest her was made of tightly bundled sticks, as if improvised. Luna smiled wryly. These little ponies were explorers, surely. And like most explorers, they likely moved during the day and slept all night. She shook this thought off. They were asleep, and might need her help. Dutifully, she nosed the nearest door open and slipped inside. A pony with gray fur slumbered, wrapped tightly in a red blanket. He was inside a small building, possibly a barn of some kind, with lanterns surrounding him. And poking out from under his lip. Were those…? No. Impossible. Still… Unable to restrain herself or her curiosity, she leaned forward. She hesitated, realizing just how intrusive this was; then, in a fit of daring, she stretched a hoof out, intent on lifting his upper lip. It was likely a trick of the flickering lantern light, but she could swear that this little pony had- Fangs! Luna stumbled backwards in shock, tripping over her own rear hooves. Unable to catch herself, she landed hard on her royal bottom, knocking over (and nearly sitting on top of) a lantern. She quickly scrambled to get it upright and looked back at the stallion, looking much like a filly caught with her hoof in the cookie jar, half expecting to have to explain herself. But the pony didn't wake. He barely stirred. She could only stare. What was this? Was this a dream? Was the real dreamer elsewhere? She performed a quick mental search, and was stunned at the revelation. As much as it defied logic, there was no other explanation. This pony, a living, breathing little pony, was of Equestria. And he had fangs. Curiosity overcame her. She'd never seen a fanged pony. What could it be dreaming of? She leaned in closer and concentrated. He dreamed… Of being warm? Luna shook her head. That would imply that this whole dream was just an escapist fantasy of being warm. And she'd seen plenty of escapist fantasies in her day. None of them looked anything like this. Shaking her head, she departed. Perhaps he was on guard duty. She’d likely get a little more insight from another door. The second one held a filly, gray in color like the first one, sitting upon a large rock, her back towards Luna. This in and of itself wasn’t terribly strange. What was strange, though, was the appearance of her wings. Having been blessed with the magic of the pegasi, Luna knew of the joy of flight. She knew the feeling of speed, and the thrilling feeling of wind through her feathers. But this filly didn't seem to have feathers on her wings. They seemed to be a thin membrane of skin over bones. Luna's jaw dropped. If she didn't know any better, she'd say this filly had the wings of a bat. Now that she was closer, she noticed what surrounded her. It appeared to be fruit of some kind. This filly was surrounded by fruit, and she was picking them up and eating them, one after the other. She was still curious about her wings. Surely they, too, were a trick of the light. But there was one way to find out. She leaned down, picked up a rock, and lobbed it over. It landed with a thunk and a clatter. The filly spun around, eyes wide, wings flared, her mouth still open (with tiny fangs gleaming in the light) for the apple she had intended on eating. And her eyes! They were a deep brownish gold, with slits for pupils! Thankfully, Luna had already made herself invisible again. Fascinating! What could have possessed these ponies to dream of themselves with bat-like characteristics? Unless…? No. That would be impossible. Completely inconceivable. Wouldn't it? She stepped outside and tried another door. It slowly creaked open under her hoof. This occupant was lounging around a large fire, feeling very warm. She smiled as one of his fluffy ears flicked idly. This was a happy dream. But he, too, saw himself with fangs and abnormally fluffy ears. She tried a new door. This strange pony, too, dreamed of being warm. He was taking a bath in hot water, fluffy ears relaxed and mouth open in contentment—fangs clearly exposed. One side of Luna’s mouth picked up slightly. She was sensing a pattern here. That smile quickly faded. Dreams were escapes. One could be an outlier. Two suspicious. Three, a pattern. Why would they all dream of being warm? She shook her head and left. She looked to the next door and hesitated. This door belonged to an older pony. Older ponies usually didn’t want or need her help. Unappreciated asleep as well as awake. But curiosity spurred her on, overcoming her hesitation. She slipped inside. This mare also saw herself like a bat. Luna’s eyes widened. She was a mother. And she dreamed of protecting her foals. Her wings, leathery as all the others she’d seen tonight, covered two foals, one on each side of her. They lay there contentedly. One perked his head up, and she retrieved a fruit for him, which he quickly ate, his sharp fangs easily piercing it and tearing it open. Luna inhaled sharply through her teeth. Their reality must have been stark, indeed, to dream of such things as simple comfort. They needed her help. At the sound, the mother looked over her shoulder. Her eyes widened. “Fear not,” Luna whispered as she faded back into the darkness. “I come.”
Chapter 2Luna flapped her wings, lifting herself higher above the clouds. She had ordered a saddlebag filled with provisions, and she had taken off after a short nap. She was going to go find this settlement herself, no matter how long it took. Have fun. Just don't forget to raise the moon tonight, Celestia had said. Psh. As if Luna would forget the thing that brought her the greatest joy. Celestia. Luna shook her head and flew on, her wings beating a bit faster now, trying to leave thoughts of her sister behind. Her path took her higher, away from the plains, headed towards the mountains. It was dark, but she could see clearly. That didn't mean she was looking forward to this, though. She had entered a few other dreams in her search for any hint to their actual location, and from what she could tell, they lived near a very tall mountain, tall enough that it could only have been in this forsaken area of Equestria. She shivered. It was really cold up here, and it only grew colder as she flew on. * * * Luna landed lightly on the snow. She ruffled her wings to get the snow off and folded them back down. She looked around, chewing on her lower lip. This place seemed a conundrum. Though the snow swirled outside, it didn't here. The way the mountain was, it formed a little protective cove, almost inviting in this weather. She was veritably relieved to step inside. There was a small clearing inside the cove, holding a forest of tall trees. Luna stepped slowly into the forest. It was eerily calm. The snow and trees muffled sound so well that Luna soon realized that the strange thumping sound she heard was her own beating heart. She continued her journey deeper into the forest. Snow crunched beneath her hooves as she walked, the sound oddly loud in the silence. And then she froze. Something had changed. Something… something wasn’t right. Had she crossed a ward? Awakened something? Was she being watched? She slowly spun around, lit horn held high; but the only sound she heard was the snow underhoof. She bit her lower lip, cast her eyes round about once more, and then walked on. She had come too far to turn back now. The trees seemed to thicken, forcing Luna to weave her way through the trunks. The wind seemed to pick up a bit, sending flurries of snow swirling around her hooves, and the temperature seemed to drop a few degrees. And then the trees thinned out, leading her closer to the mountain. She continued forward, sensing that she would be close. And then she nearly ran into a stone wall. She took a step back, bringing up a hoof to brush against her muzzle. That could have been painful. Wait. No, it wasn’t a wall. It was the mountain. Odd. She’d thought she’d been going around it. She shrugged this off. Mountain ranges were very oddly shaped. Perhaps she had just gotten disoriented. She turned to the right and continued. She continued around the mountain and then stopped short. There was a little steely-blue filly there. She was standing, her back towards Luna, bent over, nosing the snow away to grab a stick. She was gathering firewood. Luna paused. She knew what to expect, of course. The dark fur, the dark tail, the leathery wings; everything was as she’d expected to see, but actually seeing them in the waking world was something entirely different. And then, though Luna had remained silent, the filly suddenly spun around, one hoof raised, teeth bared, ears pinned and wings flared out to make herself appear bigger than she actually was. Luna stared. That wasn’t an attitude she’d expected of a little filly. The little filly stopped and stared, too. She dropped her hoof, and she tried to make sense of this. Her eyes flicked to Luna’s wings, and then stayed fixated on her horn. She squinted. What, had she never seen a unicorn before? The filly took a skittering step back, then turned and fled, taking to the air. Luna quickly spread her wings and followed. She couldn't help but grin; this was a stroke of luck. She'd find their town in no time. She followed the filly back, making sure to hang back enough to not present herself as an active threat, but still close enough to not lose sight of her. She was closer to their settlement than she'd thought; it was only a few moments before she heard snatches of conversation that could only be about her. After all, who else could be a strange pony with a stick in her head? The conversation shifted as another pony, likely her mother, scolded her for telling such tales. Luna made her way around the corner and into open sight. It was oddly pleasing to have everypony present stop what they were doing and pay attention to her. The only sounds were the wind blowing the snow around, and the voice of a little filly hissing, “I told you so!” She took another step forward. She recognized a few of them from the dreams she'd visited. But ponies are not supposed to have so many ribs showing… “You.” Luna spun around. She recognized the mare standing there; though her appearance was more gaunt than in her dream, her eyes were a bit more sunken in, and her little foals stayed huddled by her hind legs. “I know you,” she said, eyebrows knit together. She took a small step forward. “I dreamed of you.” Luna nodded. Others murmured in agreement, saying they recognized her or had dreamed of her as well. She looked up. “Who are you?” she asked in a whisper. Luna lifted her head high. “I am Princess Luna, diarch of Equestria, Guardian of the Night, Keeper of Dreams.” “Equestria?” she repeated, confused. The word was unfamiliar. “This land is now called Equestria,” Luna explained. “I rule with my sister, Celestia. I have come because I have visited you in your dreams, and I know you are suffering.” Cheers, of course, had been too much to expect. Polite stomps would have been pushing it. But the blank stares she got were a little less than she was expecting. She coughed lightly. “If you would,” she tried, “I would like to bring you all with me, back to Everfree City.” Luna was no stranger to being ignored. Ponies did always seem to favor her sister’s day over her night. But to be outright rebuffed—ponies chuckled under their breath, turned away, went back to work, tending the fires and hauling things—was most irritating. She scowled. Even the strange-looking ponies would reject her. Fine. They could all starve, then. But before she could turn away, another pony shuffled in closer. This pony looked older; but by the way he carried himself, he was clearly a leader. “Luna,” he said, his voice a bit shaky. “I am Arctic Night. We welcome you.” He exhaled. “But you will never leave this place.”
Chapter 3Luna shifted her weight back, eyes narrowed. She had come in peace; but if these strange ponies wanted to fight, then a fight they'd get. And it would be one they would never forget. But something was wrong. They weren’t pawing at the ground, no ears were pinned, no teeth bared. If anything, they looked… defeated. Pitying. Luna hated being pitied. It was the only thing she hated more than being ignored. She turned to the one who had spoken. “Explain yourself,” she ordered. “You cannot leave,” he emphasized. “And why can I not?” He shook his head and gestured with a sweeping hoof towards the camp. “This is all there is in the world.” Then the world is very miserable, indeed. “Then whence came I?” Luna challenged. “Perhaps Snowy Dusk dreamed you into existence,” he said, gesturing at the mare who had recognized Luna earlier. Luna snorted, finding this offensive. She was the mistress of dreams. And in her extensive study, there was no way to bring something dreamed into the real world. Not that she knew of, anyway. And she wasn’t about to test that theory. A shrill whistle pierced through the air. Arctic Night’s ears pricked. “It is time for lunch. I believe you’re welcome to join us.” Luna chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip. It would be rude to refuse. And, really, as nice as travel food was, it would be nice for a change. Even if it did beg a question. “Would you feed a dream, then?” Luna asked playfully. “Or might there be another explanation to my presence?” “For generations upon generations we have lived here. Many brave ponies have departed, only to return. This is all there is.” “I can assure you, there is much more to this world than this cold rock of ice and snow,” Luna insisted. Arctic expelled a sharp burst of air from his nostrils. “You think me mad,” Luna said, a hint of accusation in her voice. “I am seeing a pony twice my size, with strangely-shaped wings, and a stick coming out of her forehead,” he replied wryly. “At least one of us must be mad.” Luna cracked a smile against her will. * * * Standing beside Arctic Night, Luna stood in line for their food. As a leader, he took his place in the back, something Luna found admirable (if a bit militaristic). She looked around. The ponies—she’d decided that ‘bat ponies’ would do for an appellation for now—were huddled together as best they could in this cave. Small fires dotted the ground, their sole source of heat. There was usually one pony, younger, who had eaten first, and stood, tending it. They were of the few wearing anything; and what clothing they had was worn and threadbare. Luna watched as one’s time was up; he passed the cloak onto his replacement and returned. Eventually, she got to the front of the line. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but it certainly had been more than this. In the basket in front of her was something that looked like a small, blackened pear. Arctic Night held it out for Luna, who picked it up in her hooves (as a princess, she had to be considerate and not use magic around non-magic users) and sniffed it. It certainly didn’t look appealing; but being a princess was not all cake, all the time; no matter what Celestia may have believed. She shook her head and bit. Her first bite attempt didn’t even pierce the skin. Luna scowled and tried again, bringing to full bear her earth pony strength on this stubborn fruit. She regretted it as soon as she did. The skin was hard and thick, and the mealy flesh of the fruit was the most bitter thing she had ever tasted. She gagged. Unable to restrain herself, Luna spat it out, coughing, not even caring how unroyal she looked right then. Surely they weren't living on this, right? But she noticed the baleful, wishful, a few almost bitter glances. She'd wasted their food. A feeling of guilt washed over her. They were starving, and wasting their food—if it could even be called that—would be a profound insult. And a simple glance at the basket told her what she’d already suspected: Arctic Night had given her his portion. She had to make up for this. Luna reached a hoof into her saddlebag. She rummaged for a bit before finding an apple, slightly bruised from the trip, one she'd intended on eating last and only if she were really hungry and would most likely end up discarded at the end of her journey. She held it out in offering. Why didn’t she think of this before? Arctic Night leaned forward, curious, nostrils flared. “It’s like no fruit I’ve ever seen,” he said cautiously. “Try it,” Luna said. “Consider it restitution.” Arctic Night licked his fangs, and then, he leaned forward and sank his fangs inside. Juice from the apple spurted out of the indents of his fangs, and he tore the flesh off much harder than necessary, spreading more apple juice. It was soft and sweet, unlike anything else he’d ever tasted. He chewed slowly, savoring every bite, and it was an uncomfortably long time before he actually swallowed. “If this is a dream, I wish to never wake up.” Arctic Night nearly moaned as he took another bite. As he did, he glanced around. Luna did, too. The bat ponies were staring, longingly. Arctic Night looked down at the apple, sighed, and then passed it to the nearest bat pony. She took a bite, and passed it on. Luna could only stare as the entire colony took increasingly small bites as the apple was passed around. She had been planning on discarding this apple, and here they were nearly worshiping it. The last pony got maybe a little scrap of the skin, and he still chewed as thoughtfully and pleasantly as if he had been given a slice of the most succulent cake. Again with the cake! Luna shook her head. She climbed up onto the table. “There is more in the place where I come from,” she announced. “Come, my little ponies, I’ll take you there.” She turned and leapt off the table and strode forward, heading outside. The lack of hoofsteps behind her made her slow. She peeked back over her shoulder, and then slowed to a stop. Not a single bat pony had moved. “Why?” she demanded. “We cannot leave. There is nothing else.” Luna scowled; but before she could say anything else, there was a shriek from outside. It sounded vaguely like ‘treewalker!’. The bat ponies mobilized, almost faster than Luna could react. Suddenly, the presence of fires everywhere made sense as Arctic Night scooped up a burning branch and rushed outside. Luna followed, curious to know what would cause such a panic. She got her answer quickly as familiar howls split the cold afternoon air, and she sprinted outside. Timberwolves! They lived in the forests surrounding Everfree City, but these were much smaller. Probably much hungrier and more vicious, too. The pony who had originally raised the alarm had made it back safe, but the timberwolves were already surrounding the area. And then Luna gasped. There was a younger bat pony, hiding up in a tree. His hooves scrabbled for purchase; he had jumped and tried to climb up but the branches were too close for him to use his wings properly. They were going for that little pony, and the rest of the pack was intent on holding off the rest of the bat ponies in time for their hunt. In all fairness, this was a decent plan. It was working; one timberwolf was leaping up and catching little chunks of his tail in his jaws. They just hadn’t counted on Luna being there. Instinctively, she powered up her horn and fired a blast of magic. It impacted the timberwolf right as it jumped. It obliterated the timberwolf’s head, and its body had only enough residual magical energy to maintain cohesion for a brief moment before falling apart. The ponies gasped and stared. They pointed at Luna’s horn, they cowered, they whispered behind their burning sticks. This was new. It was new for the timberwolves, too. This new development quickly made her the center of attention. They turned, their appetite staved for now in the face of such a threat. And Luna was quite the threat. She strode forwards, the bat ponies still whispering. They circled around her, snarling, hissing. Even this far away, and probably being a different class of timberwolf entirely, they still had such bad breath. Luna kept her horn lit. The stick slowly floated out of Arctic Night’s grasp, and twirled in midair, now glowing with that same blue light. The timberwolves hesitated, their heads swiveling to follow it as it spun. The little pony up in the tree had gotten distracted; his attention drawn to Luna’s light meant that he was not paying attention to the timberwolves beneath him; nor was he actively trying to climb on top of the branch. And, of course, this made him an easy target for the timberwolf beneath him. It looked up, and it almost seemed to smile as it crouched to jump. The bat ponies cried out and moved forward; but Luna was faster. In a quick motion, she threw the stick, impaling the nearest timberwolf through the head; and then disappeared in a burst of light. She reappeared, about a pace behind it. Luna scowled. She had aimed for appearing right in front of him; her rear hoof was still raised. Missing your mark was such an amateur teleportation mistake, and she silently vowed to leave this little detail out if Celestia ever asked about her journey. Thankfully, a pony (especially one as large as Luna) appearing out of nowhere is an adequate distraction. Made even more so when Luna scuffed a hoof, lowered her head, lit her horn and spread her wings; making herself look like quite the formidable opponent. One timberwolf circled around back and jumped; but the bat ponies had crossed the distance. They fell on it as one, beating it apart with their burning sticks. Though many had gone out in the wind, their combined efforts managed to disintegrate it. While that was happening, Luna fired another blast, taking out the timberwolf under the tree. There were now four timberwolves down, and they had lost all element of surprise and momentum. One timberwolf made a vague attempt to remain defiant; but with every other wolf running away, his courage, too, quickly failed him, and he sprinted away with the rest of them. The bat ponies cheered and waved their sticks as the pack fled. Luna snorted once for good measure, and then turned back to the bat ponies. And it was then that something occurred to her. They cheered her. Luna hesitated. This was a new sensation. She was so used to ponies applauding both her sister and her (or just her sister), and this all on her own was… new. It was quite nice, actually. It was a bit sad, though. Finally, some ponies were recognizing her efforts, and they were freezing, starving, and living in constant fear for their lives. And then it hit Luna. They needed a savior. And Luna could be that savior. She stepped forward. “Citizens!” Luna said, before realizing that technically, they might not have been. Still, she continued. “I can deliver you from the timberwolves. I can deliver you from here. Come with me.” “Nopony will go with you,” Arctic Night said simply. He picked up the stick Luna had thrown and placed it over his shoulder, and picked up a few others nearby. “Must I go and show you?” Luna demanded. “Go if you wish,” Arctic Night said, dumping the branches on the fire. “You will be back. This is all there is.” Luna looked forward again. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the little filly she’d seen at the very beginning. She leaned down and extended a hoof. “Wilt thou go with me?” she offered. The filly gasped and grinned excitedly, baring her fangs once more. She quickly scrambled up, getting on Luna’s back. Luna hesitated, feeling her little charge crawl on. She’d heard the phrase ‘bag of bones’ before to describe a skinny pony; but she’d never actually met a pony for whom was more of an accurate description than a playful exaggeration. “And when we arrive at the Castle of the Two Sisters,” she promised quietly, “you shall have a whole bushel of apples.”
Chapter 4Luna flew, her powerful wings beating at a steady pace. The little filly on her back squealed. What fun! This was much faster than she could fly! Flying seemed to come naturally to pegasi, and so it did for Luna, as well. Instinctively, she knew the way she had come, and corrected her path by merely leaning her body. She couldn’t help but smile as the filly daringly took one hoof off her back, and then the second. She cheered, her voice sounding very high-pitched, almost like a squeal. If that were how she reacted to flying, it would be interesting indeed to hear her reaction to the castle. It came as a shock, then, when she burst from the trees into a clearing, only to see the same camp as before. She skidded to a stop, her hooves kicking up snow, her mouth slowly opening in confusion. How was she back at their settlement? Luna slowly shook her head. Impossible. This was impossible. She had flown straight and true. She paused to assure herself that this was the same encampment, and it most assuredly was; for the little filly on her back jumped off and ran to a pony that could only be her mother, excitedly telling her about how fast that strange pony could fly (and how loud her wings were as she flew). Some others gave her sad smiles, as if she were just discovering the truth of this world. But Luna was not one to give up so easily. She furrowed her brow and reached into her saddlebag and pulled out her compass, determined to plot the way manually if necessary. This, too, would be more complicated than she had previously assumed. The needle spun a bit, as if trying to spin through oil, before finally settling on pointing towards the sun. Luna frowned. That wasn’t right. She tapped on the glass covering the compass. It jiggled, but it didn’t correct itself. She pursed her lips. Even this time of year, the sun should have been more eastward than that. She turned and took a few steps forward, and when she looked down, the needle had jumped slightly, now pointing at a two degree angle from the sun. Wait… She closed her eyes and strode forward a good forty paces, intent on walking in a straight line. She should have been in the trees; but when she opened her eyes, she was still in the clearing, and the compass now pointed five degrees away from the sun. Of course! Luna laughed as she suddenly understood. There must have been magnetic ore in this place, enough to throw off her compass and her internal sense of direction. No wonder they thought they could never leave! They were just disoriented! Any attempt at flying in a straight line would just leave them going in circles! She chuckled wryly. Now she felt much better about her flubbed teleportation from earlier. Luckily, she was not limited to just her flight magic. She replaced her compass and lit her horn. This, as can well be imagined, instantly drew the attention of the bat ponies once more. As one, they stopped what they were doing, clearly keen on seeing what she would do now. Knowing that everypony here was watching, Luna smiled softly to herself, and then cast her spell. A shimmering ball of magic materialized in front of her, and, like a ball of ethereal yarn, it unraveled, carving out a trail through the forest and through the trees. Gasps and whispers spread through the bat ponies again. Luna spoke, her voice loud and ringing against the mountain. “My little ponies,” she said. “I can take you away from here. My magic is powerful, and can cut through the confusion. You were trapped here, but no more. I will set you free.” Her voice grew quieter. “Trust me.” Please. She looked around, but none of the bat ponies moved towards her. It must have seemed too good to be true. Were they convinced? Arctic Night stepped forward. Luna felt herself tense. And then: “My little ponies, gather your things,” he ordered, his voice soft but carrying through the cold air. He glanced back at Luna, his expression determined and, for the first time, hopeful. “We will leave at dusk.” * * * Luna stood proud and tall, trying to give off an aura of confidence. Not that she wasn’t confident, of course; but the bat ponies seemed more apprehensive than anything else, and many were looking to her as if for encouragement. Finally, Arctic Night neared. “This is everypony,” he said quietly. “Are you ready?” “I am,” Luna said. “I’m trusting you,” Arctic Night said, just as quietly. “And I will not betray that trust,” Luna said firmly. Arctic Night nodded. It was time. The sun began to sink. Luna flapped her wings once, shooting upwards. She lit her horn and, with a slow toss of her head, raised the moon into its perfect upright position. The bat ponies stared and whispered again. Luna smiled proudly. It was strange to have an audience for this, but she certainly wasn’t complaining. She dropped to the ground. “Come,” she said. “Let us depart.” She lit her horn, cast the spell again, and began to fly. Behind her, she could hear ponies moving against the snow, but could not hear them flying. Their leathery wings made them fairly silent, and she probably would have been intrigued on how that worked if she weren’t so focused on getting home. She led them forward, following the magical trail. Even as her brain knew she was going the wrong way, as her instincts screamed that she was going to run into the mountain if she kept going this far this fast, she trusted the magic. These misgivings weren’t hers alone. “We’re going the wrong way!” she heard somepony whisper behind her. “Follow Luna,” Arctic whispered back. It almost became a sort of rallying cry. “Follow Luna!” “Follow Luna!” It spread like wildfire through the ranks of the bat ponies. Soon, the small forest from before came into view. With a renewed burst of speed, Luna charged forward. And then she felt it. She had crossed the invisible barrier. All of a sudden, she felt a comforting feeling of orientation; somewhat like when one’s ears finally pop and the sensation of hearing properly returns. She skidded to a stop, reveling in this feeling. She grinned and looked around. That smile faded a bit as she did. The bat ponies had, as one, hit the snow. Most were panting hard, hooves to their heads. One foal lay face-down in the snow, unmoving, the only signs of life a few weak twitches of his left hind leg. A few just sat, a few rolled on the ground. What was normal for her was new for them. It must have been disorienting, being hit with that sudden sense of direction. It would be as if she had just given a unicorn wings or something. She chuckled in spite of herself. As if that could ever happen. As the bat ponies recovered, she looked behind to see if all had made it out. A younger pony hadn’t quite made it across. He stared, confused, as he tried to cross but found his body rotating away, his instincts and his eyesight giving him conflicting information. Luna lit her horn and lifted him across, and he soon joined his brethren on the ground. She smiled in spite of herself. Arctic Night stumbled over. “I…” he started hoarsely. “I had no idea.” Luna smiled. “Oh, Arctic Night,” she said, “you have seen nothing yet.” She spread her wings once more. “We fly!” This triumphant cry was answered with mostly pained groaning. She glanced around and realized that nopony here was yet in any condition to fly. “We will wait for us all to recover,” she amended, “and then we fly!”
Chapter 5Luna could not stop smiling. This whole journey, the bat ponies were just in awe of everything. They looked, they chittered, they laughed; some even performed triumphant aileron rolls (for likely the first time in their lives). And the way they admired her moon and stars! She had never felt so happy. It was like a self-fueled cycle of happiness. At a signal from Arctic Night, Luna banked down. The bat ponies were weak, and were not used to flying long distances. They needed to rest every so often. The foals, too, were not strong; most of them had succumbed to exhaustion and were riding on the backs of others. Their attention focused on the ground, too. Lights from another settlement drew their attention. “Is that another town?” “It's so big! There must be hundreds of ponies there!” Luna had the distinct impression that introducing these ponies to the villages here would spark mass terror and rumors of vamponies for years to come. “Perhaps,” she said. “But we really should continue on if we are to make it back before dawn.” * * * “Whoa! What is that?” There was only one thing that was magnificent enough to draw such a question. Luna banked slightly and neared the asker. “That is the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters,” she answered. “Ooh. And you're one of the two pony sisters?” he guessed. “I am,” Luna answered. “My sister Celestia and I.” “Whoa!” He performed an aileron roll. “I can't wait to meet her!” Luna suppressed a slight scowl and quickly returned to the front of the flock. They’d already met a princess, hadn't they? * * * Celestia looked up at the sky and pursed her lips. Luna still hadn't returned. What had she gotten herself into? She was still active, judging by the moon in the sky; but wasn’t that just like her sister to rush off without thinking. Her musings were interrupted by a guard rushing in. “Princess!” he started. “From the north! Princess Luna approaches, leading a large group of… somethings!” ‘Somethings’? Intrigued, Celestia spread her wings and flew out the window. She hovered above the castle and squinted. Sure enough, Luna was coming, and… She squinted harder. Strange. The beings behind her seemed to be ponies, but with bat-like characteristics. They all had dark coats, fluffy ears, leathery wings, and slitted pupils. What were they? But Celestia prided herself on being a benevolent leader, regardless of who she was ruling over. She made eye contact with Luna, nodded, and then dropped down to the large open courtyard. Luna understood. She circled around once, and then landed lightly on the ground. Celestia walked forward, making sure she maintained her regal posture as she did. These ponies had fangs! They were like bats (hopefully not the vampire kind), or some other creature of the night. No wonder Luna had found them. She always did like creepy things like that. Luna turned and spread her foreleg wide. “Celestia, I present to you the bat ponies of the mountains.” Celestia inclined her head. “Welcome to Everfree City,” she said pleasantly. The pony nearest Luna bowed as well, and the others followed suit. But no other words were spoken. Celestia glanced down at them, and then back towards Luna. “Are they civilized?” she asked in a stage whisper. Luna pursed her lips. “Yes,” she said coldly. Celestia skated over just how offensive her words had been. “How did you find them?” “I discovered their colony as I visited the Dreamscape.” “Oh, yes,” Celestia said lightly. “Dreamwalking.” Luna’s jaw tightened. Dreamwalking had taken her months to discover and weeks to master; and Celestia had always treated it as if it were a simple parlor trick. It was important to her, and Celestia had never even bothered to ask how she did it. “I imagine they’re quite hungry after such a long journey,” Celestia said. “I’m sure the kitchens would be more than accommodating, even at this late hour.” As if Luna hadn’t already thought of that. And she happened to like this ‘late hour’. “I’ll take them there,” Luna said. “And then I believe the West Ballroom will be large enough for them to bed down for the night.” Celestia nodded. “Well, good job, Luna. I'm proud of you. It's a good project you've chosen.” Luna suppressed her scowl. Her sister’s words were hollow and patronizing. If it didn't directly involve her, Celestia didn't care about it. She probably thought the sun raised itself in her honor. With forced politeness, she inclined her head, and then turned around. “Come!” she ordered, her voice barking out a bit more than she’d meant it to, and she flew off towards the kitchens. * * * Copper Pot scowled as he scrubbed at one of his namesakes. He was a great chef. Really, he was. He just had the unenviable position of working the night shift. “I hate the night shift,” he grumbled, taking some of his frustration out on the pot. “There’s nopony around. Waste of talent, that’s what it is.” He tossed it with a bit more force than strictly necessary on the pile of clean pots and pans, and picked up another. “I’d love to cater for a whole army of ponies; but no, I get stuck here. The extra pay was not worth it. Stupid night-time. I hate it.” A snort of air behind him made him freeze. Slowly, painfully, he looked back over his shoulder, where he saw one rather miffed Princess of the Night. The pan fell from his hooves, and he almost hit the ground right along with it. “Princess, I beg your pardon, I misspoke; I didn’t really mean-” “Cease your sniveling,” Luna growled. She inhaled, held her breath for a moment, then exhaled slowly; and when she spoke again, her voice was a bit more calm than before. “Didst thou not say that thy wish was to be in charge of a feast for an army?” It had been more hyperbole than anything else, but Copper Pot was not about to deny his princess a request. “Uh… yes?” “And to create grand feasts?” Copper Pot shrugged and gave a sheepish smile. “As much as any other chef,” he said. Luna smiled. “Then thou hast an opportunity.” She turned and gestured behind her. Copper Pot poked his head around Luna. His jaw dropped. Ponies, like ponies he’d never seen before. Fluffy ears, coats with varying shades of gray, and fangs! His breath caught in his throat. Was he to be the one on the menu?! “They’re travelers,” Luna said, ignoring his fear. “Bring bread, hard cakes, cheeses, and fruit.” She smiled. “Lots and lots of fruit.” “I…” Copper Pot swallowed. “I’ll get right on that.” * * * Copper Pot was as good as his word. Within moments, he was bringing out a large tray of bread, complete with a large slab of butter. He set it on the nearest table, taking a moment to make sure that he maintained a sufficient distance from their fangs, and quickly leaving for more. When he came back out a few moments later, the bread was gone; as was the butter. And now all the bat ponies were looking intently at him. Feeling uncomfortably like the main course (again), he slid the second tray out (a bit closer to the edge this time) and walked quickly back to the kitchen, casting a glance or two over his shoulder as he did. When he came out the third time, the tray was empty once more, and they were all sitting up excitedly, fluffy ears pricked, hooves kneading against the table. He paused, and then a little smile crossed his face. With a new spring in his step, he slid the next tray on and hurried back to the kitchens. Luna watched in fascination as the bat ponies tore into everything Copper Pot brought. Everything was quickly torn apart and shared as evenly as possible, and even the crumbs were getting licked up. She did have to cringe as one pony ate the butter plain; but other than that, it was fascinating. Slowly, surely, they began a conversation. It was pretty simple small talk, mostly about the food they’d just eaten or a particular decoration they’d passed on the way here; but it was such an improvement over their defeated, listless attitude of before. Similarly, Copper Pot was ecstatic. Nothing makes a chef feel quite so fulfilled as seeing ponies enjoying their cooking. And he pulled out everything. Bread, cheese, cornbread, danishes, puddings; everything he brought, the bat ponies devoured. And eagerly waited for more. He grinned as he checked the larder. They were tearing through the extras; it was drawing near to what they needed for tomorrow. He glanced around, and realized that he hadn’t even brought any fruit out yet. But he could easily change that. He quickly arranged a platter full of apples neatly—even if they were just going to inhale them, he did have a personal standard to keep up—and he carried it outside. Luna’s attention was drawn to one bat pony in particular. She was closest to the kitchen door. She suddenly stopped talking. Her ears pinned. She turned to the door, muzzle up, lips pulled back, sniffing. The ponies around her perked up, quickly imitating her. Copper Pot stepped outside the door, and every bat pony fell silent. He continued walking, and then slowed to a stop. Something was wrong. They were watching him, and those slitted pupils looked surprisingly sinister. One little bat pony couldn't wait; he burst out of his seat like a sprinter in a race and dove for the nearest apple. And just like that, the dam broke; and in the space of time it took Luna to blink, Copper Pot had been quite literally swarmed by bat ponies. He shrieked and pushed away as best he could; but his protests were pretty much drowned out by the squeals of pleasure of the bat ponies feasting on the apples. Just as quickly, they departed; leaving a very dazed Copper Pot (and an empty fruit tray) laying on the ground. “I think they like those,” Luna said, pleased. Copper Pot slowly pushed himself up. “I… I’d agree with that, Princess,” he groaned. * * * It had taken a long time, but finally, every last bat pony had eaten their fill. Some of the youngest were already dozing, leaning against other relatives or just on the table (one was sleeping with his head on a half-eaten roll); and even many of the adults were yawning. Luna stood and moved by the door, and when Arctic Night followed, they all blearily made their way over. Luna couldn’t help but grin. This was likely the first ever time any of them had eaten themselves to exhaustion. The castle staff had obtained plenty of blankets and pillows, and the bat ponies organized themselves. Luna noticed that even though they were gathered in families, they were still all huddled together. She smiled. Here, they would soon learn that they were now safe and warm, and would likely spread out a bit. Now that the bat ponies were out of any danger, her curiosity was allowed to roam. Where were they from? Were they even ponies? * * * Many positions in the court were held by ponies who had inherited their positions. Others were appointed at the whim of the princesses. Still others were elected. The position of Royal Scientist was held by a stallion who was offered his job when he broke into the laboratory with the express intent of performing an experiment using silver. He had been caught when the mixture he’d been working on had exploded in his face. It was more of his desire to learn and insatiable curiosity than his innate ability that earned him this position. Luna stepped outside, and that stallion was currently hiding just outside the door “Morning Star. How did I know you’d be here?” Luna asked. “I do my best thinking at night, Princess,” he said simply. “And the fact that I returned with an as-yet unknown tribe of ponies had nothing to do with it?” Morning Star chuckled. “Perhaps.” he said coyly. Luna chuckled, too, before getting down to business. “What think you of these... bat ponies?” “I believe they’re pegasi. Or, were, at one time.” Luna squinted and cocked her head. He explained. “One of their cloaks, though tattered and worn nearly beyond recognition, bears a strong resemblance to the ancient Pegasopolis flag. I think—and this is just me guessing, of course—that they’re long-time descendants of a segment of the Blue Squadron.” Luna squinted harder. “Who?” “In ancient pre-unification history, the pegasi tried to expand their reach northward, believing that the other tribes were not as strong as they and would not be able to follow. The Blue Squadron were those who were sent out to see if there were any place fit for colonization to the north. The ones who returned—and some didn’t—said that the world was far too cold up there, and so the pegasi moved downwards.” “Where they ran into the unicorns and earth ponies,” Luna finished, a little smile on her face, “thus leading to the unification of Equestria.” “Exactly. So, these, then, must be the descendants of some of the scouts who didn’t return. With so small a population bottlenecked, they experienced their own natural selection based on the stimuli of their area. They developed silent wings to avoid predators, darker fur for hiding in the shadows, slitted eyes for seeing in dim light, fluffy ears to maintain their body heat.” He grinned. “It’s fascinating, really.” “So they are ponies?” He nodded. “And, theoretically, would be able to mate with any other pony, and produce viable offspring.” “Theoretically?” Morning Star chuckled. “They've only just arrived,” he said. “It’ll take some time before we see any new mixed-tribe foals running around.” “They are here to stay now,” Luna said firmly. “So I suspect you’ll be seeing them soon.” “Sounds good,” Morning Star said pleasantly. He leaned in closer to Luna and whispered, “Because, between you and me, they’re pretty cute.”
