Luna’s beautiful night sky danced across all of Equestria, stars burning such as bright candles whose flames would never snuff out. The world was protected in a blanket of The Night Mother, her gift to the world should bring happiness and joy. Yet deep within the abyss some would use the night for heinous acts, to perform dirty deeds or sate perverted needs.
This was one such night, a calm pale blue night sky hung overhead while the moon itself was hidden by hazy grey clouds. A cold chill ran across the empty meadows below, the tall free growing grass damp with the moisture of an oncoming day. Ponies should be asleep in the countryside, yet within the cities they would dance and prance till the break of dawn.
The greed of the city sapping away the kindness from ponykind, not a tear would be shed when the end came. They knew not of shame or morals, in the cities of Equestria it was do or die and all did what was needed to survive.
High above the brightly lit cities that never slept, miles out into the country where tears could not be seen or crying could not be heard. A pegasus mare sat on a soft but dissipating cloud, the edges of her seat floating off into the sky above. Vanishing into nothingness much like ponies in a way, soon all would be dust and simply dance into the world around, becoming one with that which created them.
Those thoughts calmed the mare who sat in silence, her body nothing but a shade that was slender and hollow. Her features nothing but darkness, pray for a pair of bright pink eyes that shone like diamonds. Piercing the world around her as she wept aloud in the night, heart full of sorrow and soul cracking with dread.
Her sobbing falling upon deaf pony ears, a cascade of crystalline waterfalls flowing down each cheek. Her quivering hoof wiping away her fears, the thoughts of unity filling her with some hope.
It was then she could hear it from within the eternal night, cooing loudly in a soft melodic giggle as a tender small frame wiggled in place upon the cloud. It was a small bundle of joy to many in the world, yet to her it was a vice that clutched her to the limit, squeezing and sucking away all of the joy within her life.
Brought to life by a faded flame, a swift and vanishing night of lust that haunted her for week after week. His wandering eyes and slithering soul oozing out of her life, much like the foul bile from an open wound. One she would cauterise tonight and seal back the pain, to allow her heart to heal as she would move on in her life.
Leaving the mistakes of the past alone and fade into the world, another faceless pony among the crowds. That would be fine with her, no prying eyes in her business as she lived an existence that none would envy. A nopony with nothing on her horizons, until that one day that would rise in the future, offering her hope and a new beginning.
The young filly was yawning now in a soft innocent tone, her bright sparkling eyes coming to a slow close as she felt the cloud drift her off to sleep. The cool crisp air being taken in by her small lungs, her tiny wings fluttering ever so slightly as she was taken away into her dreamworld.
Her body was so delicate and frail, a tiny bundle of mane and coat that had just her mother to protect her from the harsh reality of the world. All her dreams were connected to the mare that sat beside her, a tender seed of hope in a dark garden of shadows.
The mare could feel the integrity of the cloud she was perched upon dwindle, it soon would waft off into the heavens and leave no trace of its existence behind. Let alone be able to hold a grown mare and her child in the sky, she had to act quickly if she were to be free.
Looking over the silently sleeping child, she would caress her hoof through her bouncy blonde mane as a sweet giggle would echo into the night. A smile forming on the muzzle of her baby, the filly knowing her mother was near.
“Luna please keep my child in your eternal dream, allow her happiness and joy while taking away all fear.” The mare slowly leaned inward, planting a tender kiss upon the child’s forehead.
Her hooves quivered in fear, mind racing with thoughts of a new start. She had given so much and was rewarded so little, it was her time to live and be happy in a world so cruel. Her hooves scooped under the child, lifting her up so gently like a butterfly upon the wind.
Eyes would burn wildly as she fought back tears, closing those pale pink hues tightly she thought of all the good times ahead. A simple nudge of the hoof was given, the weight of the world lifting away from her chest.
Gazing down to the empty spot upon her cloud, she could only smile within the darkness that filled her night and her heart. The slow burn of freedom was washing over her frame, the chains that bound her broken.
She was once more alone in life, she was given a new lease.
Dee Dee knew it was going to be one of those mornings, after such a elegant night brought forth by The Night Mother all that could follow would be a cursed morning. She knew Celestia was bad luck, it was a reminder of all she had done wrong in her life. It was her penance that she happily paid, much to the annoyance of this tiny filly.
“Diamond Dancer” as many would call her, was a servant of the Night Court who had given their lives to serve Luna and all her glory. Most of the time the small filly was given simple minded tasks, those that the princess thought was easy for a child.
But on days like this, when her blackness summoned her to duty on such a bright sunny day. She knew deep in her belly, that something horrible had gone down in Equestria. She was used to sleeping through hot summer hours, to awaken in the crisp gentle breeze of the night.
Besides she could barely make out anything as she flew high above the countryside, her pale crystal blue eyes squinted from a lack of sleep. That wretched sun burning her corneas more than anything, her silver coat a dull sight on such a overly chipper day.
The filly let her icy blue mane flow back against the sudden breeze of relief, simply vanishing into a large group of clouds. The cool kisses from them granting a well needed cooldown to the child, her paradise cut short as she poofed out the opposite side just as quickly as she entered.
With a soft snort out from her black splotched muzzle, she watched the world below for a sign of trouble. One that would’ve been annoying enough to cause her to lose sleep, her ears sloping back cutely as a large group of Solar Guards were in a open field.
Not nearly as nice as The Lunar Guard, they sat on their haunches and shooed away anypony rudely who wanted to come close to the site they had quarantined. The filly taking a soft breath just wanted to end this quick, so instead of simply landing she just went limp in the sky plummeting below with a loud dull…
“THUD!” The guards gave a odd look to the nearby bush that had been decimated by the small child, yet instead of a bloody pulp of coat and mane, Dee shook her coat off effortlessly and pranced forward.
For those not in the know, Diamond Dancer was not just a normal orphan filly taken in as a token by a princess. Neigh she was an enigma wrapped in a mystery, a small filly that somehow had gained the ability to take a beating.
A crystal pony pegasus who by all means did not look the part, her coat was silver and as normal as any other coat. But beyond the surface she was given the strength of many Crystal ponies, a odd ability of not taking damage as she should.
She could easily be tossed in front of a speeding train and get up afterwards, though such a action would still hurt like a mother bucker. Though through the years she had slowly began to grow numb to all kinds of pain, her life had taken so many twists that it almost broke her completely.
But that was a story for another day.
“Well, if it isn’t mumble mouth!” The Captain of the watch spoke in a snickering tone, bringing light to the fact she had lost all feeling in her muzzle from a old disease in her past.
Which had caused her to lose feeling in her tongue, again another story.
“Hmmm, if it isn’t a hoise’s ass.” She gave a roll of the eye as a guard in the back hid a chuckle, the captain casting a death glare in return to his soldier.
“Grrr, I don’t think Luna should send a child to such a crime scene.” The stallion sighed in defeat, motioning the child to follow him away from the crowd as he lead her deeper into a open field.
“Soyvent of darkness.” Dee spoke her voice a bit annoyed.
“Hmmm?”
“I don’t call you’se a Rent-da-cop? So don’t be callin me a kid.” She spoke up in a louder more confident tone, the stallion flashing a sly smirk and pointing ahead to him.
“Sorry your soyvent-ness! Go ahead and check it out.” He gave a loud snort in reply, his hoof pushing the child ahead of him roughly.
“Old bastid.” She tried to nip at his hoof while he quickly pulled away, the small silver filly slowly edging up on what the ruckus was about today.
Then she saw it come into view, the beaten and bloody body of a baby foal. Her blonde mane covered in dry blood, stained with dirt and mud of a cold night suffering in the dark. Her hooves crushed in from the impact of the fall, her tender body starting to bloat as the sunshine above baked her in the heat. It were these days she was thankful that she could not smell or taste, swallowing a lump in her throat she fought back tears burning her eyes.
“A “Nudge” it looks like, third one this month.” The stallion walked up from behind, his lips pursed in a stern expression.
“Dat derm is derogatory.” She shook her head softly in place.
“Maybe so, but these parents don’t give a flying buck. Why should we?”
“Buck da living! Don’t insult da dead.” Dee shook off the sadness cracking her heart, looking over the child with interest as she made sure to not miss any details.
She hated that term “Nudge” as she too was one herself, though probably the only one in Equestria still kicking afterwards. A term given for children who had pegasus parents not ready for responsibility, they would fly a child high into the sky at night and perform a dastardly deed.
A simple nudge of the hoof, would plummet them out of the world.
Freeing the passing lovers from any shame or burden.
Crystal colored hues soaked in the grisly scene carefully as to not miss a clue from the deceased, if one simply allowed their mind to open to the impossible or fantastical they could be very well surprised at what they’d find.
Her coat was damp with moisture in this dry weather as various debris clumped onto her brutalized frame, that alone meant that the clouds were dissipating as they headed off towards the city to the east. The city's smog and neon lifestyle destroying the beauty of nature, preventing any true clouds from forming high above.
That would suggest the mare in question picking a vanishing cloud was in quite a hurry, she didn’t choose a stable foundation to murder her offspring. It chose her, she found the first to come into view and set up shop.
The child had a strand of pink fiber among her bright blonde mane, the strand was weak and frail much like the child herself. Which meant it was part of a larger ensemble not quite a toy such as a plushie, neigh it was too fine if anything it would be a blanket of some sort.
Diamond Dancer kneeled in respect to the corpse in question as eyes scanned over every inch of coat and hooves, suddenly spotting a odd green goop that was caked under her small delicate hooves. A goop she knew too well from her time living on the streets, it was called pony cakes among the desperate a sweet slang for a disgusting act.
“Well? Let me guess you are stumped mumbles?” The large captain stomped his lard filled haunches over mockingly, eyes burning in the back of the child’s head angrily.
“No. Just shocked you’se so slow, on pickin up clues.”
“Horse shit!” He snapped back in reply, his voice booming out loudly.
“Her coat is damp, yet you’se ponies are setting up dorwards da country.”
“Well we are in the country!”
“Barely. I’d say she was atop a drifter cloud one dat was vanishing and wet, most likely our mare is in the city of Manehattan.”
“...”
“Also she has a faint pink fiber on her mane, get a guard to sweep da area for a few miles. Dell em do look for a blanket of some kind.”
“Grrr, anything else?!” The stallion bit down hard on his lower lip, his frame locking up suggesting he was about to explode in anger.
“Check her hooves, she has Pony Cake under them.” Dee flaunted a hoof softly as she gently slid the lids of the foal before her closed.
The large stallion kneeling down to check her out himself, touching the green goop firmly and lifting it to his nose. Taking in a deep inhale as he pulled back in disgust, nose scrunching up in shock and awe at the rancid scent.
“Whoo! No cake I ever smelled…”
“Pony Cake is Hoise Shit. When da bums can’t find a potty, dey plop a dump in da puddles around da slums.” Dee held back a smirk as the stallion cast a death glare her way, the small child extending her wings.
“Where are you going?” The Captain gave a snarl, the young filly slowly turning her head to face him blankly.
“Manehattan. I’ll start looking for our mystery mare near da slums, you’se keep me in da know if anything comes up.” The filly shot up high into the sky, leaving behind a soft gust of flowers and grass.
She had to find out why any mother would do such a crime, it was her job to speak for the dead. It was her curse to find the guilty, before the guilty found another victim.
