Chapters Chapter 2: Tartarus Spawns
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. Chapter 3: Into the Dream World
That morning, Moonlight Dusk hung upside down in her coffin, bat wings wrapped tightly around herself. Though it was 1 AM, she still couldn't sleep. Today was just....insane. First it was King Sombra and his son entering the school. Then it was her parents trying to kill them or something. After that it was meeting Shadow Obsidian, and throwing a knife at Aqua Marina. But she was still trying to figure why Sombra didn't attack, and why in Equestria he would show up in her room. His voice still echoed in her ear: See you soon, Moonlight Dusk. It chilled her to the bone. And how soon? Tomorrow? A week? A month? Even a year?
Moonlight knew she couldn't solve this case at this hour. She was still watching the video of her throwing the knife and her parents arguing on social media. Someone had posted it, and it already had millions of views.
"You can't just throw knives at people!" Her mom screamed in the video.
"Well yes, yes she can. I'm surprised she didn't go straight for the head, actually. Her cousin Violet threw a throwing star-" Her father didn't finish his sentence before Moonlight paused the video. Violet. Violet Dusk, her cousin! Violet knew loads of different battle strategies, and was basically a military prodigy. She studied the bat-pony dictators and how they came to power, but was also surprisingly proficient in the history of Equestria's villains. Moonlight would simply go into Violet's dream and talk there. It was about time she entered the dream world anyway. She put her phone back in a special compartment in her coffin. Her horn lit up white, and soon enough, she had entered the dream world....
When Moonlight "awoke", she was floating through a blue, shapeless void filled with bright stars. Her mother appeared in front of her seconds later. "Hi Moonlight!" she hugged her. "I've missed you. Are you feeling alright about earlier?" Her deep blue eyes shone with a hint of worry. Even in the Dream World, Princess Luna was still breathtakingly beautiful.
"I'm fine. I got the majority of the school to hate me, impressed King Sombra, and Shadow Obsidian has developed a huge crush on me. Nothing's changed, unless you count the fact that I'm six knives short."
"Moonlight, you just have to stop being so aggressive. It'll probably help if you stop carrying your knives around and stop hissing. And try to hang out with other ponies," Luna suggested.
"You're the one who always uses your Royal Canterlot voice. And what if someone attacks the school? I can't just sit around and be a helpless princess and wait for someone to save me. I know I have the shadows and my pony magic, but it won't always come in handy. And I do hang out with other ponies," Moonlight told her.
"Some pony other than Shadow Obsidian," Luna gritted her teeth just thinking about him and his father. So many years of history between her and Sombra....now that he was back in Equestria, she would not stop still she had him captured or dead. And the fact that his son was hanging out with her daughter...the idea was unbearable. What if something happened to Moonlight?
"What do you have against him? I know he's the son of King Sombra-"
"SOMBRA IS NOT WORTHY OF THAT TITLE!" Luna yelled, then composed herself.
Moonlight sighed then continued. "Fine. He's the son of Sombra, but that doesn't necessarily make him evil. Shadow doesn't seem like a sadistic tyrant. He could be one, but he could also be fairly amiable. If he did try to attack me...well, now you know why I carry knives around. Even though the school took my stash, I snuck a few in. And I can turn almost anything into a weapon!"
"You're just like your father! Everything always leads back to knives and masonry," Luna groaned. Moonlight had a very strong bond with her father, possibly stronger than with Luna. Specter was always teaching Moonlight how to make weapons and flying around with her. Luna could barely keep up with them. Bat-ponies flew so fast! "Well, setting that matter aside, is there anyone you want to visit tonight? Your father is busy in the bat-pony city Tenebrisia."
"Can I visit my cousin Violet?"
"Of course," Luna led Moonlight over to a set of doors, and gestured to a purple one with a throwing star painted on it.
"I WILL NOT STOP TILL I HAVE YOUR BLOOD ON MY HOOVES!" Violet yelled the traditional Dusk family battle cry, and started throwing throwing stars at other bat-ponies. She cartwheeled out of the way as an arrow was aimed at her, then tackled and dug her fangs into a pony, sucked for 20 seconds, then looked up and grinned at Moonlight, blood covering her from head to toe. Violet always had crazy dreams which usually ended in carcasses littered all over, entrails spilled everywhere. She was even considered fairly violent for a bat-pony. And that was something. "Hey Moonlight! Glad you came to finish fighting to the death," Violet joked, then threw a throwing star at Moonlight, who dodged.
"Vi, we need to talk. It's important," Moonlight urged.
"Have you finally decided you need to learn how to slit a throat properly?" Violet rolled her eyes.
"Violet! No. Did you hear about what happened today?"
"Of course. It's all over the news. And the part where you threw the knife-that was badflank! But me and the other Dusks all wished you would've gone for the head," Violet sighed.
"Ok. Anyways, I have a question. Why didn't King Sombra attack at all except for shooting the spell at me? And why was Shadow so nice to me?" Moonlight asked.
"To answer your first question, there could be multiple reasons. Keep in mind he plays his cards well. He's probably waiting for the exact time to strike. He's been back for 13 years, but in hiding. What has he been doing the whole time? Most likely practicing his magic, scheming for the downfall of your little Pony-land, and taking care of his son. I can tell there's a strong bond between him and his son, so he still wanted to see him off. There are lots of reasons, and I'll try to look into them when I have time. It would really help if you knew where Sombra is. Where was he last seen, before he appeared at Ravenwood?" Violet tried her best to answer Moonlight's questions.
"No one knows! He was last seen in his real form 13 years ago in the Crystal Empire, then apparently dissipated into shadows and wasn't seen again until yesterday," Moonlight hissed in frustration.
"What about your creepy new boyfriend? He must know," Violet suggested.
"I met him yesterday!"
"Ha, just messing with you," Violet chuckled.
"Look, even if he knew, he wouldn't tell anyone. And I doubt he knows. If he did, Luna would be trying to torture information out of him in his dreams," Moonlight replied.
"Makes sense. I'll write this down when I wake up. Anything else that might help?"
"Here's something that no one knows. When I had finished unpacking, Sombra literally appeared in my room and said, "see you soon, Moonlight Dusk," then grinned at me and disappeared. That's what I'm confused by," Moonlight shuddered at the thought.
"I'm not sure. He always manages to take you guys by surprise. There are at least 3 possible options: Number 1, he's planning a big attack on your school or something and you'll be there. Number 2, he'll just target you and possibly the other legacies. Number 3, he just said that to get you scared so you'll run to your parents, and Equestria will be in a frenzy. Then, while everyone's preparing for so called "attacks", he runs in and takes over," Violet explained.
"Good thinking. Do you think he may attack at big events as a warning to Equestria?" Moonlight asked.
"Yes. Are there any big celebrations happening soon?"
"Nightmare Night is coming up, and later on in the year, Hearth's Warming Eve. Do you want anything specific to my school?"
"Obviously," Violet rolled her eyes.
"Within our school, the big events are the Nightmare Night celebration, Magic Tournament in November, Survival Tournament in December, and the Winter Talent Show. Then we go home for a few weeks for break. In March there's Battle of the Bands, in April there's the School Musical, in May there's the Spring Gala, and in June is graduation," Moonlight listed them off the top of her head. "Sombra would probably attack us at the Spring Gala, because all the grades will be there, so he can threaten to kill us there unless our parents hand over Equestria."
"Yeah. And keep in mind Shadow could always be spying on you guys. You can hang out with him and try to find out some information, but he'll probably be doing the same. Don't let your guard down," Violet warned her.
"I won't. But why did he only appear in my room? Illusion would've either gotten it on camera or told someone by now, and none of the legacies have told me about this," Moonlight pondered, wondering if there was something she was missing.
"Maybe he only told you because you're a bigger part of his plan. I'm not sure," Violet scraped some dried blood off her cheek.
"Thanks, Violet. This has been helpful. I should go to sleep now, so, I'll see you tomorrow night," Moonlight bid goodbye to her cousin, and opened her eyes.
She was back in her coffin. Moonlight quickly kicked open the coffin door and grabbed her notebook and a pen, hastily writing down the dream's dialogue and making a list of possibilities. Moonlight then sent a quick text to her father, got back into the coffin, and waited for sleep to claim her. The next time she opened her eyes, she was in the heart of the Dream World, and little did she know that this night would change her life.....
Everything was black. Moonlight was floating through a never-ending , shapeless abyss of darkness. "Hello?" She called out, her voice echoing through the void.
"Hello, princess," A low, dangerous male voice replied.
"Who are you? Show yourself now!" Moonlight hissed and revealed her fangs, even though she knew exactly who it was. She automatically reached for her knives, then remembered they weren't there.
"You know exactly who I am, Moonlight Dusk," Sombra appeared in her and revealed his fangs, then melted back into the shadows.
"Why are you in my dream? What do you want with me?" Moonlight yelled into the darkness, not quite sure where he was. He was practically everywhere.
"There are a lot of reasons, Moonlight Dusk. But you need my help," He reappeared, then made an attempt to grab her, but she leapt out of the way and started running, even though she knew she couldn't get away. Then she realized there was no floor and started falling through the abyss. The floor decided to reappear in a vague outline in a front of her, and she managed to tuck and roll a few times. But, she still heard a sickening crack and pain exploded through her shoulder.
Sombra laughed sadistically, his laughter chilling her down to the bone. It was something she would never forget. I will not let him hear me scream, she told herself. But the pain was almost unbearable. She suddenly felt shadows sink through her skin, and reset her bones. The pain was gone within a second.
"I do not need your help. What I need is a shadowbending mentor, or at least a book!" Moonlight tried to watch what she said, as not to infuriate him, lest she get hurt. But then she realized where she had slipped up: she had shown him her weakness. She had just given away what was so important to her. But was it that much of a secret? No.
Moonlight unfurled her bat wings and flew through the void, only to crash into an invisible barrier. Stars exploded in her vision as she descended. Dark, shadowy hooves caught her, now holding her in place. She struggled, trying in vain to use her shadows, but Sombra's overpowered hers.
"There's no escape, Moonlight Dusk. Let the shadows embrace you. You are the darkness, the darkness is you," his voice seemed to whisper in her ear. It was like he was standing right next to her. Maybe he was.
"I can't! There are no mentors, no spellbooks, and it's dark magic by pony standards! And using dark magic is a crime! It's hopeless. I'll never, ever, be able to become an amazing shadowbender," she paused to take a breath. "Unless....."
"Unless?"
"No! Mother would find out! I would be sent to Tartarus, you can't be my mentor!" But Moonlight knew that he very well could be.
"I see potential in you, Moonlight Dusk. You are talented, and powerful. You would be an exceptional pupil,"
Moonlight sighed. She was making deals with the devil. But she promised herself she would not let the darkness control her. She, Moonlight Dusk, Princess of Shadows, would be their master. "I guess it's the only option." A few minutes of silence passed, before Sombra spoke.
"Ravenwood library has a book on shadowbending."
"Where?" Moonlight asked.
"You are an intelligent young mare. You'll find it," Sombra reassured her.
Moonlight felt an icy chill down her spine as she felt his armored grey hoof on her shoulder. His cape brushed against her as he bid his goodbyes to his new student.
"I believe our time is up. Until tomorrow, Princess of Shadows."
Chapter 4: The Silver-Eyed Siren
A week had passed since the events of Moonlight's terrifying encounters with Sombra; but the hype of the whole situation was yet to end. Videos on social media had gained millions of views, pictures of the legacies and their parents facing Sombra were on the cover of every newspaper, and multiple ponies had requested interviews with Moonlight.
Moonlight didn't have a chance to visit the library and look for the book. There were way too many suspicious ponies around. She decided to wait till all the hype died down. She didn't see Sombra in any more of her dreams either, and Violet was competing in a famous bat-pony competition so Moonlight didn't want to disturb her.
The first week was simple: teachers introduced them to the subjects, and some required testing into. Moonlight was in the highest level for every class. She checked her phone: 7:45. She might as well start making her way to homeroom. The student who was arriving late (for unknown reasons) was coming today.
Moonlight slipped into her seat, taking out another spell book to read before homeroom started. 10 minutes later, the new student arrived. Her coat was a pale turquoise and a silver treble clef with bursts of magic surrounding was her cutie mark. Her mane was curly, with a few braids in it, and was the color of the sea. The young mare's eyes were a beautiful silver, matching a streak of her hair. Moonlight then spotted a pendant around her neck, a red sparkling jewel. She was a siren. Or at least half siren, Moonlight thought to herself when spotting the girl's unicorn horn.
"Would you like to introduce yourself?" Their homeroom teacher Onyx Arrow asked her.
As soon as the young mare opened her mouth to speak, everyone fell under her spell.
Marella Star looked at the sea of students nervously. She was worried that they would't accept her for being half-siren. It was a blessing and a curse. When she sang, or even spoke, ponies would be more inclined to hang out with her, or want to be her friend. But she knew they only wanted to because she possessed that power. No one truly loved her for who she was, except for her parents and sister. She reminded herself to not put any power into her voice.
"Would you like to introduce yourself?" Onyx Arrow asked her.
"Um....." Don't let fear control you, she told herself. "Ok. My name is Marella Star," already, most of the students were captivated. "I moved to Applewood when I was 6, and have lived there since. I have a younger sister. I'm really into singing and musical theater, but I also enjoy school. My favorite subjects are science and magic."
The majority of students seemed very interested, and already looked like they wanted to hang out with her. An empty desk in the middle front row was hers. A few students tsked disdainfully when they saw who was seated on either side of her. To her left was a dark grey young stallion with red eyes. Marella had seen pictures of him on Equestria Today. He was the son of King Sombra. Marella gulped.
To her right was a beautiful bat-pony alicorn. Marella was pretty sure her name was Moonlight. She was the young mare who had thrown a knife at a student. Moonlight's cold, calculating eyes fixed on her, analyzing her. Those teal eyes seemed to see right through her. They didn't have the mildly glazed over, dreamy look. Which meant....she was powerful. And neither did the boy on her left, either. Looking at the rest of the students, Marella had a feeling she was sitting right in between the most unpopular students in the school.
"Hi, I'm Moonlight Dusk," Moonlight said, and extended her hoof. Marella shook it.
Soon enough, the quick class was over, and they went to their first period. On their way, an orange young mare with red frizzy hair bounded up to her. "Hi! I'm Apple Twister! It's nice to meet you. You're so pretty, by the way. I know I'm talking a lot but I hope you don't mind. I know everything about everybody! Is there anyone you would like to know about?"
Marella was slightly stunned. At least Apple Twister was trying to reach out. Marella took this chance. "Uh, can you tell me about those two ponies?" Marella gestured to Moonlight Dusk and the grey pony next to her. Marella noticed that the crowd visibly parted around them.
"Of course! The one on the left is Shadow Obsidian. He's the son of King Sombra, which you probably already know. He's really good at magic, and some ponies say he uses dark magic. He can grow those creepy black crystals. He was one of the few students that brought weapons into the school. He brought a spear and crossbow. Shadow spends all his free time in the library reading. He also really likes Moonlight. Don't hang out with him! It will destroy your reputation, and he's dangerous," Apple Twister said.
"Thanks. What about Moonlight?" Marella inquired.
"Moonlight Dusk. She's one of the legacies, who are Equestria's next generation of royalty. She is half bat-pony, half alicorn. Some people say she sucks blood and sleeps in a coffin, though that's only a rumor. She's amazing at magic, and her knife-throwing skills are deadly. She threw a knife at another student a week ago. She's also really flexible and does martial arts. She can turn anything into a weapon. But she's also a good speechwriter, if you watch her speeches on PonyTube. She can sway a crowd with her words. She is a force to be reckoned with," Apple Twister then turned right, looking back at Marella. "Bye!"
The rest of the classes were a daze. Magic, which she had with Moonlight and Shadow. Science, which she had with one of the legacies named Diamond. Math, with another legacy who's name was Illusion. And then came music.
Every student was required to choose an art class. Marella chose singing. Even though she disliked the fact that students would be mesmerized by her voice, she still wouldn't deny herself the pleasure of singing. They were already preparing for the Winter Choral Concert. After learning the songs, they still had time left over.
Ms. Arietta Blossom, the music teacher, asked Marella "I heard you have the voice of an angel. Can you sing for us?" Marella knew she had no choice. So she took a deep breath, and sang a well-known siren song. The music flowed from her, and she and the melody were one. As she ended the song, everyone burst into applause. As she made her way to lunch, a dozen ponies came up to her, all wanting to sit with her at lunch. Even Illusion, who wasn't in the singing class, winked at her. She blushed, winking back.
Marella then realized that she had made herself the most popular girl in the school. There would be a few people who would truly want to be her friend. There were 80 students after all. But then she saw an aqua-colored pony glaring at her. She remembered that her name was Aqua Marina. Aqua Marina was flanked by three other ponies named Cinnamon Twirl, Yukio Ice, and Aspen Ice. They backed Marella up against the wall. "This is my school. You think you're better than the rest of us, don't you-" Aqua started.
"She kind of is," Illusion muttered.
"SHUT UP!" Aqua shrieked and slapped him across the face. Illusion didn't want to hit her back. It took a lot to get him out of control, and when he did, he caused chaos. "You think that you can just come in and take whatever you want, that you're entitled, that you can cheat your way to the top. Well, I am at the top. Don't forget your place, siren, " Aqua sneered, spitting the last word out like it was trash.
"I don't want any of this! I wasn't going to even-" Marella yelled, her voice coming out much higher and much timider than she intended it to.
"Don't try to use your siren powers on me, you liar," Aqua retorted and shot a spell at her. Marella didn't have the chance to dodge as she was cornered, and she screamed in pain as she fell to the ground, her forehoof crunching under her in a sickening crunch. A weak cry escaped her mouth, and tears blurred her vision. Cinnamon and Aspen smirked. Yukio ran off.
"Aqua, what are you doing?! Stop this now! Just leave her alone!" Diamond Rose gasped, confronting Aqua.
Meanwhile, Illusion was checking Marella's foreleg. "It's going to be ok, sea goddess. Can I call you that? Hey, you'll be alright. It's broken, but not too badly. Just chill, I'm here for you," Marella tried not to blush. Illusion was so funny, so nice, was now coming to her aid. He was a perfect prince charming.
"What are you gonna do if I disobey you, princess? " Aqua said mockingly, challenging Diamond Rose. Aqua knew Diamond was too kindhearted to kill a fly.
By now, Moonlight and Shadow were approaching. Moonlight exchanged looks with Diamond. Diamond knew she didn't have the guts to fight Aqua if she had to, and couldn't hurt a soul. Get the teachers now! Moonlight mouthed to her, and stepped in.
"Your mother, belongs in Tartarus. You do too. But we showed her mercy. So I'll do the same. Get down on your knees and beg for forgiveness," Aqua kicked her. Illusion had never seen someone so cruel. Yes, his cousin was bloodthristy and a savage, and could go ballistic, but still had good intentions. Everybody he met was crazy!
"Already making bets on who'll end up in Tartarus first, are you? Quite pathetic, if I do say so myself. Such a waste of potential, Aqua Marina. If we had met under different circumstances, and if you had not been brainwashed by society, I'm sure we would've been good friends," Moonlight hissed, and Marella squeaked as she saw her fangs. Illusion wasn't sure whether he should help, or if he should stay out of it. As much as he hated what Aqua was doing, he didn't want to end up causing even more trouble. If he got out of control, he could do some serious damage.
"You gonna play hero? Well, tartarus spawn-" Aqua continued, and shot a huge blast of magic at Moonlight.
Moonlight had three faces. Moonlight, Crazy Moonlight, and Crazier Moonlight. Moonlight was replaced by Crazier Moonlight. She flew/leaped at Aqua.
"Moonlight! Chill! Stay out of this! Please!" Illusion strained, using his magic to restrain Moonlight temporarily so her reason would come back, and so she didn't actually slit Aqua's throat. Moonlight hissed and thrashed for 3 seconds, before regaining her reason and composure.
"Illusion! Let go of me! LET GO OF ME! I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO GET HURT! We have to stop Aqua!" Moonlight screamed, and Illusion saw how desperate she was. She was also afraid. Maybe fear really was more powerful than love. Illusion held on. He knew if he let go, she would go back to Crazier Moonlight.
"Get off of her!" Illusion grunted as he felt the weight of a muscular young stallion on him, and released his grip just a bit on her. Oh no. He had failed.
Shadow may have had ulterior motives for being Moonlight's friend at the beginning, but had grown to like her. And, he hated seeing her in pain. So he did what he had to do. He had to help her. Shadow lunged on Illusion, who let go of Moonlight. Illusion then scowled at him, and he scowled back. As a reaction to his extreme emotions, black crystals sprang from the ground, separating the fighters from the bystanders. He, Illusion, Moonlight, Marella, Aqua, Cinnamon and Aspen were all trapped in a crystal cage.
Illusion shot gold magic at him, but he dodged, sending a blast over to Illusion. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Moonlight taking on Aqua and her minions. Marella, who's foreleg was wounded, was aiding Moonlight from the corner. Her silver blast of magic temporarily distracted Cinnamon, so Moonlight threw a shard of broken glass (acting as a knife) at Cinnamon, which surprisingly worked and pinned her to the wall by her uniform collar. Cinnamon shot a spell at Moonlight, but she whipped out a compact mirror and reflected the spell. Paired with all of Moonlight's adrenaline, the spell hit Cinnamon twice as hard and she hung limply from the wall, coughing up blood.
Next, Moonlight and Marella took on Aspen (while fighting Aqua Marina). She aided from the sidelines, shooting spells at Aspen and Aqua, while Moonlight faced them. But, Aspen decided to shoot a spell at Marella, who passed out. Shadow decided to come over and aid Moonlight, while Illusion went back to put up a shield around Marella so she didn't get hurt.
Shadow and Moonlight acted as one. Shadow had never seen someone so good at working with him. They dodged here and ran there, both agreeing to tire them out. Why weren't the teachers here yet? Then, while he pinned down Aqua, Moonlight took Aspen, determined to end this. She did some shadowbending, which didn't go as she planned. Luckily, she managed to make the shadows surround Aspen and blind him, while she shot a stun spell at him.
Marella had woken up with the help of Illusion. She noticed that there were a few students helping Aqua through the crystal bars, so she and Illusion put up a shield together. Marella was saving her energy for the Siren's Shriek, just in case she had to use it.
Meanwhile, Moonlight walked over to Aqua Marina, bloodied and beaten on the marble floor. "Aqua Marina," Moonlight hissed with vengeance, "Your head would look great on a spike, do you realized that? So, it's about time someone finished the job. We can't have a racist bigot infecting the rest of Equestria. And you know what I'm going to say. I WILL NOT STOP TILL I HAVE YOUR BLOOD ON MY HOOVES!" Moonlight lunged on to Aqua, who screamed, and they fought. Moonlight's bat-pony instincts came back completely, and she clawed at Aqua's neck, determined to get her blood. Just as she bit into her neck, Illusion dragged her off using magic. She hissed at him, enraged. Illusion and Shadow looked at each other, and Shadow reluctantly helped Illusion pull her off.
"Moonlight, stop! Remember who you are!" Illusion tried to yell, but it wasn't working. Aqua was bleeding out, and no one saw the teachers standing behind the bars.
Marella knew there was only one way to break this up. She screamed the Siren's Shriek full volume. Everyone covered their ears in pain, but Moonlight was still crazy. Marella took it up another octave, and a few students went deaf from the noise. Moonlight's reason came back, and she embraced Illusion and Shadow at the same time, tears streaming down her face. She used the pain as an alerter, and managed to gather the shadows to tap Marella on the shoulder, telling her through the shadows that was enough. She didn't want there to be anymore wounded ponies. But Marella didn't think that's what she meant.
Dean Sapphire stepped in, shooting a heavily powerful spell across the room, the force sending everyone crashing to the ground. She looked at Marella, Shadow, Moonlight and Illusion. "All of you will be severely punished." The spell had knocked almost everyone out, and weakened everyone. A few teachers used magic to send students back to their rooms, while others hurriedly sent emails to the parents. The school nurses took Cinnamon, Aspen, and Aqua.
They were all carried/dragged away by security in different directions. Moonlight didn't have the energy to even struggle a tiny bit. She was horrified at what she had tried to do. She couldn't let her bat-pony side take over again. She, Illusion, Shadow, and Marella met eyes. They all knew that whatever they had to go through, they would be in it together. The hypnotic stare of the silver-eyed siren was the last thing Moonlight saw before passing out....
Author's Note
Author's Note: These characters are mostly OCs. Also if you have any questions or feedback, please post them in the comments below.
Chapter 1: Arrival
"Illusion Blaze! You replaced my cleanser with bubbles!" Moonlight Dusk screamed, the soapy white mixture blanketing her face. It looked exactly like her cleanser.
Really. The day that they would leave for their first day of middle school. Her cousin Illusion, son of Princess Celestia and Discord the lord of chaos, was always pranking her. Sometimes it was replacing her skincare with maple syrup, other times it was prank-calling her at 4 AM when she was sleeping. Even though she was half bat pony, she still needed her 4 hours.
"Ha ha ha! Gotcha there! Didn't suspect a thing," Illusion laughed then trotted into her room. "Here's your real cleanser," he passed it to her using his gold magic.
"Gee, thanks," she hissed in annoyance, revealing her sharp fangs. Illusion was the only pony (not counting her mother) who wasn't freaked out when she did that. She then finished up her skincare, and brushed her long, dark blue mane, streaked with deep purple. She hoped that she would make some new friends. Maybe ponies would be nicer. Maybe they wouldn't judge her so harshly.
"Moonlight! We're leaving, are you ready?" her older brother Astral Dusk poked his head in, then flew off.
"Yes," she hastily grabbed her suitcase and ran out the door with her knives. She would still be able to practice knife-throwing in the school's weapons training room, which was a relief. She sped down the stairs and into the throne room, where her mother Princess Luna, father Specter Dusk and Astral were all waiting. Next to him stood Celestia, Discord, and Illusion, who was grinning cheekily. Meanwhile, her 10-year-old brother Moonstone was prying something green and gooey out of his hair. Illusion again, she thought. Moonstone's twin Delilah fluttered over to Moonlight and hugged her. "I'll miss you sis! Goodbye!" "Have fun, see you soon," Moonstone joined the hug, along with Astral.
"Be careful, Moonlight. And.....please don't throw those knives or hiss at anyone. " Celestia affectionately touched her cheek, then went to kiss Illusion goodbye. Even though parents were supposed to go drop their kids off at the boarding school, then attend a few talks there, Celestia was staying behind. Luna and Cadence were already going. They were the princesses, after all, and couldn't just ditch Canterlot whenever they wanted. Even with Twilight there, you could never be too careful.
--1 hour later----
Moonlight Dusk sat on the hovercraft, reading her new spellbook while polishing her knives. A few seats behind her, Illusion Blaze was filming another video for his PonyTube channel.
"Hey guys, it's your bro Illusion Blaze, and welcome to another video! Today we're on our way to Ravenwood Prep! Moonlight Dusk, say hi!" Illusion shoved his ipad in front of her face. "Hi vlog. It's Moonlight," she waved, then went back to reading. Technology had developed over the past 20 years. Before that, they barely had TVs or phones!
The shadows on the train drew closer to her. This was natural. Being half bat-pony, she had a special ability: Shadowbending. The creepiest and one of the rarest abilities. It was technically dark magic by pony standards. The only other bat-pony shade she knew of was locked away in Tartarus.
She could control the shadows around her to some extent, but because there were no books on shadow bending that she could find, she could only go so far with this ability. Her father's was mind control, and her brother's was temporarily taking away one of the five senses for as long as he could maintain focus(his record was 10 minutes, an amazing feat) . Her younger siblings hadn't found their abilities yet. The hovercraft slowly descended. They had arrived.
Moonlight stepped out of the hovercraft, holding her luggage. "Look!" Illusion pointed up at the huge structure towering above them. It was a small castle, but beautifully crafted and the turrets were tipped in gold. Created of translucent crystal, it glinted in the sun, almost glowing with pride.
"Ayeeee! Hi Moonlight! Hi Illusion! " A mass of pink fur rammed into Moonlight. The scent of a distinctive rose perfume filled her nostrils. On top of her was a light pink alicorn with teal eyes and curly dark pink mane streaked with purple and blue. "It's so good to see you, darling," Diamond Rose hugged her. She looked like her mother, Princess Cadence, and her father, Shining Armor. A few feet away, her older sister Flurry Heart was already asking Astral questions about Junior year.
"Is that new perfume?" Moonlight Dusk asked, trying to make small talk.
"Yes. From my new makeup line. It's called Love, Diamond," she beamed. "So glad you asked!" Diamond then looked around nervously, but sighed a breath of relief.
"You ok? You just looked like there were spies who've been stalking you for a week planning to kill you on the spot from all directions, " Moonlight noted.
"Moonlight. That is a) way too morbid, and b) a terrible metaphor. But I'm ok, just worried."
"Why? Are you worried about making friends? Because you're pretty, sassy, nice, and everyone's going to want to be your friend. Your grades are good, you have a super popular makeup line, and your hairstyle tutorials are viewed by half the girls in Equestria. If you're worried about your safety, this school has high security and I can always teach you how to throw knives."
"Haven't you heard?" Diamond Rose bit her (perfectly glossed) lip as they ventured into the school.
"Heard about what?" Moonlight asked, and grabbed one of her knives. It helped her calm down. A few students casually backed away.
"Shadow Obsidian."
"Excuse me?"
"Just one of the incoming students. He's always hanging around the Crystal Empire . Some people say he's the son of King Sombra. But that's just a rumor. I wouldn't put it past him, though."
They walked through a wide hall, and after dropping off their luggage (which would be sent up to their rooms), a teacher directed them towards a huge set of double doors. All the conversations abruptly stopped as everyone noticed Equestria's royalty enter. Moonlight swore she heard a camera click. Half the boys were ogling Diamond Rose, and the girls were trying to get her attention. The only noise was Illusion (still filming) and narrating. "Now we're entering Ravenwood Prep. So, this must be the welcoming room for 7th graders. EVERYONE SAY HI TO MY VLOG!"
Three agonizingly long seconds passed before all the students yelled "Hi Vlog!" Then their eyes all shifted to Moonlight. They took in her bat wings, her bat-like ears, and her fangs. They examined her knives sheathed at the belt she wore. Whenever her penetrating dark blue eyes fell on them, they would immediately look away. She couldn't blame them for staring. Most of them had never seen an alicorn bat pony before. And not to mention, she was Moonlight Dusk, Princess of Shadows (her shadowbending ability had gained her this name). She actually admired their curiosity.
Moonlight remembered she was still clutching one of her knives, the tip glinting in the light, only emphasizing its lethality. It would easily take out most of these students on any given day. Her shadows frisked around her, not sure whether to stay by her side or listen in on conversations. She didn't have full control over them. Unless she found a mentor, she never would.
"Is she gonna throw that?" A buttercup yellow pony asked his mom hesitantly. Moonlight turned towards him, stroking her knife. "Only if you make me," she replied in her husky, dangerously soothing voice. She then gave him a small, mysterious smile, showing her fangs. She didn't mean to be threatening or anything. She was just being perfectly honest. Most bat-ponies would tell her she was being too passive.
"I-I-I wont' m-make you!" He squeaked. "I don't mean to do you any harm! Ever."
"Thank you," she dipped a perfect curtsy. Another young stallion whistled admiringly.
Meanwhile, a few girls wearing Love, Diamond makeup were waving Diamond over to their little clique. She strutted over, happy that she was getting attention. Illusion had finally finished part of his filming, so he went to make small talk with a group of young stallions. Astral and Flurry were nowhere to be seen, probably off with the juniors and seniors. Their parents were all mingling with other mares and stallions, so that left Moonlight by herself. It was her turn to analyze these students. Most were hanging out with each other, a couple stuck close to their parents. An aqua colored pony whispered something to the young mare next to her, still looking at Moonlight.
How come the presentation hadn't started yet? There must be another pony or so who was a bit late. As if on cue, the double doors opened, and the room fell deathly quiet. Two ponies walked in.
King Sombra. And the pony behind him was definitely his son. Moonlight Dusk could already guess who it was. The pony Diamond told her about. Shadow Obsidian.
