Delusions of Grandeur

by Aerodragon2

Rating: teen
Tags: Thriller, Violence, Slice of Life, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark
Length: 6178

What was supposed to be a simple visit to Cygnus' home turns into a brutal battle against a powerful foe.

It has been nearly a month since that memorable night at The Grand Galloping Gala, and Gale Twister and Cygnus have grown closer than ever. When Cygnus begins to feel homesick, Gale offers to accompany her to her village. A chance to reconnect with old friends, and to show Gale more about her culture; how could Cygnus refuse?

However, a powerful foe lurks in the shadows, threatening to turn this trip into a waking nightmare. With the safety of her home and people on the line, will Cygnus be able to fulfill her role as a guardian of the Sacred Moon Grove?

Gale Twister and Cygnus both belong to me, Cygnus was designed by Spokenmind93

Published 2019-03-25 00:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2019-03-29 18:55:07 UTC

Starshine Village

It was another peaceful day in Ponyville. Gale Twister decided he wanted to hang out with Cygnus and at her request he started to help out at her incense shop. Ever since the two got together, Cygnus’ shop had gotten quite a bit more business. She also made new friends with many of Gale’s coworkers, who would occasionally come by the shop. She was so much happier these days thanks to Gale, and that made Gale happy too.

“I really appreciate your help Gale,” said Cygnus as she gift-wrapped a customer’s order.

“It’s no big deal really. I always enjoy helping out those close to me,” Gale replied. “I have to thank you for actually selling the incense I’ve made.”

“Well, you certainly have room for improvement. But what you have made so far is very nice.”

They continued their work at the shop until nightfall. While Gale was helping to clean up Cygnus’ gaze fell on a portrait she kept on the front counter. It showed her and a few other zebras in what appeared to be another village. Looking at it seemed to dampen her mood a bit. Gale looked over and immediately took notice of her expression.

“What’s that?” Gale asked as he went to Cygnus’ side.

“It’s… a picture of my village. I had it taken before leaving.”

“You ever get homesick?” Gale asked softly.

“Now and then I do,” Cygnus was able to crack a small smile. “But I do really like it here, especially after I met you.”

Gale scratched his hair, lost in thought. “Hey Cygnus, why don’t you show me your village?”

Cygnus seemed a little surprised. “Gale, are you sure? You know nothing of my village, its inhabitants, or our customs.”

“I want to learn more about you Cygnus. You already know just about everything about my home, so I want to learn about yours. Plus, I think it’ll be nice for you to visit your fellow villagers, let them know you’re doing okay.”

“I suppose,” Cygnus gazed back to the portrait. “Very well Gale, we shall depart for my village tomorrow morning.”

“Great!” Gale said with a small jump. “I’ll meet you at the train station tomorrow. Good night Cygnus.” He kissed Cygnus on the cheek before leaving the shop.

“Good night Gale.” Cygnus looked at the portrait again. “It will be nice to see everyone again,” she said with a smile. Cygnus locked the door and went up to her loft to get some sleep.

The next morning, Cygnus arrived at the Ponyville Train Station. Gale was already there, saddlebags packed with a few necessities he’d need for the trip. Once their train arrived they boarded and it set off. The ride itself however, was rather quiet. Cygnus spent a majority of the time simply staring out the window at the moving landscape, lost in thought. Gale thought it was best not to disturb her. If she wasn’t up to talk then that was okay. Eventually, the train reached the end of the line and Gale and Cygnus had to disembark. They could see a lush forest in the distance.

“So, is this the place?” Gale asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes,” Cygnus nodded. “The forest over there is where my village is.”

“So we’re hiking over there, lovely,” Gale said with a mild hint of sarcasm.

“Not much for walking?” Cygnus smirked.

“I kind of prefer flying. Oh well, let’s get moving.”

Gale and Cygnus began their trek towards the forest, once they arrived Gale was astounded at all the flora that was present. Flowers of many colors and scents as well as trees of varying heights with an utter rainbow of leaves throughout.

“It’s just like you said Cygnus,” Gale said in awe. “It’s incredible!”

“Yes, as a child I loved to see all these beautiful plants and flowers. I know this forest like the back of my hoof,”

They continued their hike but along the way Gale thought he heard a twig snap. His ears perked up and he turned his head to the treeline.

“Gale, is something wrong?”

“I feel like we’re being watched,”

“But we’re still a fair way from my village, I don’t think any of the villagers would hike out this far to greet us,”

“Maybe I’m just paranoid,” Gale said as they resumed the hike.

Unbeknownst to either of them they were being watched. The figure out of sight had an evil smile on his face. “So, Cygnus has returned? Excellent.”

After some time hiking Cygnus’ village was finally in sight.

“There it is,” Cygnus said with a prideful smile “My home, Starshine Village.”

Gale was amazed at what he saw. The village was tucked away in a remote part of the forest, the buildings he saw were varying shades of black and dark blue with many white spots throughout. It gave the illusion that it was nighttime despite the sun still shining.

“This is amazing Cygnus.”

“Come Gale, there’s someone I’d like you to meet,” Cygnus led Gale through the village. It was populated by many zebras of all shapes and sizes, though none that he saw had Cygnus’ unique color scheme. Cygnus led Gale to a rather large building. Inside was a fairly large male Zebra with a color scheme nearly identical to Cygnus’; however, his mane was shades of light blue instead of pink and the blue on his coat was darker. “Gale, I’d like you to meet Perseus. He’s the current guardian of the Sacred Moon Grove.”

Gale extended a hoof. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, I’m Gale Twister.”

Perseus accepted his hoofshake. “The pleasure is mine. So Cygnus, why have you returned to the village?” Perseus wondered

“Well, I’ll admit I have felt a bit homesick as of late. And Gale wanted to see the village despite being an outsider.”

“Well, you know you always have a place here Cygnus,” said a new voice that entered the room. Gale and Cygnus turned to meet it and were faced with a much older zebra than the ones they had seen thus far.

“It’s so nice to see you again Virgo. Gale, this is our village elder Virgo. Virgo, this is Gale Twister.”

Gale and Virgo shook hooves.

“I still remember the day Cygnus left, three years ago. She was so distraught after losing the last of her family. However, Cygnus you seem so much happier now.”

Cygnus went up to Gale’s side. “That’s because I met Gale. He brought the light I was missing back into my life,” Cygnus punctuated that with a kiss to Gale’s cheek that Gale promptly blushed at.

“I’m sure the rest of the village would be glad to hear about this, why don’t you go see them?” Virgo suggested.

Gale and Cygnus spent the rest of the day conversing with the rest of the villagers. They were very happy to see their old friend return for a visit and were even happier to see she was in higher spirits than when she departed. Once nighttime came and the full moon was in the sky, Cygnus decided to take Gale to see the Sacred Moon Grove. When they arrived, Gale was at a loss for words. The grove was beautifully decorated with colorful flowers all around. At the center was a patch of dark blue flowers that glowed brightly in the moonlight. Calling it gorgeous would be an understatement.

“This is the Sacred Moon Grove,” Cygnus explained. “The flowers you see glowing are the Lunar Flowers from my story. This grove has always protected us and given us good fortune.”

“That’s incredible,” Gale said once he managed to pick his jaw up

“Yes, but that power has brought its fair share of trouble. Because there are those who wish to harness the power of the grove for themselves. That is why those like Perseus and myself must assume the role of guardian. We must protect the power of the grove from falling into the wrong hooves.”

“Sounds like the grove’s power is really something.”

“Yes, legends say it can grant the powers of the moon and stars, making one even more powerful than Princess Luna. Fortunately, every threat ever posed to the grove over the many generations has failed.”

“So what kind of powers does a guardian have?”

“We as guardians can tap into a very small portion of the grove’s power. It isn’t much but it allows us to increase our physical abilities as well as conjure illusions to ward off intruders.”

Gale stood there amazed at everything that was going down. But suddenly he felt a disturbance in the wind, indicating that a body was moving. “There it is again.”

Cygnus decided to showcase one of her powers. She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them they were completely white. She looked around with the concentrated moonlight provided by her eyes. Once she failed to find anything of note she blinked and her eyes returned to normal. “I can assure you it’s just you and me here Gale.”

“I guess I’m just tired,” Gale rubbed the back of his head.

“Let’s return to the village then. We can find you accomodations to sleep in.”

After Cygnus and Gale left, a dark figure approached the patch of Lunar Flowers. It stealthily took one flower and departed. It then went deep into the forest to a cave far away from any prying eyes. Inside the cave was glowing moss that provided light, illuminating his black and dark blue striped body. “Yes, another Lunar Flower. Those fools have no idea what they’re in for. I have been preparing for three long years and very soon I’ll be able to make my move.”

The next morning Gale woke up in Cygnus’ home on a spare bed.

“How did you sleep Gale?” Cygnus asked with a warm smile

“Well, it’s not quite as soft as a bed made of cloud but I liked it,” Gale replied with his own smille

“Why don’t I show you around the village. I’m sure there’s plenty that you’ll find intriguing.” With that, Cygnus led Gale around to meet the other villagers. After a while, one of them came up to greet Cygnus.

“Cygnus, it’s so nice to see you again,” the new face said. It appeared to be an adolescent zebra mare with a braid in her mane.

“Yes Libra, it’s very nice to be home for a visit. Gale, I’d like you to meet my friend Libra.”

“Hey Gale, how would you like to participate in a little game I like?” Libra asked with a smile.

“I’m game to try something new. What is it?” Gale responded with enthusiasm.

“Come over here.” Libra led Gale and Cygnus to her home and showed them an old-fashioned scale set up on a table with a variety of other objects beside it. Ranging from berries, to small rocks to leaves and flowers. “This is a game I call ‘Perfectly Balanced.’ The idea is simple: you have to pick quantities of two different objects and try to get them to balance perfectly on this scale.”

“That sounds interesting,” Gale nodded. “Alright, let’s give it a whirl.” Gale stepped up to the table and decided he’d try to even out the berries and small rocks. He laid out 5 of the rocks on one end of the scale and then started adding the berries to the other end. He had the utmost concentration when he got past 5 berries and delicately added the following berries to keep on eye on the scale’s movement. Once he added the ninth berry, he stopped and the scale was perfectly balanced.

“Impressive, Gale. Not many can get this right on their first try. It took Cygnus here weeks to learn this,” Libra said with a small chuckle.

“Yes, I would always underestimate how much weight something small has,” Cygnus said with a blush.

“That’s one reason I love this game, it shows that everything, no matter how small, has a little weight.”

“Was that supposed to be a metaphor I should take to heart?” Gale asked with a raised eyebrow.

“No, it’s just something I say because I think it sounds smart.” Libra’s comment caused all three of them to burst out laughing.

After a long laugh Gale and Cygnus decided to see what else they could see. Cygnus took a sniff of the air and picked up an alluring scent. “Mmm, Gale do you smell that?”

Gale took a sniff of the air. “I do, but I don’t exactly know what I’m smelling.”

They took a look around to find the source of the scent and they found a male zebra cooking something in a large pot outside.

“What are you cooking today Pisces?” Cygnus asked as she and Gale walked up to the cook

“Today I’m trying out some new herbs for couscous and serving them up with fried plantains,” Pisces replied while continuing his work.

Gale took a look at the plantains, being completely unfamiliar with them. “Those look like really big bananas to me. Do you just call bananas plantains?” Gale asked with a bit of confusion.

“No Gale, plantains are a different fruit entirely,” Cygnus answered. “They’re quite delicious when cooked,”

“Stick around, I’ll have this ready in a bit,” Pisces returned his focus to the pot. Gale and Cygnus sat down on a nearby rock while they waited for him to finish. Once he was done, he came up to them with two bowls filled with a grainy food with pieces of the fried plantain in them. “Well, don’t just stare at it, dig in!”

Cygnus had no hesitation as she started to eat the meal Pisces had made. Gale however, looked at it with a slight grimace. He took an experimental sniff before taking a small bite. He opened his eyes in surprise. “Oh wow, this is amazing!” Gale then started to chow down as if the food would jump from the bowl.

“It does me good to see others enjoying my food,” Pisces said with a proud grin.

After that delicious meal, Gale and Cygnus continued on their way. Eventually, they noticed a crowd near the center of the village.

“What’s going on there?” Gale asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I have a pretty good idea,” Cygnus said with a knowing grin. She then led Gale over to the crowd, circling around to find a good view. Two male zebras were currently wrestling, one of which was wearing a belt. Cygnus seemed to enjoy the show but Gale was a bit skeptical about the ordeal.

“Why are they fighting like that?”

“It’s nothing to worry about. That zebra with the belt is Ares. He has a reputation of being quite the skilled fighter. Many have tried to best him and claim that belt he wears…” As she was saying that, the belt-wearing zebra slammed his opponent down into the ground, winning the fight. “But as you can see, beating him is not so simple,”

Ares then helped his opponent up. “That was a great battle Leo,”

The other zebra, apparently named Leo, shook the dirt off his coat as he faced Ares with a smile. “Just you wait champ, one of these days I’ll win.”

“Just keep working on refining your technique,”

Gale was impressed by the level of sportsmanship. “Man, your village is really something,” he said to Cygnus.

“Thank you. It’s nice to be able to visit; especially since you’re here to see it too.” Cygnus put her hoof on Gale’s as they smiled at one another.

Just outside the village though, the dark figure from the previous night was hiding. He took out a satchel filled with a dark powder. He emptied the satchel into his hoof and blew it into the wind towards the crowd of zebras. It was tiny, dark and could very easily be mistaken for pollen. However, the change in the wind was not missed by Gale. He looked towards where felt that disturbance and could faintly make out a figure in the underbrush.

“Hey you there!” Gale charged after the figure.

“Gale, where are you going?” Cygnus asked in confusion as she got up and followed him.

Gale chased the figure a fair way into the forest and it eventually stopped. Gale stopped once he had caught up. He didn’t know what to make of what he was seeing. Many of the zebras in the village had black and white stripes, but this one had black and dark blue. The figure simply uttered a small laugh and took out a small jar filled with dark smoke. It uncorked the jar and the smoke billowed out. Once it had cleared, the figure was gone.

“Who was that?” Gale asked himself.

Cygnus had finally managed to catch up. “Gale, why did you run off like that?”

“I saw something Cygnus, this time I’m sure of it,” Gale said with a fierce expression. “I don’t know what it was though. It looked like a zebra, except it had a body with black and dark blue stripes.

Gale’s description made Cygnus gasp. “A black zebra...” Cygnus immediately ran back to the village at an astounding pace.

“Cygnus, wait!” Gale ran back to the village in pursuit.

Cygnus ran very quickly towards Virgo’s home. “Virgo, I have distressing news.”

Not long after that, Gale made it back, gasping for breath. “Oh boy *pant* Cygnus, you run fast *pant*”

Cygnus ignored him. “Gale said he saw something. It was a black zebra.”

Now it was Virgo’s turn to gasp. “You don’t think it could have been…”

“There is little doubt in my mind.”

Gale only got more confused. “Hold on, who are you talking about?”

Virgo looked at Gale with an uncertain expression but Cygnus stepped forward. “It’s okay Virgo, he can be trusted.”

Virgo nodded “Very well. Gale, we shall tell you about the black zebra you saw: Orion.”

Author's Note

This came about from a spontaneous idea to do more stories with Cygnus. Once again Shadowbolt96 was a tremendous help here. Get stocked for the next chapter which will be coming soon. (hopefully)

Dark Side of the Moon

Virgo led Gale and Cygnus to her house. They were seated around a table while Virgo prepared tea for them. As she began her story her expression seemed gloomy. “That zebra you saw used to live here with us. His name is Orion. For a long time he was a respected member of our village. But then… something happened.”

3 Years Ago

Cygnus was alone in her empty home, weeping on her bed while holding the crown ornament she had received from her dying mother; the only thing she had to remember her by. She had just lost her great grandniece, the last of her family, and was utterly devastated by it. Virgo looked inside and was distraught seeing her friend in this state. She quietly left for the village square.

“The poor dear is certainly taking it hard,” She told the other villagers. “Not that I can blame her. Being a guardian naturally forces you to outlive your family; it’s never easy. She told me last night after her niece passed that she has decided to leave the village tomorrow to start a new life. And so, we must decide who shall take her place as guardian of the Sacred Moon Grove.”

Most of the zebras present quietly looked to one another, looking distraught as they felt Cygnus’ pain with her. However, one bold male zebra stepped forward.

“I’ve told you time and again Virgo, I should be the one to become guardian! I know more about the grove’s power than anyone here.”

Virgo’s face turned stern. “We have been through this Orion, it isn’t your capabilities I question, but rather your intentions. Your ideas of how to protect the grove go completely against the established traditions.”

“I don’t care about tradition, I just want to keep the grove and the village safe, same as anyone!”

“No you don’t! Your idea is to use violence and fear as a shield. Instead of simply driving away potential threats you wish to bring them actual harm. That’s the kind of darkness I don’t want anywhere near the grove.”

Orion’s rage started to grow but before he could fire off a retaliation Perseus stepped up.

“I’ll assume the responsibility, elder,” he said with no hesitation.

“Perseus, are you sure?” Virgo asked worryingly. “Being a guardian will mean you will eventually have to deal with the same pain and loss that Cygnus feels.”

“I am aware of that, and I am ready to accept that burden. This village is my home and I wish to protect it and see it prosper for generations to come.”

“Well put, Perseus. Very well,” Virgo nodded.

“Are you serious?! He barely knows anything about what the Sacred Moon Grove even does. What does he have that I lack?” Orion asked angrily.

“He has a pure heart. Your heart is clouded by the darkness of your delusions of grandeur. You desire power for the sake of having it. Perseus doesn’t care about the power that comes with being a guardian. Rather, he only wants the power so he can protect us.”

“I’ll show you. I’ll show everyone!” Orion bolted in the direction of the Sacred Moon Grove.

“Orion, you mustn’t!” Virgo reached out.

“I’ll stop him,” Perseus said to Virgo before running after him.

It wasn’t long before Orion had made it to the Sacred Moon Grove and was standing in front of the Lunar Flowers. “If they won’t give me the power, I shall take it instead!”

Perseus then arrived at the scene. “Orion! Stop you fool!”

“If the flowers can give their power to a mere child like Cygnus then I should have no issue attaining the powers of a guardian. I’ll make sure that all threats to the grove and the village get exactly what they deserve.” While he was turned away from the Lunar Flowers, he didn’t notice that their glow had turned black. Suddenly, a dark aura came off of them and enveloped Orion.

“Orion!” Perseus tried to save him but the aura knocked him back.

While this was happening, Cygnus suddenly felt cold as she clutched at her chest. She could feel something stirring in her heart. Her ears stood erect as a shrill whistle flew through the wind, which sounded like a wail of pain. “This feeling is…” She looked in the direction of the grove. “I understand what I must do.” She ran towards the Sacred Moon Grove, surprising Virgo and everyone else as she passed by them. Once she arrived at the scene Perseus was shocked to see her.

“Cygnus? What are you doing here?”

“My duty as guardian.” She held out her hoof and closed her eyes. The blue portions of her body glowed a brighter blue and a white light emanated from her hoof, dispelling the aura from Orion. However, his body was no longer the white and gray of a normal zebra, rather black and dark blue. Just after this happened, Virgo and the other villagers arrived at the grove to see the aftermath.

Orion looked down at himself and was shocked. “What has happened to me?”

Virgo stepped forward. “It would appear that the grove has given you a fitting appearance to match the darkness in your heart. It is clear now you are not fit to be a guardian, or a part of this village anymore.” Virgo pointed to the forest. “Orion, you are hereby exiled from Starshine Village. You shall never be welcome here again.”

Orion gave them an angry glare before going off into the forest. Once he left, Virgo turned to Perseus. “All right then Perseus, are you ready to accept the power of the Sacred Moon Grove? Are you ready to become a guardian?”

“I am, elder.” Perseus turned to Cygnus. “Cygnus, I hope you will live a happy life, wherever it may lead you. Just know that I will do everything in my power to protect the grove, the village and everyone here as you have throughout the years.”

Cygnus gave him a proud smile. “Thank you Perseus, I know you’ll make for an excellent guardian.”

“All right then, let us begin.” Virgo began. “Perseus, step towards the Lunar Flowers. If your heart is indeed pure and your intentions just, you shall accept their power, and become a guardian.”

“I am ready to accept the power and responsibility that comes with it.” Perseus stepped towards the Lunar Flowers and they let loose a warm light that enveloped him. After a moment, he stepped out of the light and showed all the villagers his new body. “So this is what it feels like,” he said as he looked over himself. “I know that I cannot turn back on this, so I shall uphold the responsibilities of being a guardian with pride and honor!”

The villagers all cheered for their new guardian as Cygnus stood there with a smile. Although on the inside she was masking multiple emotions: grief for her lost family, sadness about leaving the village and worry about the exiled Orion.

Gale idly took a sip of his tea while he tried to process the story he just heard. “So he was forced to leave because of his lust for power. It’s pretty scary to think what could have happened if he actually did become guardian.”

Virgo looked down at her tea. “I felt like I had no choice but to exile him. I had hoped he would stay away and that would be that. But it seems he has harbored a grudge ever since that day.”

“But why would he return now, elder?” Cygnus asked

“That I do not know. But I do know that as long as he trots these grounds, trouble will follow.”

Cygnus got up and headed for the door. “I shall let Perseus know and we will ready a defense for when he inevitably comes our way.”

Gale meanwhile just looked at his tea with a troubled expression. Virgo took notice. “Gale, is something bothering you?”

“Something feels off,” He explained. “When I chased him down he took out this jar filled with some kind of black smoke. After he released it, he was gone. I can’t shake this nagging feeling that something bad is going to happen.”

Meanwhile, Orion was outside his cave watching the sun set on the horizon. “The time has finally come. Everything is in place; I shall finally be able to claim the power I rightfully deserve.”

Cygnus and Perseus rallied all the villagers that could fight and relocated all those who couldn’t to a safe house in preparation for Orion’s arrival. While they were finishing up, Gale approached Cygnus. “Gale, why aren’t you in the safe house?”

“If you’re in this fight then so am I. I couldn’t forgive myself if something happened to you,” Gale said with a determined expression.

Cygnus looked at Gale with her own determined look. “Please understand Gale, Orion is no normal enemy. We don’t know what he’s done over the last three years. Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

“I am.” As he said that, he felt a crossbreeze. “He’s coming.”

Cygnus nodded to Perseus. “Warriors, stand your ground!” Perseus commanded. “This is our home and we will not let Orion defile it!”

After a moment, Orion stepped out of the darkness of the forest, not fazed at all by the villagers ready to fight him. “My my Perseus, I return home after so long and this is the reception I get?” He said with a mocking tone.

“Don’t be coy with me you vermin, what are you doing here? You know you were exiled.”

“Yes I’m very aware, but you see spending the last three years in exile has given me plenty of time to think. About the village, about the grove,” He gained a manic grin. “And about how I’ll take the power of the grove for myself.”

“You will do no such thing!”

Orion simply chuckled at Perseus’ anger. He then cast his gaze up to the sky. “Do you see it? The moon in all its glory?”

Everyone else looked up as the clouds parted to reveal the full moon, its light beaming down. Suddenly, all the villagers that were ready to fight started clutching their heads and groaning. Perseus, Gale and Cygnus weren’t affected and didn’t understand what was going on.

Perseus then looked to Orion. “Orion, you miscreant, what have you done?”

Orion simply stood there, that grin still plastered onto his face. After a few seconds a black crescent moon marking appeared on every villager’s face and the white sclera of their eyes turning an inky black as well. They all slowly walked over to Orion’s side. “Quite the powerful effect wouldn’t you say? I know all about the power of the Sacred Moon Grove, including its… darker parts,” He explained while Perseus, Cygnus and Gale stared him down with fierce expressions. “You see, I used the hidden potential of the Lunar Flowers. I created a special concoction that lets me control anyone exposed to the light of the full moon. Of course, it wouldn’t affect a guardian. And it seems your winged friend was lucky and didn’t get my concoction onto him.”

Gale was visibly angry now. “I’ve had just about enough of you!” Gale charged straight at Orion.

“Gale don’t!” Cygnus tried to reach out to save him but it was too late. With a smirk Orion spread the remaining black powder from his satchel right into Gale’s face.

Once it made contact Gale’s actions slowed down tremendously. “What’s… going on?” He then felt major pain in his head and clutched it. After a moment the crescent moon marking appeared on his face and he opened his eyes, showing they had become black; he was under Orion’s control now.

“Gale, no...” Cygnus then glared at Orion with tears in her eyes. “You’re a monster, Orion.”

“Your insults mean nothing to me dear Cygnus. I suppose if you really care about this one so much it would only be fitting to have him be the one to finish you off. Attack!” Orion ordered.

Gale made no hesitation to charge straight at Cygnus, to which she swiftly dodged. “Gale, you must listen. It’s me, Cygnus.” She dodged another attack.

“Save your breath, I’m the only one he’ll listen to now.”

Gale continued to attack Cygnus; meanwhile Perseus lowered his stance, ready to attack. “Perseus, we can’t hurt them! They may be under Orion’s spell but they are still our friends.”

Perseus grunted in anger. “What should we do then?”

“I don’t know.” Cygnus shrieked as Gale managed to tackle her and pin her to the ground.

“Cygnus!” Perseus tried to go to help her but was grabbed by another possessed villager. He could only watch helplessly as Gale looked ready to kill Cygnus.

“Gale, you have to still be in there. You can break free of Orion’s spell.” Tears began to fall from Cygnus’ eyes. “Please Gale, I love you.”

Orion chuckled again. “As touching as this display is, I do grow bored of this. Finish her off now!”

Gale raised his hoof, ready to strike Cygnus down. Cygnus flinched in fear and braced herself for the impending impact. After a moment though, nothing happened. Cygnus opened her eyes and saw that Gale’s hoof slammed into the ground beside her. Cygnus looked up at him, watching his eyes twitch and his breathing grow heavy. It looked like he was resisting Orion’s control.

Orion grew furious. “What did I say?! End her now!”

“No,” Gale said before clutching his head again. “Get out of my head!” Gale said as he screamed in pain, his mind torn in two.

Cygnus saw this opening and tried something she could only hope could work. She closed her eyes and her body started to glow, she then held her hoof up to the moon. The village began to grow dark as the moonlight was redirected to her.

Orion’s expression was a combination of anger and confusion. “What are you doing?”

“Removing the moonlight!” As the moonlight passed off the villagers the crescent mark on them vanished and their eyes returned to normal. “Perseus, get Gale away from me!”

“On it!” Perseus, now free, grabbed Gale and pulled him into the darkness away from the moonlight. The marking faded from his face and he passed out.

Cygnus then stood up in a spotlight under the moon and stared down Orion. “It’s clear that banishment was too kind Orion. If you covet the Sacred Moon Grove so much, then I shall make you a part of it!” She waved her hoof and a light appeared beneath Orion.

“What is this? No!” The light enveloped him completely and went towards the Sacred Moon Grove. It went into the patch of Lunar Flowers and dispersed among them.

Cygnus could only smile knowing Orion was gone for good. “The deed… is done,” Her body then ceased glowing and she too passed out.

“Cygnus!” Perseus rushed to his fallen ally. “You have done well Cygnus. And you Gale, you were able to fight off Orion’s hypnosis and allow Cygnus to save us.” He turned back to the villagers. “Come, let us get these two somewhere where they may recover.” Wasting no time, they helped pick up Gale and Cygnus’ unconscious bodies and carried them towards the village.

Cygnus cracked her eyes open and saw the ceiling of her home. Perseus’ smiling face then entered her view.

“It’s good to see you’re awake Cygnus,” He said in a soft tone.

“What happened to me?” Cygnus asked, still exhausted.

“You defeated Orion and sealed him away. After that you passed out, so we carried you and Gale back here.”

Cygnus’ eyes widened and she shot up. “Gale!”

Perseus gently put a hoof to her mouth. “Shhhh.” He pointed to the other bed that held Gale’s still unconscious form. “He went through quite a lot. Resisting hypnosis like that took quite the toll on him.”

Cygnus got up and walked over to Gale’s side. “He was able to fight off the hypnosis because he cares so deeply for me. I never would have been able to stop Orion without his help.” He took his hoof into her own. “I’m so lucky to have met him.”

“Yes, you were. Why don’t we get him some water for when he wakes up.”

A few hours later

Gale started to groan as he regained consciousness. “Oh man, my head.” He turned to his side and saw Cygnus’ smiling face. “Cygnus you’re—” Before he could finish his sentence Cygnus embraced him in a big hug. After a moment Gale started to cry. “I’m so sorry Cygnus! I was too rash, I let Orion manipulate me and I almost…”

“It’s okay Gale, it’s not your fault. What matters is that you were able to stop yourself. Thanks to your determination I was able to defeat Orion for good.” The two stayed in that embrace for some time. Eventually they let go and went to the village square where Virgo and the other villagers were waiting.

“It’s good to see the hero of that battle unharmed,” Virgo said with a great smile. “And you Gale, you are also commendable. It takes a great deal of willpower to be able to stave off dark magic like that.”

Gale bashfully scratched the back of his head. “Well, the only thing I could think about was protecting Cygnus. Once I realized what was going on I knew I had to stop myself. It didn’t matter how great the pain was, it would hurt even more to see Cygnus harmed.”

“Well, we can rest easy knowing that there’s one less threat to the Sacred Moon Grove. I do hope you’ll take care Cygnus, and please visit more often.”

Cygnus nodded. “I will, and I’ll be sure to bring Gale along when I do.”

Perseus walked up to the two of them and presented Gale with a Lunar Flower. “Here, you should take this as a keepsake.”

Gale was both surprised and a bit confused. “Are you sure it’s okay to take something like this?”

“As far as we’re concerned, you’re a part of Starshine Village now Gale. You can have this as a reminder of that.”

Gale accepted the flower. “Wow, thank you Perseus. Thank you everyone.”

“Well then, we shall be off. Until we return,” Cygnus said with a wave as she and Gale left.

“That Gale Twister is certainly something,” Virgo said.

“Yes,” Perseus agreed. “Cygnus is very lucky to have met somepony who cares about her that much.”

Author's Note

I hope you enjoyed this new story. Not sure when or if I'll do more but we'll see.