The throne room would always be both big, and magnificent, yet heavy and scary at the same time. The giant single room, where the two most powerful, beloved, eldest, respected ponies in all of Equestria made most of the choice would determine the foundation and future of Equestria, held by 12 that tried to hold the weight of unimaginable proposition. The room could only hope the pillar would always stay stabilized, but nothing is perfect. The room filled with glass painting of either Equestria grimmest or greatest day. It depends on the one who saw it. But, no one could deny how grand and exaggerated the painting was, perhaps, as a reminder that magic of friendship would always win, or that corruption was inevitable. Whatever it was, the throne room symbolized that the past would choose the path of the future.
A unicorn had been personally summoned by the two alicorns for a reason only few could ever know and perhaps it’s better that way. The unicorn walked slowly through the throne room, her eyes ran slowly to each painting as soon as she passed them. Sometimes, the unicorn felt mocked by the paintings. But sometimes, she was glad by what the paintings represent.
“We meet again, hunter!” Announced Princess Celestia, the alicorn who was the equivalent of a goddess as the sun itself. And it was clearly shown by how grand she brought herself. She always portrayed herself as a single pillar on a falling Equestria, because it was the truth and everyone knew it.
“Your imperial majesties!” The unicorn bowed down in honest honor and respect to the two princesses. It was a rare occasion to be summoned by the princess, much less in such a formal meeting.
“Is this the mare you have been telling me, sister?” The younger alicorn, Princess Luna, the clearly younger and more inexperienced princess. She has been banished for a thousand years after all.
“Indeed! The last of her order! Many have either fallen or quit The Reaper Order!” Claimed the white alicorn as she walked down from her throne. The way she walked was grand, like the sun she represents. She stopped right in front of the hunter, her face showed nothing but a smile from a grateful and relieved friend.
“Your last task didn’t bring you any trouble I suppose!” She lowered her head so she could see eye to eye with the hunter as she raised her an eye brow.
The hunter giggled, “ Well, I just hunted a blue Phoenix, a pack of metal-wolves, and a rogue black dragon for a few months in the darkest part of Equestria! Other than the traveling and investigation time, I had no real problem!”
The princess followed her giggle as the princess of the night already had stood beside her sister!
“You shouldn’t be underestimated the wild, young hunter! You should already understand the consequence of that!”
The hunter rolled her eyes, but she tried to hide it as she didn’t want to offense Princess Luna.
“I understand!” She raised her head, “I also apologize for unable to attend the party for your return! I was needed by... an immediate call!”
“It’s alright! It was a quite sudden party anyway!” Princess Luna sighed before showed a little, almost unnoticed, melancholy.
“Now, may I asked why you have summoned me, princesses?”
The princesses walked to their balcony as the hunter followed them. The princesses gazed on a small town just below Canterlot “After your years of service, We like to give you vacation in that town, Ponyville!”
The hunter followed their gaze to the small town. It was clearly wasn’t as grand and artistic as Canterlot, but it clearly shared some appeals on its own. The appeal of peace and humility as it was big enough to be the symbol or maybe the capital city of Equestria, instead of Canterlot, but they had chosen for it to be just a small town. With a town like that, it was very unlikely that its resident wasn’t a snobby pretentious snob like in Canterlot.
“Ponyville was quite beautiful when the Sun Summer Celebration is close and I think it would be good for you to relax for a while!” Princess Celestia put one of her forelegs on the hunter’s shoulder, “You have gone through so much for the past couple years! I wish you could spend some time relaxing!”
“I am very honored by your concern, but...!” the hunter looked down to the ground as her eyes gazed to nowhere except her past, “I could not accept your gift!”
“And may we ask why?” Princess Luna asked.
“Vacation there, or anywhere for that matter, would be boring !” The hunter Exclaimed, “I need some excitement, some thrill in my life!”
Princess Luna giggled as she smiled at the hunter, “Then why don’t you watched the Everfree forest until the Sun Summer Celebration. Who knows what kind of beasts lurking there? I think even a hunter like you couldn’t handle them!” Princess Luna raised one of her brows as a sign for a challenge.
The hunter raised her head as she smiled, “Oh.... you are so on, princess!” The two princesses smiled in response! “Now, if you excuse me, princess, I think I have to prepare some equipment for this task!” She bowed down once again before she walked outside.
As soon as the hunter left the room, Princess Luna’s face grew dark yet again.
“Is she really is the only student of her order, Tia?” Luna looked at her sister with a hold tears.
“I understand how you feel, Luna!” Celestia used her wing to hold her sister closer, “But you should also understand that nothing could last forever! Not a pony, not an order, not even us!”
“I know! I just...” Luna couldn’t help but let some tear fell. “I just wish my only good legacy would at least stay for thousand years!”
Celestia used her hoof to wipe some of Luna’s tear as she held Luna closer! Celestia couldn’t help but join her sister’s sorrow.
"Angel! Please wait!" Fluttershy was flying through the Everfree forest. Even though the sun was still up, the Everfree forest still as scary as ever, making the poor pegasus shrieked every time the bushes made a sound. It didn't help that the trees' trunk formed some scary face and created an illusion that each tree was alive, making Fluttershy felt uneasy every time she flapped her wings."Angel! Where are you?"
It supposed to be a normal day. It was noon and Fluttershy was feeding the animals. "There...there... little angels! There is enough food for all of you, my angels!" Fluttershy put some carrots, corns, lettuces, and seeds for every kind animal that came to Fluttershy's care as she floated around watching her precious animal happily ate their food. "Is there anything else you need, my dear?" None of the animals seemed to make an objection as they kept eating their foods.
At least most of them, as a certain bunny kept refusing to eat its carrot. Fluttershy was shocked by its action and flew straight to the bunny. "What's wrong, Angel? Is there something wrong with your food, dear?"
The bunny just kicked its food with anger and run to the woods, the Everfree woods. "Angel! Wait! Don't-" Angel took a turn in the forest, making Fluttershy unable to see her pet,"-go there!"
The poor Pegasus was scared for her bunny and flew straight after angel without even a second thought. "Angel! Please wait!"
Now, Fluttershy regretted that she hadn't asked one of her friends to go with her. It would surely be safer, or it definitely would be less scary. The fog around her was also made things scarier. Not only that, but the fog limited her vision, making it harder to find Angel.
She could finally relieve all of her stress and worry when she saw a glimpse of small trembling white furry animal In the distance. "Angel! There you are! I am so worried!" Fluttershy flew as fast as she could to her bunny's side. She almost came crying because of happiness after she finally could hold her precious angel again.
The poor bunny had collapsed and her body felt dead cold almost lifeless. She kept stroking the poor bunny, trying to ease its fear. Slowly but surely, the poor bunny started to loosen up a bit, but it's still trembling terribly. It's sweet was dead cold and all of its furs were standing. Even though Angel was unconscious, its face was scared and restless. Fluttershy couldn't even begin to think about what her poor pet had seen in the Everfree forest.
You must be really scared, Fluttershy thought, I better take you home!
Fluttershy flew slowly and started to go back to her cottage. But, suddenly she heard a rustled bushes. Fluttershy stopped in her track, as her eyes filled with horror. The rustling started to become more frequent, making Fluttershy shrank in fear. The fog kept making her unable to see around, as the dreadful thing used it to its advantage.
Fluttershy crawled into a ball and shaking in fear. She used her wings hold her precious bunny and her hooves to hide her face. Her body almost became frozen solid as her cold sweat refused to stop.
"It must be nothing! It must be nothing!" Fluttershy kept mumbling to herself, like it some sort of mantra, hoping that it could ease her fear.
The rustling finally stopped. Slowly, Fluttershy opened her eyes and looked around. The fog had gone and the light could finally show her way. The forest had been returned to its natural state as if nothing had happened before.
Fluttershy was shaking as hard as her bunny had been once not long ago. Even when she looked around, she still feared for the life for her bunny and herself.
After awhile, she finally able to take off her breath as she had finally sure that she was safe.
She held her bunny tighter. "I think we are..."
"Dodge!!!"
Fluttershy crawled into a ball as fast as the word reached her ears.
Before she could close her eyes, she saw some pony jumped over her head. Then she heard a roar from a beast so loud, It was deafening Fluttershy's ears.
The sound of a battle kept Fluttershy from looking behind her as she could hear a clash between sharp object, a battle cry, a beast's roar and wind that sounds like the storm combined into one of the scariest things she had to listen for what felt like forever.
Fluttershy still couldn't move, or just too scared to moved until the sound of one final stab created a cry from the beast's last breath.Then no sound could be heard. As even Fluttershy knew that the beast has fallen.
Still shaking, Fluttershy looked behind her to see what happened. What she had she seen, made her gasped as a dead manticore was laid dead with its black blood still dripping from a stab right into its neck and a blade, that's responsible for the wound, still stuck in it. The manticore was also strange as this manticore had a violet fur instead of the usual orange, it's mane was white instead of red, its tail was black instead of brick orange and both of its horn was deep red. Even Fluttershy wasn't certain that the animal laid there was a manticore if not for its other noticeable physical features such as it's lion body, bat wings, and a scorpion tail.
"A rare breed of manticore! A matching prey for the legendary Everfree Forest!"
The pony who's responsible for this stood proudly on the corpse. Fluttershy couldn't believe that a young single mare, even with the help of unicorn's magic, could defeat such a gigantic beast, even for a manticore. But the wrinkled closed eyes of the Manticore showed that the poor beast hadn't died in peace.
"I suppose this won't do good for my vacation! But well, no one could say no to such a challenge!" The mysterious mare took out her sword with levitation magic. She wiped away the blood on her blade.
"Oh... sorry my lady! I forget to notice you there!" The mare finally noticed Fluttershy still gasped at the mysterious unicorn.
In a way, she was really kinda different than any pony she has met before. Her build was strong and well-built, even among earth pony, clearly, fit for a royal guard or maybe an athlete. Her coat was pale bluish white almost like the sky or the ocean. But her most distinctive feature was her mane. It was a natural gradient's color from the top with blackish blue to the below with sparkling violet. It was quite messy with only a yellow ribbon on the end of it, but Her mane almost looked like a beautiful night. She had a saddle with a blade sheath making her clearly the one responsible for the dead beast.
Her eyes... her eyes showed something Fluttershy had never seen before. It was the eyes of a beast and not a pony. They were as sharp as it could get and the bluish black the eyes gave almost looked normal! Almost!
"Are you and your bunny alright?" the pony's voice showed concern but also it made Fluttershy realized what just happened.
"Ah... A..."The word was stuck inside her throat and gasped, but the sight of the dead Manticore made the demon inside Fluttershy's eyes revealed itself. "How could you?" Fluttershy screamed.
The mystery mare was taken aback by the contrast of the pegasus's characters and the fire inside Fluttershy's stare.
"He was just a poor animal! How could you kill him? He has done nothing wrong!" Fluttershy flew to the manticore's side. Slowly, she stroked the poor beast. Fluttershy hoped that by doing this, at least, it would make the poor beast's rest more peaceful. "What could you say to yourself, you BIG MEANIE?"
The pegasus's anger and stare had made the unicorn almost lost her footing, but she quickly answers, "I didn't expect a gratitude! But lashing your anger to me, some random pony who just saved your lived, wasn't exactly polite, was it?"
This time, it was fluttershy who was taken aback. It was the first time she met some pony else who didn't show fear to Fluttershy's stare.
"Oh...sorry! Thank you for saving my life and my bunny!" She almost whispered, "Now, could you tell me why do you kill him?"
"Because 'he' was a gigantic beast that loved to eat you and 'he' was a worthy beast to hunt!" exclaimed the mysterious pony.
The answer almost made Fluttershy's blood boiled in anger. A worthy beast? he was just a poor animal that needed some food. Maybe she could help him to find another food or maybe she could ask him kindly to let her go or maybe she could ask him to come to her cottage. But at least she won't kill the poor beasts because he was worthy or because of any other reason.
Fluttershy flew straight to the unicorn and looked at her eye-to-eye. "You big meanie! How could you..."
"Oh...and I suggest you give your pet some anti-poison!" The unicorn walked away from Fluttershy.
Fluttershy looked at her pet and it was sweating and shaking like crazy. It was rolling around like it was crazy. "Oh no, Angel! Hold on, dear!" The pegasus held her poor animal and flew as fast as she could for some help for her pet.
When the unicorn could finally sure she was as far away as possible from the pegasus, she could finally fall down out of fear. That eye was one of the scariest things she had to face in her life and she had faced a hundred kinds of beasts. But, by Celestia, it was the most savage thing her instinct had felt. It was only through her experience as a hunter that she could keep her cool.
After a while, she took a breath and started to continue her journey. After all, Ponyville was close.
The hunter took a deep breath of relief as soon as she could see some buildings in the distance. She looked at her map one more time and happy to conclude that the buildings she was looking were part of Ponyville. She increased her pace in hope to be there faster.
After passing through some woods, Moonless could finally saw Ponyville with all of its glory. As she taught, the breeze air in this small town was far different from any town she had countered before. The simple breeze could send her hair flying in the wind. She walked around the town looking like a tourist as she was amazed by the gentle warmth by a place that had never faced a threat.
The town was as busy as a small town should be. A sunny day like this proved how competent the weather patrol was and A sunny day like this was the best weather for any pony to enjoy themselves.
The hunter walked slowly as a chance to sightseeing. She couldn't enjoy herself too much though because she should find the City Hall soon. The problem she had she kinda had no idea how to get there.
Something poked her interest, no not something, some pony. The pony only looked like something because from a far the pony hopped like a kangaroo. The pony was fully pink, with the mane's pink were a lot darker.
The pink pony passed her without even blinking an eye, in fact, she hopped around without exactly a destination or a care for the world. She just hopped because it's fun. She frowned slightly before shrugged it off and continued her walk.
But, almost suddenly the pink pony stopped and hopped backward. She stopped just after she passed and could see the new unicorn very closely.
The pink pony forcefully grabbed and shooktheir hooves "Oh, you must be new! Because I know every pony in Ponyville and I have never seen you before, so that means you are new and so that means you are friendless. That's why I am going to be your friend,... Hm..." The pony rubbed her chin with her hoof, "Oh, where's my manner? My name is Pinkie Pie and I will be your new friend, and you are? Let me guess, shroud, or, according to your cutie mark, something to do with a saber, or black night, or...."
Although the hunter frowned, she still showed a warm smile. "Moonless! It's Moonless Light!"
"Oh hello, Moonless! We are going to be the best friend ever, are you excited? I know I am excited!"- Pinkie took a deep breath -"We have to celebrate this with a welcoming party!" With that last word, she moved within a blink of an eye and disappeared as fast as she arrived.
Moonless frowned and shook her head before she continued her walk.
And She didn't even tell where the party is.
After sightseeing for a while, her walk stopped in front of what Moonless thought was a library inside a tree. It had some pink windows, balcony and even a big door. It even had a library sign in front of it. But still, it was a tree. Just one way to be sure then! Moonless before she pushed the door with her hooves.
Inside the building was a hollow room full of wall cabinets with rows of books inside of it. Many kinds of books from many kinds of ages with many kinds of subjects were stored with an out most care. Everything was sparkling to the point that Moonless was surprised that some pony could care so much about a library and books. There was a sun painting on the ceiling, perhaps a tribute to Princess Celestia or maybe just a really good decoration.
There was also a violet unicorn in the middle of the room and seemed to be oblivious to Moonless existence yet. She had a quite beautiful mane with it’s much darker purple with a single stripe pink. She was obviously not an atheletic type, similar to many unicorns she had known before. Her horn glowed a sparkling purple, as her quill danced around on the sheet of paper.
“Could you please wait a minute? I just need one finishing touch for this report for the princess!” A violet unicorn was sitting down and seemed to be writing something very interesting on a piece of paper. So interesting, Moonless doubted it was a report! “Why don’t you read something here while you wait? It will probably help your boredom.”
Moonless chose to raise her shoulder and walked around to find an interesting book.
A few astronomy’s book, some legend, A lot of spell’s tome, and ah.... A book about the legendary beast! Finally, something interesting I could read! Moonless lighted her horn, with a simple move, the book had been glowing and levitating in front of Moonless. “The beast’s anatomy and psychology for dummies! New edition!” Moonless shrugged the bad and insulting title off as she started to read the book.
After a few hours of flipping the book, moonless was bored out of her mind. She had defeated or seen most of the beast in the book and the one she had never seen before looked boring and hardly a worthy prey to hunt. At least until she came to a specific beast.
A picture of a beast that kinda looked like an alicorn at first glance as it was tall and had a pair of wings and a horn, but the beast actually showed to be sharing some bug’s anatomy. It had a dark cerulean mane with a deep gray coat. Its leg was full of hole and it had a blueish chitlin and an insect-like wing. It had a black crown, perhaps indicating that it was the queen of the beast. But what’s interesting was it’s combined blue and green eyes. It was filled with life, with an idea, with something Moonless had never seen before in a beast eyes.
“Changelings? Never heard of you before, but you look really...”
“Ah... finally done!” The sound of a mare distracted Moonless from her reading. She turned around and realized that the librarian had finished her ‘report’.
“Oh... what can I helped you with, Miss...?” The unicorn stopped for a moment. She raised her eyebrow as she looked closely to Moonless! “I am sorry,” She giggled, “I haven’t caught your name, yet!” Her face became a little red out of embarrassment. She brushed her hair to behind her ear.
Moonless giggled a little as she, “The name is Moonless Light!” She raised her hoof, asking for a shake.
“Glad to meet you, Moonless! My name is Twilight Sparkle!” She shook Moonless’s hoof as she showed a polite smile.“Now, How may I help you, Miss Light? I am sure this library will have whatever information you are looking for!!!” Twilight frowned a little when she realized that Moonless had been carrying a sword. Maybe she was a part of the royal guard?
The book moved back to its rightful place as the light around Moonless’s horn disappear and Twilight get her full attention.“Yes, I am supposed to meet the mayor an hour ago!” She scratched her back neck, “And I think I am lost!”
Twilight Laughed a little as she looked her embarrassed interlocutor. "How about I helped you find your way? I also happened to have some errand near the town hall!" Twilight opened the door for her guest as a polite offer.
"Sure, Ms. Sparkle! I would love to!" Moonless smiled as she walked passed the door.
“Spike!!! Spike!!! You awake?” As soon as he was called, a purple baby dragon came down from the stair. He was still in the middle of yawning as he was still trying to cover his mouth with one of his hand and the other to help him stretching his back.
“Barely...” His eyes barely opened and he still had a hard time to see things. “What is it, Twilight?” Spike scratched his eye. trying to keep it from shutting down. Twilight couldn’t help, but, to grin at her brother. He must have stayed up too long, probably, reading his comic last night.
“I am going to visit Carousel Boutique, wanna join me?” Twilight winked her baby dragon with a suggestive smile. “I think Rarity said that she would need a lot of help in this time in the year!”
“Really?” All form of tiredness left Spike. His eyes grew larger filled with pink heart. He moved faster than Twilight could see and she already had sat on Twilight’s back before Twilight realized. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go!” Spike held Twilight around her neck. ‘safety is everything’ after all.
Twilight rolled her eyes as she smiled walking outside as she was greeted by Moonles, looking at an information board near the library. It was over stuffed with many ponies missing signs. Twilight’s grin turned upside down. Vinyl, Octavia, Lyra, Bon Bon, and a few dozen others had been missing for a few days now and every pony was worried. It was as if they had vanished without anyone’s attention and any pieces of evidence at all or as if they had been swallowed by the very air itself. The only thing Twilight could be thankful for was that none of her best friends had been taken, yet she feared.
“Twilight! Who is that?” Spike raised and pointed at Moonless. “Oh... That!” Twilight moved closer to the new pony. “Spike! let me introduce you to Moonless Light!”
Twilight focused eye turned when she heared Twilight. “Oh... hey Ms. Sparkle! I was just....” Moonless eyes widen mid-sentence as soon as she saw Twilight. Twilight turned confused for a second before Moonless tackled Twilight and Spike. They rolled around for a while before Twilight was thrown away to a nearby wall.
“What the...?” Twilight shook her head as she put one of her hoofs to eased her headache. She looked around to find Moonless and Spike until she suddenly froze.
Moonless was pinning Spike with her hoof. Her sword enveloped with the same light as her horn and it was aimed directly at Spike’s head. Moonless eyes shot sharped to Spike filled with bloodlust.
“Twilight! Help me!”
Twilight was speechless when Moonless rose her sword.
“Spike!!!!!”
