The Shadow of the Moon

by The Engineer

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Dark, Romance
Length: 33231

Midnight Shadow leads a task force that reports directly to Luna. When she tasks him to catch a pony inciting rebellion and murder, he is tossed into a deadly game of cat and mouse.

As of 12 January, 2013 I will no longer be working on this. I am starting my second semester of college and it is unlikely that I will find time to write this while juggling my coursework.

Midnight Shadow is apart of a specialized task force under the command of Princess Luna, who has been a focal point of his life ever since he was a foal. Now the leader of a shadowy cult that calls themselves the Seen now poses a threat to Princess Luna and possibly Princess Celestia. Appointed to investigate this threat, Midnight finds himself in danger, love, and a gruesome death match that he has been warned about his whole life.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2013-01-10 21:39:17 UTC

Act 1: Ch 1: First Impressions

The Shadow of the Moon

Act 1: Drifting

Chapter 1: First Impressions

Ponyville was buzzing with anticipation of Princess Celestia's arrival. The Summer Sun Celebration had consumed everyponies thoughts and efforts for the last several days as Twilight Sparkle coordinated the preparations. I looked up at my parents as we walked excitedly through the streets. My father was a big, light grey earth pony with a deep brown mane named Broad Oak. He was a talented carpenter for the town. He was responsible for building everything from homes and barns, to furniture and tables. Essentially, if it could be made of wood, he could build it. He had built their house himself as a testament to his love to Midnight's mom, Sweet Breeze. I looked at my mom. She was a coal-black pegasus with a deep blue mane. She worked with the weather patrol and had been busy the last few days helping keep the skies clear and redirecting all other weather away from Ponyville.

They both looked really tired from being up so early. I was too, but after the initial grogginess had passed, I was bustling with excitement and energy. We walked past an unlit toy shop, but that didn't stop me from planting my face in the glass and trying to look in. In the reflection of the glass, my bright blue eyes stared back at me, wide with excitement and wonder. The soft morning breeze tossed around my untidy black mane and ruffled the small dark grey feathers on my small wings tickling me slightly. Until my wings grew some more, I could do little more than ‘glide.'

In all honesty, it was just falling with my small wings flailing around. Some of the ponies at school would tease me about it. It wasn't my fault that my body grew so much larger than my wings. The problem was my wings were the right size for a pegasus my age. It was my body that was the wrong size. Doctors said it was growing and developing like an earth pony instead of a normal pegasus and that the best we could do was hope that either my wings grew proportionally later or my body stopped growing, but neither was likely.

"Come along Midnight," my dad's voice said with an air of authority.

I jumped away from the glass and ran to his side.

He looked down at me, smiled and spoke more kindly, "We don't want to be late and miss seeing Princess Celestia raise the sun, now do we?"

"Really, you mean she's really going to be there," I asked excitedly. I had never seen the Princess before but heard so much about her in class. At least I did when I was actually paying attention and not drawing stick ponies fighting on my paper.

“Everypony says she will,” my mom answered. “That’s entire town has been hard at work getting ready.”

Exhaustion was clearly painted on her face. She had been flying hard the last several days and needed a few days of rest before going back to work.

“Mommy, you look really tired,” I tell her. I snuggle up against her side as we walked, “Are you okay?”

She rubbed a hoof through my mane where to two became impossible to distinguish blending into each other.

“I’ll be fine Midnight. Don’t worry about me,” she spoke softly.

My parents had named me Midnight Shadow because of my dark coat and mane.  At first the other foals at school teased me over it until we played hide and go seek. Then, all I had to do was go find a dark place to huddle down and close my eyes enough to where my bright blue irises wouldn’t stand out. Nopony could find me unless they looked really hard.

“Here we are,” my dad said.

Before us was the town hall. The place was packed despite the early hour of the morning. Some ponies still looked like they had rolled out of bed, while others seemed to have just come from partying all night, and others looked like they could have done either. We walked inside. Excited shouts and screams filled the air as the town talked to one another about the celebration, and the princess’ appearance.

Nearly as soon as my family found a place to stand, the choir of birds started singing and everypony quieted down. The mayor stepped out onto the lower stage and began addressing the town by announcing the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration. This received a large amount of cheering as the excitement in the room began to feel electric. She said a few more words and then announced Princess Celestia. On cue the birds began singing again and a unicorn drew the curtains apart on the upper balcony. A spotlight shined brightly on the empty space, but nopony appeared.

I looked up to my dad and quietly asked, “Where is she dad?”

He reached out a hoof and drew me close to him, “I don’t know son. This doesn’t feel right.”

My mom stepped closer and put me in between the two of them. The mayor’s face became more troubled as each second that passed didn’t reveal the princess. She tried to speak some consoling words, but they didn’t have a chance as the unicorn on the upper balcony came back out from the upper chamber and announced, “She’s gone.”

A gasp ran through the crowd as each and every pony stood in shock of the princess’ disappearance. A sparkling smoke began to bellow forth from the upper balcony, and drew another gasp from the crowd, this one more anxious than the last. As the smoke conglomerated, the form of a black alicorn with lighter blue armor appeared with a tail and mane made up of the same smoke that had spawned it. My parents scooted even closer to me, as if they were trying to hide me from the dark figure above us. The figure began speaking, and called us her beloved subjects. From the tone of her voice, I wasn’t so sure we were her beloved anything.

A voice rose from the crowd and shouted, “What did you do with our princess!”

The dark pony chuckled darkly and said something about “not being royal enough,” and if we knew who she was. It was so hard to hear her since she spoke so softly. Another voice spoke up, this one quite peppy and unperturbed by the events that were taking place, and began to guess as to who she was. If it weren’t for how serious and graven the atmosphere was, I might have laughed at a few of them, particularly ‘Queen Meanie’. The dark pony then began to interrogate the two ponies nearest her, asking them if they had seen the signs. Menace dripped from her voice as she took obvious pleasure in watching them squirm. Again another voice spoke out, and I managed to catch a glimpse of the lavender coat of Twilight Sparkle as she moved toward the terrifying alicorn.

She spoke clearly and confidently, “I did and I know who you are! You’re the Mare in the Moon. Nightmare Moon!”

As soon as she finished those words, a third gasp was heard. This time I felt my parents contribute to it. I sat down.

“Where have I heard that name before?”

I was shaken from my thoughts. The dark alicorn proclaimed loudly that the night would last forever and began to cackle, and spread her smoke, mane, cloud thing above our heads, and summoned lightning down from the funneling clouds.

The mayor came to her wits, raised a hoof to Nightmare Moon, and shouted, “Seize her! Only she knows where the princess is!”

Three royal guards flew up but were struck from the air as lightning rained down on them. They tumbled back down into the crowd where I heard a few ponies grunt as they caught them. My parents had since moved me under them completely. My mother flared her wings, as if she was going to scare off or attack the cackling pony. My father instead hunkered down and was ready to buck out with his strong legs at anything that posed a threat to me or my mom. Neither of them had to do anything though as the dark alicorn vaporized and flew out the door and into the night. A cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail chased the vapors out the door. The very next pony to exit was Twilight Sparkle, as she galloped away. I looked at my parents, who wore very concerned and worried expressions.

“What just happened,” I asked, confused. Eternal night didn’t sound like a very good long term plan.

My parents looked at each other before down at me.

My dad spoke first, “We don’t know. Let’s head home though.”

With that, the three of us walked back slowly, my parents never let me leave their sides for a second. When we arrived home, my dad went into his shop and began working on some of the orders that had been placed for new tables and such. My mom instead went to the kitchen and cooked up some breakfast. At least that’s what I considered it, since it was supposed to be morning. Neither of them said much, so I guessed they were as confused and uncertain as I was. I went to my room and looked over the few books I had, certain that I had heard something about Mare in the Moon in one of them. I finally found one that had the story of a princess who grew jealous of the day and became somepony called Nightmare Moon. The story said she was banished by Princess Celestia to the moon a long time ago.

“So that’s who that was? I thought this was just a story,” I said aloud to nopony in particular. I flipped back to the page where the second princess was drawn before she changed. I stared at the picture and wondered, “Who did you used to be before this? I kept on wondering that for the rest of the “day” until I fell asleep later that “night.” I wasn’t sure how I was going to tell them apart except for when I slept.

I woke up to a blinding sun that shined on me through the window. I sat up confused.

“Was it all a dream? It felt so real.”

I hopped out of bed to look for my parents. Both of them stood at a window staring at the sun lit land in shock.

“Mom, dad, was it a dream,” I asked, startling them to attention.

Mom looked at me and said, “I don’t think so sweetie. I don’t think so. Certainly feels like it though.”

“Let’s go outside and see if anypony else knows what’s going on,” my dad grumbled, still sleepy.

The three of us walked into town with other ponies we met along the way, all of us asking about the short lived eternal night. As the herd of us came to the center of town, we saw many others already gathered around a chariot with both Princess Celestia and the dark alicorn. Only now she was much smaller and had a blue coat, not black. She was wearing regal looking armor plates and a flower wreath and everypony was celebrating. Some ponies ran our way.

“Princess Celestia’s sister has returned,” the one on the left exclaimed.

“Yeah, Princess Luna is back. She was banished for so long the poor dear,” the one on the right added.

I looked back at the younger alicorn on the chariot, “Princess Luna, huh.” I felt a sharp chill crawl up my back and a burning sensation along my flank and the world went black.

****

The blackness faded to bright light. I couldn’t make heads or tails of where I was or what was going on. I could faintly hear voices but they were so quiet I couldn’t understand them. The light and voices lasted for a few minutes it felt like, but it could have been hours, or maybe seconds. I felt like I was floating and everything was timeless, but soon it all faded to black.

Act 1: Ch 2: Foresight

The Shadow of the Moon

Chapter 2

Foresight

Slowly the world came back in view, as the blackness faded to the edges of my vision and a hazy forest sprouted up around me. The dense canopy blocked out the sun and strange noises could be heard all around.  I was standing at the edge of a small clearing with a hut in the center. Many foreign masks decorated the exterior of the structure. From where I was standing I could see a zebra hard at work inside the building, brewing one thing or another.

I looked at my flank which now featured a pair of crossed swords over a full moon. Nopony in Ponyville could tell me what it meant or what my special talent could be for certain. Most could only guess that I was meant to serve in the guard, likely Lunar judging by the moon. When my mom heard this, she teared up. Not from happiness, but fear. As much as she respected those fine ponies, she didn’t want me putting myself in that kind of possible danger. Personally I thought it would be cool to be a member of the guard. The romance of fighting and being a soldier played through my head.

I heard the cry of a timberwolf nearby and the screams of some woodland creature being eaten. I wasted no time as I darted up to Zecora’s doorstep. I knocked on the wooden door.

“Come in whoever knocks on my door; please do not stand outside no more,” Zecora spoke in that mysterious rhyming voice of hers.

I pushed open the door and stepped inside, slamming it shut behind me.

“Ah, brave little colt, what do you want; the Forest is not some meaningless jaunt,” she intones.

I hyperventilate a little and calmed my nerves.

"I'm safe now. It's safe."

“Miss Zecora, I have been asking other ponies in town what my cutie mark means, but nopony knows for certain. I was hoping you may have some way of telling me what it means because I have no clue what it means as a special talent,” I explain and turn so that she can see it better.

“Hmmm, I must be quite frank; that’s a strange mark on your flank,” she says while she threw some different herbs into her cauldron, “The answer the future maybe holds; let me peek into how your life unfolds.”

I watched her throw even more herbs into the pot. She mixed it a little and motioned for me to come over. Once I was close enough, she reached over and plucked a hair from my mane.

I winced, “Ouch, what was tha-”

She placed a hoof over my mouth and shook her head. She removed her hoof and began chanting something in a strange language. As she chanted, the brew began changing its colors, which lit up Zecora’s face all different shades. I couldn’t see what was happening as the cauldron was too tall, so I just sat and waited and watched. Zecora’s eyes began to glow bright white and her voice distorted. It sounded like her, other ponies too, speaking at the same time as her. The hairs on my flank began to stand on end as she started to speak.

“Oh little pony take much care;

Your future is one to beware.

Into the guard you go;

This much I know.

You will protect the princess of night;

With your body, soul, and might."

The cutie mark on my flank began to get warmer and warmer.

"With her will find danger and love;

This much you can be sure of.

Into a battle you are thrown;

your true strength will be shown."

By this point my flank felt like it was on fire and I whimpered a little.

"You and another will fight to the death;

Up until your very last breath.

Win, and you will save us all;

Lose and the night princess will fall.”

I couldn't hold it in anymore and let out a blood-curdling scream. She snapped out of the trance and looked down at me in confusion and concern. Now that she had stopped, the pain was going away.

“I’m not so sure I like the sound of all that Zecora,” I whisper, terrified of everything that had happened, “Are you sure?”

“The future can be quite obscure,” she looked at me, a little worry splashed across her face, “But of this, I am quite sure.”

****

 The blackness came back and the hut faded away. The brightness came back along with the voices. I listened, and made out something that sounded like somepony saying my name. I tried replying but I faded to blackness once more.

Act 1: Ch 3: Wounds That Never Heal

The Shadow of the Moon

Act 1: Drifting

Chapter 3: Wounds That Never Heal

I opened my eyes slowly as if waking up from a restless night sleep. I was in the Ponyville graveyard standing before two fresh graves in the rain. Above the graves on one large headstone read, “Here lies Broad Oak and Sweet Breeze. Beloved Father and Mother.”

I fell to the ground; tears streamed from my eyes as the memories came rushing back. In the aftermath of Discord’s return, not all was well. Several loved ones were lost during the chaos. The Ponyville Weather Patrol had altered the weather to be more appropriate as several funeral services were held in the following days.

Regardless of the condolences and concerns of others, I was still left parent-less. My dad was killed in his workshop when Discord flipped some houses upside down and left them floating in the air. The lumber and tools that had for so long provided for our family and filled his shop suddenly came crashing down on him. The coroner that came and collected his mangled body wasn’t sure what killed him first; the weight of the lumber crushing him or the tools cutting and piercing him. All that was certain was it was fairly quick and he didn’t suffer long. My mom on the other hoof, had faced a much more terrifying death. When the first cotton candy clouds showed up, she didn’t know what they were. Just doing her job, she tried to break them apart. When she flew through them, the sticky cotton candy plastered her wings together. She plummeted to the ground and died on impact.

Sobs racked my body; I could hardly breathe. Many of the townsponies came to give their last respects during the service. Several mentioned how my dad helped build their home, or provided the table they ate at, or how cheerful and how well he remodeled their home or kitchens. Others remembered how my mom would do them favors with providing a little rain over their gardens when they were sick or spelling messages in the clouds on Hearts and Hooves Day for various ponies.

During the eulogies, I could do nothing but cry. Now that everypony had left, I couldn’t stop. The pain was so deep in my chest and nothing seemed to appease it. I had no clue what to do now with them gone. I didn’t know what was going to happen to me either, but crying felt right, so that’s what I did. I curled up in a little ball next to the headstone. I tried to get as close to it as I could. I remembered the warm touch of my parents when I would sneak into their bed after I had a nightmare. I remembered the way they would look at me, with such love and pride. I remembered the love in their voices when they would talk to me, even when I had done wrong. I remembered the way my mom would sing me to sleep and wake me up softly by nuzzling my back and speaking softly. I cried even harder. This headstone was as close to my parents as I could get and all I could feel was the cold stone, the drenching rain and the mud squishing beneath me. I don’t know how long I was there but I felt somepony kneel next to me and place their wing over me.

“Come now, you can’t stay out here all night,” a familiar mailmare spoke softly, “Let’s go get you cleaned up.”

I looked up at the grey pegasus with those yellow walleyes and nodded my head. I didn’t really want to leave, but Miss Hooves was kind enough and the first to offer to take me into her home for the time being. We had walked only a little ways from the graves when I stopped. I turned my head around and looked upon them once more.

“I’ll make you proud. I promise.”

Miss Hooves and I walked out of the cemetery. I left something at my parents grave though. I left my childish fears and concerns. They had died and been buried with my mother and father. I left my innocence, and my heart started hardening that day.

****

I felt myself start to fade away and soon I was blinded again. The voices were still faint, but I made out a few words this time. Something about pressure and then everything went dark again.

Act 1: Ch 4: Belonging

The Shadow of the Moon

Act 1: Drifting

Chapter 4: Belonging

The world came back. It was now Nightmare Night in Ponyville. The entire town would dress up and give out candy or play pranks on other ponies. Others would just walk around hoping for somepony to scare them so they could feel the excitement and rush. For me, it was a bit of a goodbye. I had spent the last-month with Derpy and her daughter Dinky, but it was only temporary. She couldn’t really support another young one long term and as nice as the ponies were in Ponyville, not many could or were willing to accept the burden of taking in a young colt. In a few weeks I would be sent to Canterlot, where I would live in an orphanage or foster home until I either was adopted or was old enough to live on my own.

A young filly’s voice rung out behind me, “Hey Midnight!”

I turned around to see Dinky chasing after me in her ghost costume; her horn sticking out and its aura carrying a bag of candy trailing behind her. “Hey Dinky,” I reply.

“Where are you going?” she asked me as she caught up.

“Headed to the games, maybe try to bob for apples a bit, I don’t know,” I replied.

“I think my mom was going to try her hoof at that,” she giggled.

Over the last month, I had noticed that Dinky had been following me everywhere and nearly attached to my side. She would keep me company and do her best to take my mind off of my parents death. She never did fully succeed, but I appreciated her efforts. Snips and Snails once started picking on her about being my fillyfriend. We tried explaining that we weren't but they wouldn't listen. Miss Cheerilee had me in the corner during recess for the next two days for hitting the two of them as hard as I did. Sure they managed to land a few hits of their own, it was two on one, but I didn't care. Just as long as they never brought it up again. Miss Cheerilee asked me if I was sorry for what I did. Maybe a month ago I might have, but I was just starting to feel comfortably numb. Regret wasn't exactly high on my list of emotions I wanted to bring back.

We walked to the town's center when dark clouds started appearing over head and a chariot drawn by some dark pegasi, flew down from the clouds.

“Who is that?” Dinky asked.

I stared a little harder but couldn’t really tell,“I don’t know, but let’s go find out!”

We were just about to round the bend when Dinky tripped, lost concentration and spilled her candy all over the place. I skid to a stop and began to help her pick up the pieces. We had just finished getting a fourth of it up when a loud, booming voice shouted, “CITIZENS OF PONYVILLE!”

Dinky jumped in fright, tipping over her bag. Once more, I started to pick all the pieces up but she grabbed me from behind and pulled me behind some barrels.

“W-w-what was t-t-that?” she stammered out between chattering teeth.

I shrugged my shoulders and stepped out to peek around the corner when I felt a hoof pulling me back again.

“D-d-don’t g-g-go,” she stuttered softly.

“I’m just going to see who it is. That’s all. A quick peek,” I explain.

She didn’t say anything but just nodded her head and let go. During this exchange I hadn’t really paying attention to what was being shouted, despite its loud volume. Selective hearing my mom always called it, especially when I didn’t hear her tell me to do my chores.

As I peered around the corner I saw a group of ponies, led by Pinkie Pie, running away from the center and Princess Luna standing in the middle of a bunch of bowing, terrified ponies.

“Very well then, be that way,” Princess Luna said with a little hoof stomp, “We won’t even bother with the traditional royal farewell!”

With that she walked away head high in the air. She seemed hurt by the reception she received. I turned around and to see the empty chariot flying off and land in the Everfree Forest. I took off running after it. Behind me I heard Dinky yelling for me to come back but I ignored her. I wanted to go see that chariot and those pegasi drawing it. I didn’t know of any other pegasi with dark coats besides my mom. Actually, I didn't know of any ponies with dark coats like me. I was secretly hoping that they maybe came from a place in Equestria that had tons of pegasi that looked like me. If they looked like me, then maybe I was related and wouldn't have to go to Canterlot. Besides that, if they were in the Lunar Guard, maybe they could explain my cutie mark a little better. Maybe there was a particular unit that ponies like me were placed. As I neared the forest I slowed down. I didn’t really know where they landed but it had to be in a clearing and there weren’t many of those in the Everfree Forest. I guessed at their location considering there was a nice water hole with a clearing nearby that would make a good landing zone. I walked into the forest carefully being cautious not make much noise. The last thing I needed to do was disturb anything that could be potentially hungry for a pegasus colt. I stuck to the shadows knowing I would blend in with the darkness as I drew closer to the clearing. Soon I was able to hear some voices and slowed my pace. Stepping slowly and surely, I crept until I was at the edge of the clearing, and hiding under a bush.

In the center lay the chariot and two unharnessed pegasus guards taking a break in the grass. The strange thing about these two was they had bat like wings, pointed teeth, funny looking ears and slitted yellow eyes. I would have to ask them about that when I got the chance but first I listened in on their conversation.

“So how do you think the villagers reacted to Princess Luna considering the entrance we gave them,” one remarked to the other.

The second one mulled it over for a minute, “Probably not well. We tried to warn her though. She didn’t listen, but we warned her.”

“That we did. Sometimes that’s all you can do. So, uh, how did last night go with your date? I saw you leave the bar with somepony," the first one mentioned.

"It went well," the second one answered.

"Good. Good. What was his name?” the first one teased.

The second punched the other stallion lightly, “Her name was Daisy, and last night was great and amazing. More than you can say from the way your mare showed up and slapped you for being out so late picking up other mares.”

“That’s the last time I play wingpony for you. Don’t be going and messing up my relationship because you have bad luck picking up mares,” the second laughed.

I had heard enough and stepped out from under the bush trotting up to them at a relaxed pace. I hoped I wouldn’t startle them too bad. I called out to them, “Hello!”

Suddenly four eyes locked onto me as they stood up. The one on the left spoke first, “What are you doing out here?”

The right one followed up with, “Are you lost?”

I stopped a respectful distance from the two of them, “No, I’m not lost. I was looking for the both of you.”

They looked at each other before the left one spoke again, “Looking for us? Why?”

“I wanted to talk to you. How come your wings are like that? Your eyes and teeth too. I’ve never seen another pony that looks like that,” I start asking.

The guards begin relaxing, apparently familiar with this reaction. The one on the left looks to the other, “You want to show him or shall I?”

“Can I have this one,” he replies with a smile.

The left one laughs, “By all means then.”

The right one looks back at me, “Watch this.” He proceeded to lift his helmet off. Once it was off his head his coat changed to a soft deep blue, his wings returned to their feathered state, his teeth became normal, and his eyes turned green.

I watched awe-struck.

The left one laughs even louder, “Happens everytime.”

The right one laughs with him, “Pretty neat trick huh? Those unicorns in the armory really know how to set an enchantment. My name is Storm Cloud and the goon next to me is Steel Wing.”

Steel Wing looked at his partner with narrowed eyes, “Who are you calling goon?”

Storm Cloud laughed, “You since you can’t get a date without my help.”

I speak up before they get caught up in going back and forth with each other, “So you two are in the Lunar guard?”

They look back at me. Steel Wing speaks up this time, “Yes we are; assigned to be the Princess's loyal and dependable chauffeurs and local protection.”

“That’s his way of saying travel duty,” Storm Cloud chirped in, smirking.

“I hate you so much,” Steel Wing says under his breath.

I had a hard time not smiling listening to these guys bicker, “I'm curious. Would either one of you be able to tell me anything about my cutie mark? Everypony suspects that it means I am supposed to be in the guard.” I turn so they can see it better.

The two lean down to get a better look at it.

“Hmm, a pair of crossed swords in front of a full moon, huh? Say Steel,” Storm Cloud comments, “Don’t some of those stallions in the vanguard units have some ponies with similar ones like this?”

“Maybe. All I can say is you would fit in with the rest of us. Both the Royal and Lunar guard sometimes get ponies like you that have some kind of cutie mark symbolizing dedication to one or the other,” Steel Wing explains, “That’s one hell of a cutie mark to get, uh, what’s your name?”

“Oh, I'm Midnight Shadow,” I tell them.

Storm Cloud laughs, “Midnight Shadow, huh? You aren’t a part of some kind of weird super soldier breeding program by chance are you?”

I look at him confused, “I don’t think so.”

Steel Wing smiles, “Well, you are certainly the poster pony for the guard. Hey Storm, can you imagine if we are talking to a future general. Nopony would believe us if we said we met him this young.”

Storm Cloud rolls over laughing, “I know what you mean. Hey kid, where are your parents? I’d like to meet them. Plus I’d imagine they must be getting worried having not seen you in a while.”

I look down at the ground not quite sure how to respond.

"Are you okay?" Steel Wing asked.

"They died," I said trying to keep my voice from cracking. It had been a month since their death but it had hardly made a difference and admitting they were gone still was the hardest thing to do. I take a breath and bottle everything back up. I didn't want to look weak in front of them.

Storm Cloud stopped laughing and put a hoof over my shoulder, “Sorry to hear that kid. I can’t imagine going through that at your age.”

“So what’s the situation now?” Steel Wing asked

“In a couple of weeks I’m going to be living in Canterlot in either a foster home or an orphanage,” I tell them.

“Well, I know that I can’t do much about your parents but I’ll tell you what,” Steel Wing says, “When you get settled in Canterlot, just send us a message and we’ll gather up everypony in the guard that will come and we'll visit you from time to time. Just hang in there, and you’ll go far kid.”

“Thanks,” I say, smiling a little. Hanging with these ponies, for the first time in a long time, made me feel happy.

“Also kid,” Storm Cloud spoke up, “Steel here will likely take you drinking with him so you can help him pick up some mares.” He begins laughing harder, “Just thought I should warn you.”

Steel Wing punches him, “You suck; you know that?”

I just sat and laughed as they began to wrestle. I just sat and laughed. That night I was able to put my pain away for a little while and pretend that my life was okay and not a painful wreck. I laughed that night more than I had in the past month.

****

The voices came back again.

“Forceps,” a male voice said.

“Forceps? Why.. does…. somepony…… need-”

I slipped away before I could finish that thought.

Act 1: Ch 5: Under the Cover of Darkness

The Shadow of the Moon

Act 1: Drifting

Chapter 5: Under the Cover of Darkness

I found myself on the roof of the Canterlot Orphanage looking up at the castle. I was now a month after my move from Ponyville. Everypony had come to see me off and of course Pinkie Pie threw a going away party. I would miss that town, but I couldn’t dwell on it. My situation had changed and I needed to make the best of it. Besides, it wasn’t all bad. Today had actually been a pretty good one, considering my life as an orphan in Canterlot. After I was released from school, Steel Wing and Storm Cloud had followed up on their promise and came to see me. They didn’t tell me when they were coming so I was extremely surprised to see them. They also brought two other Lunar guards with them, Fast Dive and Corkscrew. After introductions were made, we all headed to a bar.

The staff there wasn’t sure what to think of my being there at first but let me stay regardless after Steel Wing had a few words with the owner. After that we all sat down at a table and began talking and laughing. Suddenly I felt like I was everypony’s little brother. They would banter back and forth about complete nonsense, make passes at the mares that would come over to see me, and console each other when some of those passes fell flat. Around sun set they all paid up, said their goodbyes and went back to the castle to begin getting ready to go on duty. I walked back to the orphanage with a big smile on my face. From what I had heard from Corkscrew, the guard acted as one large family and that was the best part of the job. It wasn’t the pay, or just the sense of duty and honor that make it worthwhile, but the fact that there were ponies there that understood you and were there for you as much as you were there for them. I had a taste of that close knit community this afternoon and now that it was gone, my world already seemed darker.

A cold breeze ruffled the feathers in my wings bringing me back to the present. I stood in the shadows of one of the chimney stacks where I blended in. The orphanage staff didn’t like us staying up too late or coming up here, but it never stopped me from sneaking around, using the night to my advantage. I looked back up at the castle. Luna had come out earlier and raised the moon. I could only tell because her horn lit up then. Past that she was just a dark spot on a terrace. She hadn’t gone back inside though, and chose to just stand out there. I supposed she was looking at her work and enjoying the beauty of her night. I considered what it would be like to be in her service. The fact that she would technically be my boss and that I would be expected to fight for her if such a time arrived. Visions of two armies galloping across a field and clashing in the middle played through my head. Of swinging a blade or using a spear to tear through the enemy and stand victorious. The glory of it all made the prospect tantalizing.

I stared at the balcony some more as these fantasies passed. I had heard of some rumors in the streets, which wasn’t hard to do as the Cantorlot elite were quite the gossips, that there were some whispers of rebellion against Princess Luna. Those rebels believed that she was still Nightmare Moon and just lying low and waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Looking at the dark princess on her terrace, I guess it wouldn’t be hard to imagine her plotting revenge. However, from what I had heard from the from Twilight Sparkle back in Ponyville, she was a completely changed pony. That was enough proof for me. I took one last look at the dark splotch on the balcony, and saluted. Zecora’s haunting voice rang in the back of my head, “Into the guard you go; this much I know. You will protect the princess of night; with your body, soul, and might.”

I dropped my salute and put that prophesy out of my mind. I never told anypony about it as they might think I was crazy That and the fact that just thinking about it made my cutie mark start feeling warmer and warmer. I rubbed it trying to ease away the uncomfortable warmth. After I was done, I stepped out from my hiding spot and stood before the edge of the building. Taking a deep breath, I jumped into the air with a backflip and dived three stories before flaring my wings to slow myself and fly through my open window. I crash land on the floor. I quickly closed the window and locked it.

"I'm getting better but my wings are still too small."

I crawled into my bed and fell asleep, but Zecora’s voice was still lightly chanting away in my subconscious.

****

Soon, Zecora faded away. Somepony else had started speaking.

“Quick, we are lo-,”

Everything went dark.

Act 1: Ch 6: Enjoy the Small Victories

The Shadow of the Moon

Act 1: Drifting

Chapter 6: Enjoy the Small Victories

A sharp jolt brought me back. It felt like my head was swimming and everything hurt. Next thing I knew I was walking down the Canterlot streets about a block from the orphanage. All around me I heard ponies gossiping in their aristocratic voices, and today’s gossip was no different from the past two weeks’ worth. Everypony was still talking about the royal wedding, even more so now since it was taking place far above our heads. I took a seat at a street side restaurant and a waiter soon appeared.

“May I take your order, sir?” he asked haughtily.

“I’ll just take the hayfries with some water please,” I order.

“Very good, I’ll be back momentarily,” he said as he went off.

I never understood why the ponies here believed such pomp and circumstance was required for everything little thing.

“Your order, sir,” he said as he laid it down in front of me.

I gave him a few bits to cover the food and thanked him.

I sat there and munched on my hayfries, listening in on the conversations around me.

“Oh darling, I just wish I could be up there. Can you imagine how beautiful the brides dress is going to be?”

“Oh just know. I heard that it was made by that fashionista down in Ponyville.”

“Ah yes. I have several of her dresses.”

“Oh dear, they must be lovely.”

“Indeed they are.”

“My cousin was actually invited to the wedding.”

“You can’t be serious. How did she ever get one?”

“She cuts the groom's mane from time to time.”

“Is he as gorgeous in body as I hear?”

“Much more so.”

Then the two giggled as pompously as they could. I finished off my hayfries and water and left. I stretched my legs and wings. As I was stretching I looked up and saw numerous black dots surrounding the purple dome protecting the city. I walk over to the two mares I was listening to a few seconds ago.

“Excuse me, but do you two see those dots above the force field as well?” I ask them politely.

“If there was anything to worry about then the guards would already be taking care of it,” the first one replies.

“Right, sure. Thanks,” I say unconvinced.

I looked back up and the small black bodies were now ramming the barrier and cracks were beginning to show. I took off running the orphanage. Several ponies yelled at me telling me to slow down and watch where I was going, but I paid them no mind. I had somewhere to be before things went south. There were many young foals at the orphanage and if this was an attack, then they needed to be hidden and protected. I was almost there when the first attacker impacted in front of me in a big green crater. I jumped over the black bug pony and kicked it in the head for good measure. Then they started raining down. Numerous green rockets slammed down around me. I abandoned running in favor of flying which was much faster. I swerved and darted until I reached the door. I barged in and slammed it shut.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING,” the administrator yelled at me.

I kicked over a large desk and put it in front of the door to brace it shut. “I am …building defenses. ..We are…under attack,” I manage to say between gasps.

As I finished speaking, a blast from another one of those black bug-looking creatures was heard out in the street. I began grabbing coffee tables and bracing them again the windows.

The administrator huffed heading to one of the windows I hadn’t barred, “We are not,” she drew back to the curtain to see an ugly black face staring back at her with its teeth bared, “OH MY CELESTIA!”

She threw the curtain back and fainted. I lunged across the room and drug her back away from the window. Just as soon as I had done so, the window was shattered as the bug-pony came barging through. I flared my wings. Even though I wasn’t much more than a young colt, I was still strong for my age. The creature advanced on me. As soon as he was within range I swung my hindlegs around and kicked out with all my might. I felt them connect with its face and it crumpled to the floor. I lifted it up on my back and stumbled to the window. Getting level with the window sill, I slid it off my back and rolled it out the window. Above me, more windows shattered and the screams of my fellow orphans filled the air. I could hear the sound of hooves running around and things crashing and falling. Several came running down the stairs and into the lobby. I grabbed another coffee table and placed it over the broken window. More terrified ponies entered the room trying to runaway. Some had the foal from the nursery on their backs. They would drop them off and head back for more. I looked over them and saw a small filly, barely out of diapers crying. I went over her and knelt down.

“W-w-w-hat ith g-g-gwoin-g-g on,” the little filly choked out.

“We are currently under attack but it will be okay. How about you and some of the others your age go and hide in the broom closet. Okay,” I tell her softly and gently. She nodded her head, grabbed a friend and waddled over to the closet. I look around seeing who else made it down and saw that most everypony had. Now they all were talking loudly, or sobbing and crying. They were terrified. That wasn't to say I wasn’t too but things needed to done and I couldn’t break down yet. I run over to the stairwell and saw a few black bug ponies coming down. Realizing that anypony that hadn’t made it down was probably already captured I ducked out the door and slammed it shut.

“QUICK, GET A COUCH TO BRACE THIS DOOR,” I shout at the crowd of ponies below me.

Some of the older colts that heard me grabbed one and jammed it against the door as soon as I got out of the way. I scanned the crowd looking for one of the older fillies that I had seen help in the nursery before. I scanned the crowd for her white mane and pink coat. My eyes stopped when I found her in one corner with more of the smallest colts and fillies snuggled up against her. I trotted over to her.

“Hey, I’m glad I found you. Could you-,” I began.

She looked at me and spoke softly but sternly, “Look, I’m sorry I can’t help right now. I’m a touch busy at the moment.”

I take a deep breath, “I know. I wanted to tell you that yourself and the young ones can probably squeeze and hide in the broom closet where it will be safer. Can you take care of them in there?”

“Oh, uh, yeah, sure. That would be perfect. Thank you,” she said before she began herding the small foals to the closet. She stopped for a second and looked back at me, “Sorry for snapping at you.”

“It’s fine,” I tell her, “When you get to the closet, just throw all the brooms and anything you find out here. We may need to use them. Also drag the administrator in there. She fainted and leaving her out here wouldn’t do us any favors when we have to fight back.”

She gulps and nods her head. She begins to direct the foals towards the broom closet. At this moment several bangs could be heard as the bug creatures tried to bust down the stairwell door. I pump my wings so that I was above everypony else’s heads.

“LISTEN UP,” I shout. Some fell silent.

"SHUT UP!"

All was quiet then. I lower my voice to where I was loud enough to be heard but wasn't screaming, “Look, I know you are all scared. I know that you weren’t prepared for this or understand what is going on. I know this because I am the same way. However, now is not the time to break down over it. There are younger foals here that look to up to us older ones and right now, we need to show them courage, not fear. Thi-"

A bang against the door interrupted me and a few whinnied in response.

I pick up where I left off, “This is the moment we need fight back. We are under attack by Celestia knows what. Now, I don’t know about you all, but I don’t intend to sit here and let them take over without giving them something to remember me by. Right now is the time where you show that you are strong; that you are not afraid. I hope that soon the guard will be here and this mess will be taken care of, but until that time, we need to fight back. CAN WE DO THAT!?”

Some gave a weak cheer which was accompanied by another bang on the door.

I cleared my throat, “That wouldn’t even wake me up in the morning. Let’s show those bugs we mean business. ARE YOU READY!?”

This time most of them shouted louder enough that my ears were ringing slightly afterwards.

“GREAT! First, the larger earth ponies, brace that couch and do your best to keep them from getting through,” I order.

The earth ponies head off to the couch and begin bracing against it.

I look over the rest of them, “Alright, unicorns if you know any attack or defense spells, get them ready. For those of you that don’t, find anything sharp really and get ready to fling it at the enemy with as much force as you can with your magic. After you do that, form a semi-circle around the broom closet and get ready to defend it.”

The unicorns took off and began preparing. Another bang against the stairwell door grabbed my attention. When I looked, I saw the earth ponies had it taken care of and were holding their ground. The flimsy door however was beginning to buckle a little and wasn’t going to last much longer. I glanced at the other meager defenses I had hurried to put up.

I look back at the waiting ponies below me, “Alright. The rest of you, grab whatever furniture is left over and first build a defensive stockade around the unicorns at the closet. Then reinforce the windows and the doors. After that is done, grab a broom or a mop, or whatever you can find to use as a weapon. If you find anything round and weighted bring it back to the stockade as well. Hopefully, our earth ponies can buck those items at the enemy.”

With that the rest took off and I lowered myself to the ground. My wings were stronger now, but hovering for extended periods took a bit out of me. I trotted over to the earth ponies at the couch.

“How are y’all holding up?” I ask them over the banging on the door and the shouting of the ponies prepping for the fight.

The largest one looks at me, “We are holding up okay but that door isn’t going to last forever.” Sweat clung to his green coat as he braced against the shock of another barge by the creatures.

“What's your name?" I ask him as I help brace against the couch.

"Lime Hoof," he replies.

"Okay Lime Hoof, see if you can’t use the couch as a barrier after that door goes. I have some ponies scrounging for materials to reinforce the barriers but there’s no telling if it will be enough," I tell him, "This room wasn’t stocked for this.”

He nods at me.

“Keep it up as long as can and then fall back to the closet when you can’t hold out any longer,” I yell over the din. He grunts in acknowledgement.

Leaving I then trot over to the unicorns, “So how are y’all holding up?”

A pink unicorn known as Gemstone, who was maybe just a few months away from being a fully grown mare addressed me, “We are about as ready as we can be.”

“Good, how many know attack or defensive magic?” I ask, a little afraid of the response.

“Just me and Golden Light,” she gestured over to another unicorn helping gather materials for the younger unicorns the fling with their magic, “I don’t know how much help the small ones will be.”

“Any help is better than none,” I reply.

“Too true. I have to say I’m surprised you took charge so quickly. Especially since you’re so young,” she says.

I shrug, “I guess it is my special talent,” I look at my cutie mark.

She mulls it over a little, “I guess, I’m just glad somepony here has a plan.”

I nod.

“EVERYPONY GET BACK!”

I look over at the stairwell door to see some of the earth ponies running over towards me and the stockade. Lime Hoof gave the couch on last shove lodging it as best he could before galloping over.

I hover overhead once more, “Form a defensive line around the stockade and get ready because here they come!”

No sooner than I had touched the ground again, the first wave burst into the room. They pushed their way through the shattered door and knock battered couch out of the way.

I take a deep breath, “ATTACK!”

Pulses of magic flew over my head hitting the bugs-ponies square on knocking them down. Several ponies raised a cheer at this and began adding their contributions. The earth ponies bucked small busts of former administrators into the advancing enemy. This wasn’t as pretty. Some of the enemy were stumbling around, green blood dripping from their snouts before collapsing. Others would crumple dead on the floor from the impact of the projectiles. Some of the really young orphans began crying at the sight of this. Even fewer kept through their tears. The few older ones just kept going with a glazed look in their eyes. They were trying to ignore what they were doing, or telling themselves that it was to protect the little ones. The pencils that the little unicorns were flinging weren't doing much damage so I began yelling out targets for the younger unicorns to co-ordinate their attacks on. After that several of the creatures began falling to the floor, unable to continue as they were impaled by scissors or a few pencils. Some of the unicorns had taken the knives from the kitchen and those proved very deadly. Before long, green blood had seeped across the hard wood floor in front of the door and made it slick. Several of the bug-ponies started flying to avoid slipping and tripping over the dead bodies.

After those first twenty or so had died, the number of bug-ponies coming down began dwindling and the orphans began cheering. I too started until I noticed that more had gathered outside and were beating down the window defenses and the main door.

“GOLDEN LIGHT! GOLDEN LIGHT,” I shouted over the cheering.

“WHAT,” I heard her respond.

“GET READY TO SWITCH TO DEFENSIVE SPELLS,” I yelled back.

“WHY,” I heard the confused unicorn respond.

Before I had a chance to explain the main door burst wide open and the bugs began pouring in. I saw a small yellow force field go up around the barricade and the other unicorns were pitching in their magic to help support it. I grabbed a broom and charged the oncoming swarm screaming. I swung the broom handle and whacked one upside the head. Its green blood  began spewing from its mouth and the handle had snapped leaving me with a sharp point at the end. I began bucking, and stabbing and screaming. Green blood splattered wherever I struck. Soon I began to see other ponies joining the fray. I caught a glance of Lime Hoof in the conflict and he prove to be a fighting machine. I couldn’t tell whether it was his coat or the blood that made him look green anymore. I looked around to check the defensive barrier and when I turned back around I saw Golden Light in front of me.

I gave a confused look and shouted, “WHAT ARE YOU-” She kicked me in the face. I wiped the blood from my face. She was glaring down at me with a deadly look in her eyes. She reared back on her back legs, preparing to stomp down on me. I reached over with my mouth, gagging at the bitter taste of blood on the broom handle and put the point between me and her and braced it against the ground. She didn’t see the handle and came plummeting down on it with a sickening squelch. Her eyes went wide as the makeshift spear pierced her chest. She choked and green blood flew from her mouth and landed on me. Her emerald blood trickled down the handle and into my mouth. Letting of my makeshift spear, I kicked out with my legs, flipping her over. I grabbed my spear with my hooves and ripped it from her body.

Her coat began to change from the bright yellow to black and her eyes shifted to slitted green ones.

“What the hell?”

I looked back to the stockade where Golden Light was still straining to uphold the shield. The orphans were holding out okay but more and more the bug-creatures began changing into familiar faces. It was impossible to tell friend from foe.

I scream as I felt a sharp bite on my flank. I turn back around to see a bug-pony tearing into my flesh. I kick out and knock the thing away. I reach for my broom handle but get knocked to the floor. I curl up into a ball while the bug-ponies trample me.

Suddenly a purple flash came tearing through the room. The bugs were thrown against the wall and crushed to death as the purple force field expanded. I look around and see the yellow force field around the barricade had faded out. The orphans all looked at each other, thankful that it was over. Several sat down and began crying, whether from joy that the onslaught was over, or from the fact they had killed, I wasn’t sure. Golden Light opened the closet.

"It's over now. We're safe. I would stay in there though. It's not a pretty sight out here.

I looked around the room. She was right. Dead bodies were everywhere. My eyes lingered on one green body. My stomach caught in my throat. I limp over to Lime Hoof. His heaving sides told me that his breathing was becoming more and more difficult.

“Hey,” his said faintly as I came into his field of vision. He had several deep gashes where it looked like the bug creatures had bit him with their sharp teeth along his neck. Red blood poured from them, staining his coat and the floor.

“Gemstone,” I call out, “Come here!”

I hear her trotting over to me. As she came closer, she gasped at the sight in front of me.

“Can you do anything?” I ask her.

“I-I-I don’t know. I can try though,” she said and her horn began to glow. She focused as hard as she could but nothing happened. The light around her horn died out and she shook her head.

I look down at the earth pony next to me.

“I guess this is it, huh,” he chokes.

I didn’t say anything.

He breathes in painfully, “At least we won right?” He tries to smile but it looks too much like a grimace.

“Yeah, we did,” I say, trying to keep from crying.

“Good. Good,” he says.

I lift his head and cradle it, “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be kid, don’t. You did a good job. You did all you could,” he coughs and struggles to take another breath.

“Thank you,” I say and I feel him exhale one last time as his head goes limp in my head, “Thank you.” Gemstone puts her hoof on my shoulder and I get up. I rub a hoof over his eyes to close them. I wasn't thanking him for the compliment. I was thanking him for fighting, for doing what others could not. I was thanking him for dying. I turn around to see the other ponies with the head hung low out of respect. I look at them all and despite the cloud over my heart at seeing the carnage all around me, I was glad to see no other casualties. They began to lift their heads up a few at a time and look at me expectant for me to say something. I didn’t anything.

Fortunately a few of the Royal guard walked into the room performing checks and gasped at the sight before them.

"What happened here?" one of them asked.

The administrator had heard that and stepped of the closet. She began talking to the guards with the help of Golden Light and Gemstone to fill in the tale of what happened. I went and sat down by the stockade that we had built and defended. I stared at the black and green splatters on the wall where the bug creatures the guards called changlings had been crushed by the bright purple force field. If only it had come sooner, maybe he’d still be alive. My foalish ideas about what combat would be like were dead. They died with Lime Hoof. War was no longer just a game to me. It had become a reality.

I felt my adrenaline rush dying off and the fatigue setting in. My flank hurt, but it was the least of my problems. I was already busy trying to bottle up my emotions. All the fear and panic, the pain, the regret; all of it had to go.

I heard my name mentioned several times by the orphans as they began reporting their versions of what happened to the guards. I lay down from exhaustion and before my head hit the ground, I was out.

****

 I heard the voices coming back but they faded this time before I could listen to them.

Act 1: Ch 7: Hoof Picked

The Shadow of the Moon

Act 1: Drifting

Chapter 7: Hoof Picked

I was standing in a formation of Lunar Guards. On a platform in front of us, the captain in charge of overseeing our training was giving a speech about how we had survived fourteen weeks of grueling, rigorous hell and he was proud. I didn't care too much about his speak. It was fairly standard and boring. I was more interested by what was above him. On a  balcony, standing in the light of the moon was the princess of the night herself. Princess Luna was looking over all of us and appeared to be silently appraising her future troops.

“GROUP,” the captain gave the preparatory command, “TENCH-HUT!”

We all lock up and face straight ahead with a neutral expression.

“PRESENT, HOOVES,” he ordered.

We salute sharply and with an audible snap of many hooves connecting with the front edge of our helms.

“ORDER, HOOVES,” he shouts.

Our hooves come down over our chests and clop with finality on the ground. Both the captain and Princess Luna nod approvingly at our precision and form.

The captain steps forward, “YOU ARE HEREBY DISMISSED TO GO GATHER YOUR COMMISSIONS FROM THE QUARTERMASTER. AFTERWARDS YOU MAY GO ENJOY YOURSELVES, JUST REMEMBER YOU HAVE TO REPORT IN TOMORROW FOR DUTY!”

With that he stepped off the platform and went inside. I looked back up at the balcony expecting it to be empty and the princess gone. Instead was met with two sparkling and bright cyan eyes. I wasn’t sure if she was staring at me or some other pony. I took a quick peek around to find nopony else looking up at her. They were all involved in a discussion over what bar to go to and get drunk. I look back up to see her still staring me. She smiles at me. She then turns around and heads inside.

“Was she just looking at me? No, out of all the others here, why would she look at me in particular? It's just a coincidence. However, she also smiled at me.”

I turn my head and look at my wings.

"Nope, still look like a bats.The enchantment is still working."

I looked just the same as the others, except that I was a bit broader, taller and more muscular. I extended one of my wings looking at its span. They a bit smaller than most of the other pegasi though. I had always been a large pegasus, probably thanks to my dad's earth pony genes kicking in more than they probably should have. Some ponies thought it was an early growth spurt when I was a colt, but now as a stallion I stand nearly a full head taller than my counterparts.

“Okay, maybe that’s how you could single me out if you wanted to. Still, it could be she is just being nice.”

Noticing that I had been standing there for quite a while without moving, the line had moved ahead of me. I go and catch up to the others. I could see the quartermaster reading each commission, and making sure it looked proper before passing into over the waiting pony. I watched him work and occasionally, he would say give some special instructions to those that had earned a special commission. Typically to report for more training depending on the type of job. A select few had apparently been selected for Lunar Special Forces or the Night Rangers, both of which were hard to get into, and were largely responsible for coining of the phrase, "Black Operations."

“I want to get one of those. During training I was able to keep up with some of the earth ponies during the physical exercises and did pretty well in the flight tests. I was by no means the fastest flyer, or the strongest. I am not much of a flyer at all really. I barely passed that phase of training. Shoot, the trainer in charge scrawled on the bottom of my testing sheet that I should have my classification officially changed from 'Pegasus' to 'Earth pony with wings.' However, the field exercises were where I particularly shined.”

We were placed in squads of five. Mine consisted of two earth ponies, two pegasi, including myself, and a unicorn. One of the earth ponies was assigned team leader. We were dropped off in the Everfree forest and told to find our way back to the castle. First group to do so would be allowed leave for the weekend. At first our leader did okay, getting us organized and heading in the right direction. However, when he was studying the terrain from a ledge above a small ravine, the ledge crumbled out from underneath him. He fell and with a sickening crack broke three of his legs.

I took lead after that accident. I had the other pegasus in the squad perform reconnaissance and find easier paths through forest but to not get more than fifty meters from us at all times. I ordered the unicorn to splint the downed pony’s legs and create a stretcher that the second earth pony and I could carry across our backs. I took on the injured earth pony’s saddlebags which were fairly heavy and gave the unicorn mine to carry since they were smaller and lighter. He didn’t care much for having to carry two saddlebags but didn’t complain after I told him he was welcome to switch positions with me. Eventually we made it out of the forest with no more complications.

No sooner than we had left the darkness of the forest, a different squad came running out from behind us. They over took us running back to the castle as quickly as they could, clearly hoping to earn that weekend leave. The pegasus in my squad wanted to pick up the pace but I squashed that idea. I didn’t feel comfortable jostling around the make shift stretcher any more than we had to as each shake would bring pain the injured pony and if the vines snapped, it wouldn't be easy finding spares the further we walked from the forest. We continued on our normal pace and set camp that night on a field half way between the forest and the castle.

We managed to build a small fire from some grasses and shrubs we found growing in the area. We were constantly having to add to it to keep it lit, but the warmth felt good as did the hot meal. About an hour after the sun had set another squad walked up. They saw our little fire and asked if they could join us. After they sat down, they began relating their journey through the Everfree. They had run into a manticore and managed to sustain minimal injuries except for one that took a barb from its tail in the flank as they ran away. He was hobbling along but it slowed their pace considerably. They joked about it being a pain in the ass. Everypony laughed at that. I relayed what had happened to our designated leader, who was on the stretcher. I didn't have any cute puns though. While both our troops sat around the fire glad to be off their feet, I took the other leader aside. We studied the mountain path ahead of us that would take us to the castle up above and decided it would be best to combine forces and help one another up.

The following morning we set out. We reached the base of the mountain around midday and took a small lunch before starting the climb. It was cold a treacherous, but we finally made it. The ten of us stumbled through the Canterlot streets; cold, tired but determined to each the castle by night fall. As we crossed the castle gates, medical teams came and took our wounded as the rest of us were sent to eat and clean ourselves. At night fall we were to report to the training field and debrief the events that had transpired on our journey’s back.

At the debrief I told the training instructor the whole story of how my squad and another joined up and helped each other get back up the mountain. The training instructor called me and the leader from the other squad together and told us that we had passed the field training exercise flawlessly. We looked at him confused. He then explained that while, yes, the objective was to return first, it was much more important to take care of each other and to never leave a pony behind.

“Name?” a voice in front of me asked.

I shook out of my thoughts. I was now at the front of the line.

“Midnight Shadow, sir,” I report.

The quartermaster looks through the scrolls, “K....l.....m. Let's see,... Midnight, ah here it is.” He opened the scroll and read it. His eyes grew a little as he read it.

“Is there a problem?” I ask a little excited.

“No, no problem,” he swallows, “Uh, just follow me.” He turned to the pony behind him, “Can you take care of the rest of these ponies in line?”

“Yes, sir,” the soldier replied and stepped forward.

“Follow me now,” the quartermaster said to me again and began walking.

I followed him through the many chambers and halls. I don’t know how he kept track of where we were because I was soon lost my bearings. After about five minutes of walking he stopped before a door.

“This is as far as I can take you,” he said as he handed me my commissioning scroll. He pointed at a strange stone next to the door with a small moon on it, “Place your hoof on that when you are ready to enter. By now they should have added your profile to the enchantment and it should recognize you. I wish you good luck, sir,” and he trotted off.

“Sir? Why did he just call me sir? I am not an officer.”

The quartermaster’s hoof steps were no longer audible and I couldn’t see or hear anypony else around me. Sighing I look at the closed scroll in my hoof. Laying it on the ground I open it carefully with my hooves.

Inside of it, written in flowing curvy script read, “Please bring Midnight Shadow to the L.S.T.D. briefing room upon receiving this scroll.”

“L.S.T.D? What is that? If I were to guess that ‘L’ stands for Lunar, but the rest I am at a loss for.”

I close the scroll and look at strange enchanted stone next to the door and study it a minute as if it were going to give me all the answers I was looking for but found nothing.

“Whatever this place is, it sure has a lot of security. Well, standing here isn’t going to get me anywhere. Let’s do this!”

I place my hoof on the stone. As soon as my hoof touched the surface, it began to engulf my hoof in a pulsing blue light and heated up. I looked away from the light as became too bright. Then, just as soon as it started, it was over and I found myself teleported into a strange room with a softly glowing, dark blue table in the center with several ponies standing around it talking and looking over the many scrolls and papers strewn across it. On the walls were maps of Equestria and its cities with lines and various thing pinned on them. On the ceiling were a series of lights shining down on the whole site. On either side of this room were doors that led to several side rooms. Nopony had bothered to acknowledge me yet so I stepped forward into the light.

“Hello? Private Midnight Shadow reported as ordered,” I declared. The entire room falls silent as the ponies look up and stare at me saying nothing. I begin to feel a little nervous at their reactions.

Suddenly from behind me, a cool, soothing voice speaks, “There are no such things as privates here.”

I turn around to find myself face to face with Princess Luna. I come to a sharp salute. She laughs softly, “Come with me Lieutenant,” and begins to walk to one of the side rooms.

I follow her, “Why is she calling me 'Lieutenant' and where is this?”

She opens a door to a room with a table and a dim light over it. I couldn’t see the backside wall of the room as it was obscured by blackness that wouldn’t be pierced by the lamps low light.

“Close the door behind you and strip your armor,” she tells me in her soft voice and gives me a demure smile.

I shut the door and begin removing the armor piece by piece, starting with the helm and finishing with the hoof plates.

“Well I’ve had dreams similar to this, but I doubt this is going to end to same way.”

“Ah, much better,” she commented, “Now would you place that stuff into the box behind the door.”

I turn around and see the box she is referring to. I picked up the armor and place it in there. As I finished the entire box was surrounded by her blue aura and disappeared in a flash, teleported away somewhere else. I turned around to see the princess looking at me smiling.

“Now, I assume you have some questions but first let me see if I can’t answer most of them,” she started, “I must say, your name precedes you Midnight. I remember first hearing about you from my chariot guards, I believe you know them. They were joking, as they always do, about a young colt that had a cutie mark on his flank that consisted of a pair of swords crossed over the moon. This raised my interest as not many bear cutie marks similar to yours. While it isn’t unheard of, it still isn’t common despite having been around for many centuries. Before my banishment, I did some research on them and settled on called them duty marks, as that's what they symbolized. Like cutie marks though, little is known about why the occur but no two match perfectly which led me to believe that each pony bearing one serves in their own special way. Kind of like having two different talents of your flank.

Anyway, back on topic. Being curious, I asked more about you. You have an interesting story to say the least and over the years, we have watched you grow. You shown great promise at an early age you led a successful defensive against the changeling attack at your orphanage.

While this was remarkable, I had to see how you would handle your official training. I must say, you definitely delivered and it was certainly a pleasure to watch you. After seeing your leadership skills and physical prowess, I wrote that scroll in placement of your official commission to the Lunar Special Forces. I want you to be a part of the Lunar Specialized Tasking Division instead. I have created this group to handle particular assignments that I need taken care of without going through official channels. We are blacker than anything else and nopony know of us outside of our initials. This unit is composed of the best of the best, and you have shown that you most certainly are amongst those. Also, with this commission you are promoted to Lieutenant. The only thing now is whether you choose to accept this."

She looked at me expectantly. I thought over everything she just said. It was an easy decision. I looked her straight in her pretty blue eyes and said, “When do I start?”

Her smile broadened as she came over and gave me hug, which took me by complete surprise, “You begin immediately!” Her horn glowed as more lights came on revealing a long locker room where I thought the back wall would be. She gestured to follow and began walking down the rows of lockers. I didn’t mind following her in the least.

“As a part of this task force, you will be handling much harder assignments than that of any other facet of the Lunar Guards. Due to the potential danger, we issue armor that can deal with the missions much more appropriately,” she halted, “Open it.”

I looked at the locker she indicated. On the front of it black door on a plate read, “Midnight Shadow” with “Lieutenant” below it. I reached out and opened the door. Inside was a black vest with various pockets and flaps on it. There also appeared to be some kind of armor for my wings and a set of boots looking things that I wasn’t sure of. There was also a something with some kind of wires that looked like it went around my neck and a helmet.

        “Put it on,” she instructs.

I reach in and grab the vest first. I notice some straps on it and pull on them. I stopped when they begin making a ripping sound in fear I had damaged it.

Princess Luna laughed, “A new development from research and development. They called it Velcro. You pull it up and can press it down and it will stick to itself.”

I pull the straps of and see how they went through a narrow hoop. I undid the straps put the vest on and replaced them. It felt snug but firm I noticed it was more flexible that my old breastplate.

“This has overlapping steel bands sown into the vest which has been made of a strong but light weight material. This had been shown to last longer and resist much more damage than traditional armor. Next your neck armor and helmet,” she directed.

I pull them out noticing they had similar Velcro straps. I put both articles on while she talks, “The neck sleeve had a magical transmitter that always you to talk to us and vice versa without needed to be near each other or very loudly. The helmet has several layers of enchantments to help protect you and a night vision filter in the visor.”

This went on and on with each piece in the locker. The boots were armored and had spring loaded blades hidden in the forelegs that could be shot out and retracted just by rotating my hoof a certain way. The wing armor had sharp blades that fit against the leading bones both protecting them and turning them into deadly weapons. Over all, the armor was very advanced and very expensive from the sounds of things. After Princess Luna had helped me learn how to put it all on and work it, while laughing and apparently having fun watching my expressions as I discovered its surprises, I stored it all back in the locker.

“So now that you have seen your armor, you will spend the next few weeks being trained how to use it and fight with it,” she smirked, “and I get to watch every second. It’s my favorite part of initiation.”

I turn to the princess after I closed the door of the locker, “Sounds lovely. So which one of those ponies next door will be mopping the floor with me?”

Princess Luna’s smile grew larger, “Me.”

I paused and looked at her, “You not serious.”

“What? I have much more experience than all of you combined and have fought in more wars than you can imagine. Just because I am a princess and, judging from the way you have looked at me several times since we first began, quite beautiful,” she paused, while I stuck my head in the locker to hide my reddening cheeks. I felt her step up next to me and place her hoof next to mine and her wing on my flank. She spoke in a soft, sultry voice next to my ear, “Doesn’t mean I can’t put up a fight.”

With that she slid a wing under my left hind leg and whipped it out from underneath me while grabbing my right front and pulling it underneath me towards her. I fell face first into my locker while she chuckled behind me.

“Alright, point taken, but it won’t work twice,” I grumble.

She had a mischievous smile, “We shall see.”

Standing up and trying to avoid being put in a situation where I ended up on the ground again, I ask, “So what will I be doing that requires me to be wearing all that?”

She was silent and the mirth suddenly vanished from her face, “How much have you heard about the terrorist group that call themselves ‘The Seen?’”

****

The world twisted as disappeared as a sharp pain in my shoulder drove me deeper into the blackness.

Act 1: Ch 8: Preemptive Action

The Shadow of the Moon

Act 1: Drifting

Chapter 8: Preemptive Action

I stood in an alleyway in full tactical gear with my squad as surveillance monitored the building across the street and two down. Less than two weeks ago I had completed another fourteen weeks training with Princess Luna who ultimately kicked my ass, but taught me much more. She still beat me regularly, but now our fights lasted easily fifteen minutes rather than fifteen seconds. She was a hard one to get a feeling for; she could go from flirting to ass kicking in less than a second with left me guessing the entire time. In addition to learning to fight with her, I was taught crime scene analysis, advanced tactic movements, explosives, intelligence gathering and surveillance. It was very comprehensive but at the end she declared I was ready and I met the rest of the team, or at least the team I would be working with on hunting down the Seen. In was a strange name, but it didn’t make them any less dangerous. I remember hearing about them when I was still in the orphanage. They mainly bombed astronomical buildings or anything really that related to Princess Luna, claiming that she was still Nightmare Moon in disguise.

We had a break in the case thought last week. One of our analysts had found a shipment delivered to a Canterlot business address containing the right quantities and ingredients to create blasting powder. We found the owners of the building and asked some questions. As it turned out they had paid some contractors to renovate the building. We did some digging into the construction company that the contractors claimed to be from and found no record of one being filed with the Equestian Business Bureau. The names that the contractors gave the owners turned out to be fake too when he checked birth records.

Now we had the building surrounded by several teams and even invited the Special Solar Services to come help making it a joint operation between the Lunar and Royal Guards. The S.S.S. was Celestia’s equivalent of us, and I could see some similarities in the gear we used.

A voice came over the transmitter, “Alright, listen up teams, surveillance teams heard everything they needed to hear and intelligence says there are twelve ponies in the building, eight on the first floor and four on the second. Let’s make this quick, clean and quiet. Ready up and wait for my signal.”

My squad stood up. We check each other’s gear and bro-hoofed to signal everything looked okay and informal way of saying good luck and good hunting. I looked across the street at the S.S.S team.

“You night crawlers ready for this?” one of them asked over the radio.

One of the L.S.T.D. squads over heard this, “You bet your sun-burned asses we are.”

Laughter filled the com-link until command stepped in, “Alright, lock it up. On my mark move in on the structure and hold position on the doors. Three, two, one, mark!”

We poured out of the alley in a staggered column diagonally across the street. I looked around and see other teams approaching on their lines of attack. We stacked up against the wall outside the door.

My team leader whispered over the com-link, “Dark Talon set.”

Other teams began reporting in, “Star Light set.”

“Daybreak ready.”

“Morning Dew ready.”

“Eagle Eye had visual on the scene from above.”

“Command copies all. Alright that’s everypony. Breach on my mark. Three, two, one, mark!”

Daybreak squad busted down the door and my squad followed them through. It was exhilarating. I could hear the other soldiers commanding the ponies to lie on the ground and put their hooves on their heads. Daybreak, Star Light and Morning Dew took the ground level while my squad, Dark Talon, would have to take to top floor. This was the most dangerous part. We had the element of surprise on those on the first floor, but those on the upper floor had more time to prepare.

We went up the stairs carefully; the pony up front watching the top of the stairs while the second pony checked above. Over the radio the ground team confirmed the first floor was clear and secured. They began searching for intelligence that could shed light on the Seen’s activities. My squad continued without incident up the stairs with no problem but were greeting by a hallway with all the doors closed.

“They probably holed up in rooms. Sweep and clear and watch each other’s backs. Go,” my team leader ordered.

My squad split into two three-pony teams; on for each side of the hall. I was in the breach pony spot. I got in front of our first door and kicked it open and stood to the side while the other two ponies rushed in. I stood guard outside so that nopony stuck up behind us while they subdued the rebel inside. I heard a surge of energy from behind me. I had just started to turn when I just hit by something in the side and thrown against the hallway wall. The Seen unicorn in the room had fired a spell at me before my teammates had time to put a negation ring over his horn. He smiles wickedly before getting kicked in the face. My squadmates slide the negation ring over his horn and kick him again. His body slumps as he goes unconscious. Seeing they had it taken care of, I look down at my side. Breathing hurt which meant I probably broke a rib or two. The vest sustained most the damage as the battered steel plates now shown where the black fabric burned away. Once they secured the room and the pony within they joined me again.

"You still in one piece?" one of them asks.

"More or less so," I wince.

He nods, "Good, now let's keep going."

I moved up to the next door and repeated the process. My ribs were killing me now and kicking down doors wasn't helping. My team subdues other rebel inside.

I turn to the second breaching pony on the other side of the hall, “How many have you captured?”

“Two,” he replies, “You?”

“Same. That should be all of them, right?” I ask.

“This is Command, proceed with caution regardless.”

“Copy,” I respond.

By this time my breach team had joined me, and one taps me on the shoulder, “Hey, you mind if I get this one?”

I look at the door, “Be my guest.”

My squad member nods his head appreciatively and I take his spot. It was now my job to be first in and first to react. He lines up on the line and busts it right open, leaving it hanging on one hinge. I rush into the room and gagged at the sight before me.

“What the hell happened here?” my squad mate asks rhetorically.

“This is Command, what have you found?”

I hesitate a moment as my breach pony looks in to see what the fuss is about and barely holds in his lunch.

“Blood. Lots of it,” I finally respond.

“How bad?” Command asks.

I grab the camera from one of the pouches on my vest, “I’ll show you the photos when I get back.”

“Command copies.”

I turn to my breach partners, “Why don’t you two clear the next room while I process this room.”

They nodded their heads and exited.

I lined up the viewfinder and snapped the photo. I zoomed in and snapped a few more. I looked at the walls and took another snapped a few more. I tucked the camera back and sealed the pouch. I took on last look at the room shaking my head as I closed the door as best I could behind me.

“Command, I gathered what I could, but you may want to send an evidence retrieval unit and a clean-up crew,” I report.

“Understood,” Command responds.

The top floor had been cleared so my squad grabbed to prisoners and headed downstairs where we were greeted by the other teams.

“Everypony ready for exfiltration?” Daybreak leader asks.

Everypony nodded.

“Alright,” he gets on the com-link, “Command, we are ready for exfil.”

“Command copies. It is en route.”

He nods, “Thank you.”

We sat there in silence waiting, the adrenaline dying off my that everything had settled down. Shortly a large wagon pulled up outside.

“I believe that’s our ride,” one of the S.S.S. troops commented.

Everypony grabbed a captive and filed out the door. We laid the prisoner on the floor of the wagon while the rest of us piled in and sat on the sides. We began rolling back to the castle as we watched the retrieval teams go to work.

The pony next to me nudged me, “So I heard you on the radio. You said something about finding blood. What was it?”

One of the prisoners began laughing hysterically, “HAHAHAHAHA,SHE SCREAMED. SCREAMED AND SCREAMED. HAHAH-”

I cut his laughter short with a brutal punch that broke his jaw and dislodged some teeth. When he continued to chortle and spew blood everywhere, I grabbed him by his injured jaw in one hoof and punched him again with the other, this time knocking him out. I wiped the blood off on his coat.

I looked at the pony next to me, “You don’t want to know.”

The pony nodded slowly.

“Besides, you’ll find out soon enough during debriefing,” I add.

The only noise the rest of the ride was the sound of the wheel creaking and rolling over the cobblestones.

In the debriefing room, a large round table with a hollow center took up the middle of the room. Sitting at it were the Princesses, Captain Dusker, who turned out to be Command, and the squad leaders. Everypony else who had a hoof in the raid sat around it, listened and looked at the debriefing packets that contained a log of the radio communication, pictures that had been taken and who took them, and basic information from the mission brief earlier that week.

Captain Dusker was speaking, “I would consider this raid a success. We have twelve of members of the Seen captured for interrogation, stopped them from building and detonating any explosive devices, and suffered no casualties. However, looking at these pictures, I give pause at the ones taken by Lieutenant Midnight Shadow.”

Everypony had seen the photos. Most were in shock at what was there.

He continued, “With the council permission I would like to call upon Lieutenant Shadow to retell the events first hoof.”

The council consented. I stood up from my place and walked to hollow center where I could address the council. I turned towards Captain Dusker. He was a faded, deep blue unicorn with a bronze mane.

He began to speak, “Lieutenant Shadow, if you-”

“Excuse me Captain,” Princess Luna spoke out, “Would you mind if I question him?” She smiled sweetly. I looked at her surprised and as she looked at me her eyes sparkled softly.

He dipped his head, “Not at all ma’am. Please proceed.” He sat back as his horn lit up and brought a quill forth for him to take notes with.

She turned her undivided attention to me and the smile drifted from her face as it grew more serious, “Lieutenant Shadow, please relay the events that led you to discover what is in the photographs, please.”

I take a breath, “I was originally in breach position, but at the request of one of my squad mates who wanted to kick down a door, I shifted back to first entry. He kicked in the door and I charged in performing a standard sweep and clear tactic. Upon seeing the room empty I stopped in shock of the sight before me.”

“Could you describe what you saw for us please?” she asked.

I swallowed, “The room was covered in blood. There were four stakes drilled into the floor. The remains of a mare unicorn were tied to these stakes. The remains were in the center of a pentagram of sorts, of which I don’t know the purpose. From what I could tell, the mare was eviscerated and tortured. There were raw marks on the legs from where she tugged and pulled of the restraints. I speculate that cause of death was..,” I falter.

“Take your time,” Princess Celestia spoke up.

“When you’re ready,” Princess Luna added.

I steeled my nerves and took a breath, “I suspect cause of death was the magical inversion of her horn, driving it into her brain. This could have been as quick or as slow as the killer could have wanted, and I fear it was likely the latter of the two.”

“Sorry,” Captain Dusker, spoke up and looked at the Princesses who gave him a nod to continue, “But what makes you say that?”

“Her eyes sir,” I reply, “Her eyes. They been cut from the skull stuck in a visage of pure horror and pain. Not to mention her horn wasn’t fully inverted, suggesting the killer stopped when she had died. I found her eyes sitting on a table next to the wall where the following was written in what I assume is her blood, ‘We are watching.’”

The council erupted in discussion.

“EXCUSE ME,” Princess Luna shouted in the Royal Canterlot voice, and everypony fell silent, “Do you anything else to report?”

“No ma’am,” I shake my head.

“Alright, as of this moment, I want you to take the lead on this. Your field analysis seems to be quite detailed for only spending a few minutes in the room. I hope such eye for detail proves helpful in putting a stop to this mutilation of our citizens,” Princess Luna paused, “Does anypony have any dispute to Lieutenant Shadow taking lead on this?”

Nopony said anything, but varying expressions could be seen. Some of the squad leaders looked at me with sadly, having been saddled with going over such gruesome crimes. Captain Dusker sat expressionless, in thought. Princess Celestia looked approvingly at me.

“It is settled then,” she concluded, “You are to pursue those responsible by any means at your disposal. You may be seated.”

I walked away, burdened by my new found responsibility. In the back of my mind the old prophesy whispered,

“Both of you will fight to the death; up until the very last breath.

Win, save us all; lose and the night princess will fall.”

I pushed it away as I drifted off asking myself, “Who am I fighting?”

****

I heard the voices. They were getting louder, somepony was screaming loudly. I couldn’t tell who it was as everything sounded distorted but some primal part of my brain recognized it and told me to get up. My eyes snapped open. The bright light above me blinded me so looked away. My left eye had a hard time focusing. My right eye though caught the terrified face of what appeared to a nurse.

“Doctor he’s awake,” she said. Everything was still distorted.

“Give him just enough propofol to put him under again and get her out of here,” the voice I assumed was the doctor directed.

I looked around the room trying to see who “her” was. My right I zoned in on a dark blue alicorn fighting against medical staff trying to get to me.

“MIDNIGHT,” she yelled, reaching a hoof out to me as the staff ponies overwhelmed her.

“Luna,” I croaked. I felt a hoof try holding me down. I struck out with a head butt and felt it connect and the hoof went away. I rolled to one side and fell off the gurney and landed with a hard thump on the floor.

“AAAGGHH,” I cried out in pain. The nurse screamed. Every part of me hurt. I tried to lift myself up with my right foreleg but felt nothing happening.

“Restrain him quickly,” the doctor-voice said, “Before he kills himself.”

The primal voice in my head kept urging me to find Luna. I try to pick myself up with my left foreleg this time and barely made it up before I fell forward again. I felt something warm and sticky start seeping around me. The smell of copper filled the air. I tried crawling to the exit.

“Midnight,” I heard Luna shout from further away.

“Luna,” I croaked again. I couldn’t get my right foreleg to work with me so I kept pulling myself feebly with my left. “I’m coming Luna,” I continue to croak.

“You’re going nowhere,” nurse-voice said. I sharp pinch caught my in the neck.

“Luuunnnnaaaaa,” I croak one last time as the darkness over takes me.

Act 1: Ch 9: Getting Closer...

The Shadow of the Moon

Act 1: Drifting

Chapter 9: Getting Closer...

I was standing outside the “door” that led to headquarters. It was going to be a long night. As a member of the LSTD I had one screwed up sleep schedule. Sometimes I slept at night and worked the day, or slept through the day and worked at night. My sleep was scheduled around the raids and not because I needed to be there to kick in the door. Since Luna appointed me case lead on catching the ponies responsible behind the ritualistic murders of the Seen, I had been placed on restricted field duty, and in place of that I was permitted to stop by Princess Luna’s chambers to deliver reports and news so that she didn’t have to trek all the way down. Now I spent most of my time in the command center listening in and giving orders over the microphone. That wasn’t to say that being the commander didn’t have its own set of highs and lows, or gets my adrenaline going, but it wasn’t the same as actually being there in full tactical gear sweeping buildings.

Tonight had been rough. The information we had been able to extract from the prisoners we captured had proved invaluable up to now. In the past month, my raid teams had taken down twelve locations throughout Canterlot. We had been really kicking ass and taking names. Some of the support ponies in the command center had begun calling the raid teams “Midnight’s Shadows” and the name stuck. We suffered no casualties; we struck fast, and left no trace. Everything was looking up.

After today though, it seemed we might be back to square one. I had sent several teams to go make a bust on a confirmed Seen hangout. The teams were excited and in high spirits. The command room was bristling with anticipation. We ran like a well-oiled machine. I gave the go ahead and the teams rushed the building. We weren’t expecting the kind of surprise the teams found. After the building had some cleared and secured, my “Shadows” came back to base and the evidence retrieval team moved in.

I had just finished with mission debriefing. It was small; made up of myself and my “Shadows.” I would take their accounts and the evidence submitted and present it to Princess Luna privately. Right now though, I had a bigger concern. I walked through to castle heading to Princess Luna’s chambers. Over the last month, I had learned to navigate the maze of hallways and could find just about anything now. I marveled at the craftsponies that built this place. The attention to detail was impeccable. I would have to ask one of the Princesses how long it had taken to build this place sometime.

Taking a right I in the right hallway and Princess Luna’s chambers were on the left. As I approached her room the guards stopped me.

“Sorry, but you can’t enter,” the guard on the left droned.

I was taken aback, “Excuse me?”

“You are excused,” the right guard smirked.

I looked at him incredulously, “What was that smart-ass?”

“He said you were excused,” the large earth pony guard took a step towards me, “Now I recommend you best run along and comeback later. The Princess said no visitors, aside from her sister and a select few.”

I didn’t back down, “Well soldier, I can assure you I am one of the select few.”

“Well, I sure don’t recognize you, so scram,” he barks as he moves forward another step.

These two were starting to run through my patience quickly, “I am Lieutenant Midnight Shadow with special orders from the Princess, now get out of my way.”

“What division,” the guard interrogated, “I want to clear this first.”

I facehoof, “I am in the “way above your pay grade and so damn classified you can drown in red tape” division. Does that make it clear?”

“Listen here,” the guard snarls and closes the gap between me and him, “I don’t give a damn where you’re from so beat it and come back later.”

I grind my teeth, contemplating the various ways I could dispatch the two until I have a brilliant idea. I smile at the guard, “You know what; I will be back later.”

I trot off and leave the two of them stumped. I wait until I am out of sight before opening a window. I check my saddlebags and jump out the window. I dive to pick up my speed before unfurling my wings and whipping back up to the castle towers. I fly straight towards the balcony that was Luna’s. I slow down as I approach; figuring she probably had some kind of protection there. As my head clears the balcony, I am greeting by two crying turquoise eyes, now wide in surprise.

“Midnight Shadow!? What are you doing,” the surprised princess exclaims.

“I have some information about the raid tonight I need to share with you but I ran into a few problems,” I explain.

“Oh,” she wipes her eyes quickly and her horn glows for a minute. She turns around and walks in. I stay hovering outside not sure what is going on. She reappears a second later, “You can come in now you know.”

I land on the balcony, fearing that I might get shocked or something worse, but nothing happens. She laughs a little seeing my hesitation, “Glad to see I taught you well. So what were the few problems you ran into?”

I grin wickedly, “Oh, nothing to worry about,” I say as I walk to her chamber doors, “It shouldn’t take but a second.”

She looks at me confused. I open the doors very slowly and gently as not to alert the two standing guard. Without wasting a second I grab both their heads and bash them together. The two stumbled, dazed from the hit.

“I rescheduled and it’s later,” I growl. I swiped at the large one’s legs that tried intimidating me. He fell forward against the floor. I pulled off his helmet and beat him over the head with it knocking him unconscious. I turned around to see the second ones scrabbling to react. I buck out with my hind legs with connect with his face. He crumbled to the floor, his armor clanging as he fell. I walk back inside to see Princess Luna’s still confused, but amusing face.

“They wouldn’t let me use the front door,” I remark.

“I see,” she says.

“Uhh, Princess?” I ask.

“Yes,” she responds.

“Before I get down to business,” I start, not sure how to phrase what I had to say next, “Were you crying?”

Her eyes shrink for a second. “Uhh,” she stalls before hanging her head low, “I don't want to talk about it.”

She doesn’t say anything more so I decide to drop it, “Fair enough.” I turn and close the doors behind me while the unconscious guards took their nap.

Princess Luna now sat on a cushion, and more composed than when I arrived, “What was at that you wanted to tell Midnight?”

I pull out the report, and selected a few photos, “I believe we may have a leak in the LSTD.”

She looked at the photos. On the wall over the body of a dead pegasus without wings was, “Better luck next time. I see everything,” written in blood.

“I suggest he hold planning meetings and these debriefings somewhere that hasn’t been compromised and we can secure with no problems,” I continue.

She puts down the photos, “What makes you think that this is a leak rather than the Seen being careful and trying to screw with us?”

 I pulled another photo out, “This is a photo graph one day before the raid taken by one of our aerial surveillance teams. You can see several suspects moving around and working,” I pull out a second photo, “This is six hours before I gave the go ahead. The suspects are no longer working but destroying materials. When the raid team busted in they found nopony there and the entire place scuttled. Somepony tipped them off.”

She considered my explanation carefully. She stood up and went to her balcony and stared down at the city. Finally I hear her call me over, and a step out onto the balcony with her.

“You may be right. If there is a leak, we will have to be careful about why we go detecting who it is. I hate to add another thing for you to investigate as this is large enough as it is, but I fear that it is necessary.”

I nod my head understandingly.

She turn her vision away from the Canterlot streets and looked at me with a large smile, “In the meantime, under our leak is found, I do know of a safehouse we can go to.”

Princess Luna and I stood underneath a sign that read “Pony Joe’s; Open 24-Hours.”

I look at the grinning princess, “Really?”

She never said a word but just smiled and began walking into the empty diner. Shaking my head in disbelief I follow her in.

“How can I help you two?” Joe asks from behind the counter.

“How’s the weather on the moon Joe?” Princess Luna asks.

“Quite hot,” Joe responds.

“But only when I’m there,” Princess Luna laughs.

Joe chuckled, “Follow me.”

I continued to shake my head.

“All this time and never knew it or suspected. How many times did I visit here and not even notice?”

I continued to kick myself mentally all the way to his back room.

“Alright, here we are,” Joe said as he pushed in a brick, opening a false wall, “Just close it up when enter.”

“We will,” Princess Luna replied, “Do you think we could get a dozen or two donuts and some coffee too?”

Joe snorted, “Like you had to ask. I’ll bring them in a moment.”

Joe walked off the get our order while Princess Luna and I walked inside and shut the false wall.

Her horn glows as she turns lights some lamps around the room with her magic. The tiny room comes into view. In the center of the room is a small, but sturdy table with a few cushions surrounding it. There were a few corkboards on the walls for pinning things and several sleeping bags. I fine layer of dust covered everything.

“I take it that this place hasn’t been used often,” I comment.

“Yes, well, we don’t have to hide very often,” she replies.

I stand next to the table, “Princess, you may want to hold your breath and close your eyes.” I pump my wings backwards, sending gusts across the table, clearing it off. I stop and let the dust settle down and plop down on one of the cushions. Princess Luna comes over and sits down right next to me. I was a little surprised, as I was expecting her to sit across from me but I proceeded to pull out the file over the raid earlier that day. Before I able to get started, the false wall cracked open and Joe walked through with the donuts and coffee.

“Here you go,” he said as he laid them on the table and left closing the wall behind him.

Princess Luna wasted no time and delved into the coffee and donuts, “Hmmm, no….no….ah-ha!” She pulled out a donut with pink frosting and tons of sprinkles. She took a large bite out of it, almost eating the whole thing before she noticed me staring with large eyes. “Whaf, dey er mah fervorit,” she mumbled donut filled cheeks with the largest, sweetest eyes.

Unable to take it any longer, I burst out laughing. “I can that they are your favorite,” manage to say and roll on my sides

Unperturbed by my laughter she proceeds to eat the rest of the first donut and select another. I come to my senses and sit back up. She takes a sip of her coffee and clears her throat, “Okay, what happened today?”

I open the file, “Well, Princess, the teams had the-”

“Stop,” she interrupts me, “Can you do me a favor, Midnight?”

“Sure,” I reply.

“Just call me Luna,” she tells me.

“Umm, okay,” I say not sure what to think. This went against everything I was taught in training and my entire life, but here she was telling me to talk to her casually.

“I get tired of formalities. Everypony spends so much time saying my title, that I wonder if they even know my name,” she continues, “Anyway, anypony that sneaks onto my balcony when I am crying, and beats the crap out of my guards without batting an eye just to tell me that there’s a mole in an organization of ponies I picked,” she looks at me, “I figure can call me Luna and beat up my guards anytime they want.” She smiles that same beautiful smile that I remember from the night I graduated training and was first offered this job.

I smile too. “So do you really mean I can kick their asses anytime?” I ask.

She laughs. It’s a sound sweeter than any other. “Well, give them a chance to heal first.”

As much as I wished we could sit there and laugh all night in the small little room eating donuts and drinking coffee, we had to deal with the threats outside. The rest of the debriefing went by in a blur. I told her about the freshly collapsed tunnel the evidence teams found under the building and how we suspected that’s how they escaped. We discussed how the message was more personalized as evidenced by the use of the word “I,” giving us more definitive proof that there was a single pony in charge. At some point, I don’t know when we were sitting over that table; our wings became wrapped around the other.

****

It faded away. I heard a steady beeping sound.

“Suture the rest of that and I think we are done.”

“Yes doctor,” nurse-voice said.

“Now I’m going to go talk to the Princess and explain as best I can."

I could hear hoof falls walking away from me. I try to speak but all that comes out is, “Luna.” My voice is weak and muffled.

“Later honey, later,” nurse-voice says soothingly.

I let the blackness come get me and fell into it’s embrace.

Act 1: Ch 10: ...Than Ever Before

The Shadow of the Moon

Act 1: Drifting

Chapter 10: …Than Ever Before

The blackness faded and there we were. If I had been asked if I ever saw myself where I was now, I would have plainly said it was impossible and I wouldn’t allow it. Turns out I was wrong on both accounts. It had all started three weeks ago.

I had halted all the raids, deciding that it wouldn’t be wise to breach another house as it very well could be trap. Not to mention a waste of our time as long as the Seen had an inside man spoiling our efforts. From that point forwards, it was analysis work. Luna and I would meet up every three days either in her private study, or Pony Joe’s to collaborate on what we had uncovered and the review the work our analysts did. During that first week, we cross checked everything to the reports hoping to catch our possible leak slipping in false information. Fortunately for us, everything checked out and therefore we knew the information was solid. Unfortunately, that meant either our mole was either lying low, or not an analyst. If it weren’t for that fact that Luna was there to keep me rooted, I would have gone crazy with paranoia. In my mind, she was the only pony I could trust and it killed me a little inside. My “Shadows” counted on me and trusted me with their lives not to lead them astray and yet I could hardly look at them without the thought in the back of my mind that anyone of them could be the mole. I was on edge and constantly watching for any odd behaviors or drastic changes in habit by my fellow soldiers. At one point Captain Dusker pulled me into a side room to chat.

He put one hoof on my shoulder and looked me straight in the eye, “Lieutenant, for the past several days I watch sat and watched you work and every day, you look more exhausted than the last and twice as twitchy. I know that there is a great amount of pressure on your shoulders and I am by no means jealous of the task assigned to you. It makes me grateful to sit and compile through reports from our spies, even if they have nothing more to report than everything in peaceful and the most exciting thing they have run into is a slightly undercooked egg.” He sighed exasperated. “All I can say is that if you don’t find some way to relax, you will likely run yourself into the ground or miss something important.”

I sighed and nodded my head. I heard the wisdom that came from years of service in his voice and knew he was right.

“More importantly, I heard about the setback your teams suffered. It happens. You are chasing a threat we know very little about and for good reason.”

He took his hoof off my shoulder.

“My guess if that if your cult bugged out, it is because you got close to something. You were breathing down their necks and you now have them spooked. That means you are doing your job remarkably well. So don’t feel down or frustrated. They will resurface. Just listen to your sources and give it time. Just don’t forget to breathe and try to enjoy the small things. You show promise and talent I don’t see very often these days and I’d hate to see you burn out so soon.”

I looked at the Captain, “Thank you sir.”

“You’re welcome Lieutenant,” and with that he walked back to his desk and back to reading reports.

Heeding his advice, I begin to breathe and look at things in a fresh light. I looked at the photo from the failed raid when the runes on the floor caught my attention. I pulled out a photo from the runes I had found on my first raid. I studied them both, my subconscious telling me something was there that I was missing. After about an hour I gave up. There was something there but I couldn’t see it.

“Dusty Scroll,” I call for my senior analyst.

I heard her walk up to my desk, “Yes sir.”

“Have we managed to get somepony to transcribe these pictograms?” I ask.

She shakes her head, “No sir. Would you like us to look into it?”

I thought about it a minute, “No. I have an idea though. Thank you.”

Dusty nodded and went back to her station.

I had been so caught up in following the Seen’s movements and tracking shipments of explosive materials, I had disregarded the killings as some kind of sick and twisted team building exercise for the Seen and a way to leave us messages as gruesomely as possible. Looking at them now though, there was too much detail. Too much precision involved. Even though I couldn’t read the markings, I noticed some similar sections that showed some kind of intelligence and meaning behind them. They weren’t just some kind decoration, the edging of their killing circle.

The next night, Luna and I had another one of our scheduled meetings. I trotted to her chamber doors. This time her two guards didn’t bother stopping me, but still gave me a dirty look.

Ignoring them, I knocked on the door, “It’s Midnight.”

“Come in,” Luna called from inside.

I open the door and step inside, closing the door behind me.

“Also, I’d appreciate you not lying to me,” she said with a sly smile.

“I’m sorry,” I say baffled.

“I just raised the moon an hour ago. It is not even close to midnight,” she says laughing.

I facehoofed, “Honestly, Luna, that was awful.”

Her laugher dies down a little, “Admit it was at least a little funny.”

“It was a pretty bad pun,” a small smile creeps along my face, “you lunatic.”

She placed a hoof over her mouth in fake offense, “Take that back.”

“Make me,” I dare her.

We move closer together, our faces getting closer. My heartbeat speeds up. Time slows down. Her half lidded eyes mesmerize me. Our lips are just about to touch. Suddenly my front legs are swept from underneath me and I end up face first on the ground. She is on top of me pinning me to the ground.

“Take it back,” she taunts.

I roll my eyes as my heart sinks. “You’re not a lunatic,” I drone.

I feel her get up of me. She offers a hoof to help me up. I take it. Not quite defeated though, I shoot off a quick quip, “You’re just plain crazy.”

Not letting go of my hoof, she draws me nearer. She nips my ear as whispers, “You don’t even know the half of it,” and let me go.

I felt my insides just melt. She had me wrapped around her hoof and she knew it. However, while I didn’t mind being played a little bit, I didn’t just let somepony have their way with me, tease me, and get away with it.

Acting quickly and smoothly, I swept her backwards. I slid my right forehoof down her soft back, making sure I traced down the middle of where her wings connected, where some very delicate nerves were. She jumped and yelped at the sensitive touch. I continued down feeling her lithe body, stopping just before flank. I held her close to me with my left hoof, forcing our chests to touch. I could feel her heart beat. Without wasting another second, I leaned forward and kissed her. At first I felt the surprise on her lips, but when I didn’t move away, she began kissing me back. Her hooves began running through my mane. Her heart sped up to keep pace with mine. This time I was in charge, not her. I pulled out of the kiss and looking into those cyan eyes, now even more alive with excitement and passion.

“Believe me,” I whisper and lean closer, “You have seen nothing yet.”

Just as she was about to say something the door to her room opened up.

“Sister, I just wanted to let yo-”

Princess Celestia stopped in her tracks at the sight of us embraced, her eyes wide, “Oh.”

We stared back at her surprised and turning respective shades of red.

Celestia blushed softly, “My apologies.” She stepped behind the door and cracked it before continuing, “We have a meeting with the griffin ambassadors tomorrow so be sure the get some rest.” She shut the door and we listened to hoof falls down the hall.

I looked back at Luna, “Um, well, that was awkward.” I helped her back to her feet.

“Yes, well, not to say I haven’t walked in on her doing much more,” she said. “So, uh, why did you come here originally?”

“Oh, yes,” I pull out the pictures from the file and hand them over to her, “Would you be able to translate these runes?”

She studies them a second before replying, “Yes, I should be able to. It might take a little while though. It’s been ages since I last saw these.” She sets them on her desk by the wall. “So why the sudden interest in the pictograms?”

“If I don’t know where they are, I want to know what they are doing. I studied those runes earlier today, and while I may not be able to understand what it says, it is too detailed and organized for it to just be for show,” I explain, “If ponies are being killed over them in a ritualistic manner, it makes me wonder.”

“Wonder what Midnight?”

“I remember reading about northern ponies of old performing sacrificial spells. I don’t know to what end they were used for, but I remember the book saying it was early attempts at black magic. I wonder what they are using this for,” I shudder. Any magic that required a pony’s soul to work couldn’t be any good.

Luna came over to me and gave me quick embrace, “Whatever it is, we will stop them. Okay?”

I nodded my head, “I’ll let you get some rest. It sounds like it’s going to be a long day tomorrow for you.”

Luna opened her mouth to say something but stopped and closed it again. She smiled at me, “I think that is probably wise. Besides, my sister and I will have enough to discuss about tonight as it is. I don’t think we need to add anymore.”

“Goodnight Luna,” I say as I head to the door.

“Goodnight Midnight,” she manages to say before I close the door.

The guards give me a strange, almost hateful look. Unable to hold back the urge to screw with their heads any longer, I turn to them as I walk past and tell them, “Whatever you think happened in there, I just wanted you to know that you’re wrong and it was ten times better than anything you can imagine.”

I couldn’t help but grin as I saw one of their faces contort as he tried to piece together what occurred.

Luna and I met over the next two weeks, she would work on her translation, and I read other reports from our agents in the field. No matter what though, the two of us would end up with wings over the other. I had to admit, Captain Dusker gave get advice and enjoying the little things had done wonders for me. I seemed to live in two different worlds; reality and the one that was created between me and Luna. One night I had received word that two of our field agents had made an important discovery. They wanted to meet at a restaurant called the Silver Spoon. It was one of the premier restaurants in Canterlot and the private eating booths did make a great place to eat or hold meetings. The curtains were enchanted a sound proof spell making it quite secure. In my case, I planned to use it to mix a bit of work and pleasure. I told Luna about it and she had the same idea.

There we were. Laughing, eating, drinking just a little, and waiting on our field agents. I hoped our agents would show up soon because it was now an hour after they were supposed to meet us and Luna and I were getting a little, well, drunk.

Luna leaned up against me, using me like a pillow. I had draped a wing over her and held one of her hooves with mine and held my wine on the table with the other.

“I missed this for so long you know,” she said.

“Missed what?” I ask.

“This,” she gestured with her other hoof at the two of us together, “When I was trapped on the moon, I didn’t have anypony there to keep me company; to comfort me; to hold me. For a millennium nopony was there to care about me. Not that it would have really mattered since I was still stuck as Nightmare Moon and she would have just driven anypony away.”

Her voice became weaker, and a few tears began welling up in her eyes. I held her closer to me.

“That was the worst part of it all too. She fed on my loneliness, my desire to feel loved. The emptier and more alone I was, the stronger she became until I was not much more than a stranger in my own body. She had control, and all I could do was watch as she attacked my sister,” her voice broke. The tears began rolling down her cheeks. I rubbed her hoof trying to give her some comfort.

She sniffed before continuing, “Nightmare Moon hurt my sister badly. She didn’t start my attacking her physically but emotionally and mentally. She-she- she.” Luna broke down. “She killed Celestia’s fiancé.”

I held her tight as the jagged sobs ran through her body.

“It was going to be a secret wedding. I was going to preside over it. Nopony else there to see it, or even know about it, but it’s what they wanted. He was so good for her. He was a guard, like you, like all of our suitors really. I guess my sister have a thing for stallions in uniform,” she gave a light chuckle through her tears, “She was so happy then. I guess that was when it started for me though. I felt like she was abandoning me a little and I began secluding myself and making the problem worse. Being jealous over the night is just cover story we use. The truth is I was jealous over my sister’s attention. Nightmare Moon attacked him before he had a chance to react, stabbing him with her horn through his throat. She purposely missed anything vital. I remember screaming and crying, trapped inside my own head, having to witness him choke and drown on his own blood.” I felt her shudder and sob. I just continued to hold her, to help her bear the load.

“When Celestia found his body, I had never heard her cry so painfully and loudly before in my life. She wailed and wept and beat the ground. Nightmare Moon watched all this from the shadows. When did reveal herself, she just cackled at my sister’s pain. It tore my heart to see my sister like that. She was so broken that she hardly put up a defense when Nightmare Moon began attacking her. Celestia wanted to die. She loved him so much she wanted to die rather than live without him. Nightmare Moon beat Celestia within an inch of her life. I still remember seeing her limp, broken form crawl next to her love’s corpse. I remember her last word’s to him in that moment, ‘I’m sorry but I can’t be with you just yet. Not as long as I have a piece of you with me.’ I don’t know where Celestia had them but the elements appeared from nowhere and the next thing I knew, I was on the moon. If I was already an emotional wreck after seeing my sister so hurt and broken, I then spent the next thousand years dealing with Nightmare Moon’s cruelty.

I was so beaten down and broken; I guess I had slipped into a coma of sorts. I only remember awakening to see my sister and the Elements of Harmony standing before me. The events from a thousand years ago were still fresh in my mind. I couldn’t help but tremble before her. How could she love me after all I did to her? That’s why the first thing I told her was that I was sorry. So, so, sorry. Part of me had happy to see her well after all I did to her, but another felt ashamed and unworthy of her presence. Even to this day, I am in awe of her Midnight; in awe of her strength, and her love. She was beaten, broken and hurt in every way imaginable. She lost her fiancé and her sister in the same night. She left the old castle to escape the memories and create fresh ones. I wondered what she meant by ‘a piece of you with me.’ Turned out she was pregnant. She gave birth to their foal and raised it on her own. That was the reason she couldn’t give up entirely that night Midnight. She couldn’t afford to. That child was the only reason she had left to live. The only family left. During my years of exile, she had built quite the family. She became a grandmother, then a great grandmother, all the way down to Prince Blueblood and Princess Candence today. They call us aunt because it's easier than saying many great grandmother and great aunt. In turn, we call them our nephew and niece just because it is easier than explaining the truth of their origins. Celestia made sure that over the years, nopony could discover what truly happened that night and in those early years, and fabricated an all encompassing coverup. Midnight, I am in awe of what my sister accomplished. Everything she overcame, all while leading a developing nation. My exile compared to her challenges seems like a cake walk. Then to put the icing on the proverbial cake, you walk into my life.”

“I’m sorry?” I ask confused.

“You show up, nearly from the time I came back from the moon. I listened to stories about you as you grew. About a young colt whose life already somehow centered on me,” she rubs my flank where the cutie mark was, “About a dark grey colt, which fought off a changling invasion because they cared about the ponies around them, because they were the closest thing to family he had. Then during training, you continued to stand head and shoulders above the rest. Then you go on the lead teams with precision, and perfection. You stood a pony after my own heart. From the second I came back here, it is like some greater power placed you in my life, a greater blessing than any other. What did I do to deserve this? I have done nothing but cause pain and yet here I am, falling in love, and drinking wine, and enjoying all that has been given to me, but I never earned.” She stopped for a second and looked up at me, “Does that make me a bad pony?”

I looked down at those cyan eyes, “No Luna. It doesn’t.”

“Then where is the fairness in it all? Why doesn’t my sister get to be happy,” she sniffled.

I reach down and kiss her softly. “What makes you think she isn’t? From what I see, she has endured pain of losing to ponies very close to her, a pain that I can begin to understand.” The memory of my parents graves flashes through my head. “She rose from that pain though. She found the joy of children. She learned to love as a mother does which is why Equestria flourished. I wouldn’t doubt it for a second that she views everypony as her child in some way and as you’ve already seen, it is a love that will drive her to defeat anything that threatens her child. She learned the benefit of letting go of grudges and the benefit of forgiveness. Then she began caring for other foals and teaching them, playing a role in that pony’s development; case and point, Miss Twilight Sparkle. Luna,” I draw her closer to me, “even though Celestia had to endure what she did, it gave her a chance to be a better pony. Also, it isn’t you that is the bad pony for hurting her, but Nightmare Moon. What I see in you is a pony that, despite the tough front, is still very fragile. You seek acceptance and yearn to be loved for who you are and what you do. I don’t think that life is being unfair, but giving the two of you what you needed, so that you can grow.”

Luna stared at me, reached a hoof up and drew me into a kiss. “I think you’re drunk.”

I shrugged, “Maybe, but that doesn’t make me wrong.”

She smiled her perfect smile.

“Hmmm, Luna, I don’t think our agents are going to show up,” I muse.

“I think you’re right,” she says, then with half lidded eyes, “Want to head back to my place?”

“I think I’d like that,” I say as I kiss her.

“I know you will,” she responds.

We left the restaurant and flew, if a bit unstably, back to the castle.

That night, nopony knew why, but the moon shone very brightly that night; almost as bright as day.

A steady beeping machine drew me from that wonderful night. I was irritated by the interruption but not for long as the blackness came back and reclaimed me.

Act 1: Ch 11: Life is Cruel

The Shadow of the Moon

Act 1: Drifting

Chapter 11: Life is Cruel

I woke up slowly, my head pounding. Something soft was tickling my face.

“Uuggg, too much wine. Owww, thoughts too loud.”

I peep out from under one of my eyelids. Before me was a dark bedroom with small beams of autumn daylight peeping through the dark black curtains, shedding a soft light of the room. A crown sat unceremoniously on its side on her dresser and regal armor was strewn all over her floor. Suddenly, I realized I wasn’t alone as to the right of me I felt the bed stir and some of the left blankets left me.

Last night came rushing back to me, albeit a tad too quickly for my hung-over brain. The tip of her flowing mane touched my nose again, tickling it with its light touch. I turned my head to see the regal princess still fast asleep. I watched the calm rise and fall of her sides as she snored softly. The feathers of her visible wing were ruffled from last night and no doubt mine were too. I looked back at her peaceful face. She looked much more beautiful, more natural, without her regal armor plates and crown. I laid there and watched her sleeping form, and couldn’t help but smile and feel happy. This moment was perfect. It was wonderful. I hoped that it wouldn’t be the last one of its kind. In my euphoria, I slowly drifted back to sleep smiling.

Something warm and soft touched my lips. “Wake up Midnight,” a soft voice sang sweetly.

 I cracked an eye open to see Luna looking at me, innocently smiling. After last night, I knew she was far from it, but I didn’t care.

“No drill sergeant,” I grumbled and rolled over, trying to hide my grin, “Five more minutes.”

She pounced on me and turned me back over, “Uh-uh. I have to raise the moon and translate dead languages.” She gave me a passionate kiss. “You have to read reports, find out why our spies didn’t show, and find a mole.”

“Damn. I was hoping for maybe a round two,” I laughing.

“Mmmm. Maybe later,” she got off of me and walked out to her balcony to raise the moon. I rolled off the bed and stretched out my wings and legs. I looked out on the balcony and watched her will the moon into its place in the sky. “I have to say I enjoy watching the moon rise from this angle,” I comment after she finishes.

She arches her neck around to see me staring. She shakes her flanks a little before breaking out laughing as I nod my head appreciatively. She stops and walks into the bathroom. I hear the shower turn on. It was then that I truly realized how badly I had to go. I waited until I heard her in there for a few minutes before I walked in and Luna turned to see me through the frosted glass.

“Are you going to join me Midnight?” Luna asked suggestively.

“Only if you want me to,” I say while still heading to the toilet.

“I might be able to make some room for you,” she adds in a sultry voice.

I find the toilet and sigh with relief.

“I have to admit Midnight, despite it being a natural function and all; it is a bit of a turn off,” she says bluntly from the shower.

“Sorry,” I reply. “Hey Luna?”

“Yes?”

“Does that shower feel good?”

“Yes. Why?”

“It would be a shame if something were to change that, now wouldn’t it?”

Her voice picked up a slight sense of panic, “DON’T YOU DARE!”

I push the lever and the toilet flushes. I run in front of the shower door. She comes busted out of there all soaking wet. I grab her into a hug laughing, to keep her from hitting me.

“I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU DID THAT,” she cries out.

I kiss her gently from the base of her neck to just behind her ear.

“Fine, I forgive you,” she says, “Now can I please get back in the shower? It’s a little cold out here.”

I chuckle, “Only if I’m allowed to come with.”

Taking me by the hoof, she leads me into the shower, “It’s probably best I keep an eye on you if I want to take a shower.”

I just laugh.

About halfway through our ‘shower,’ we hear a knock on the door. We stop and go quiet.

“Princess Luna,” a castle staffpony calls out.

“Yes,” Luna replies from the shower.

“A delivery has arrived for you.”

“Oh, okay, leave it on my dresser,” she responds.

“Princess, your armor is all over the place, what happened last night?” Sounds of the plates being picked up were heard.

Luna facehoofed and whispered to me, “Sometimes, they are too helpful.” Speaking louder she calls out to the servant, “I was really tired last night from a meeting and just decided not to worry about it when I went to bed.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” The voice approached closer to the door and Luna and I looked at each other a little worried. The door began opening, “Do you need any help Prin-”

I saw the servants eyes visibly widen through the frosted glass.

“It’s good, I got covered,” I call out. Luna hits me in the ribs not too gently.

“Oh my, uhh, I’ll leave you be,” the startled pony backs out of the room, “I’m so sorry.”

We listen to the pony rush out of the room and her chamber doors slam shut.

Luna looks at me, “I guess I get less privacy than I thought I did.”

“Yeah, well, everypony is eager to please,” I comment and step out of the steamy shower.

Luna turns off the water and joins me. I help towel her off and she does the same for me.

“I’ll be out in a second,” Luna tells me.

I nod and leave the bathroom. I look at the package that cause all this and walk over to it, lifting the freezing package. “Luna, this package is suspicious,” I call out.

“Really, how so?” she asks.

“No return address is a good indicator and it has been frozen. It isn’t winter and it doesn’t appear to be a standard food package,” I explain, “I want you to stay in there where you should be safe just in case.”

“O-o-okay,” she replies and little shakily.

I paused, “Are you okay in there Luna?”

“Uh, yeah, just I little worried,” she says, “That’s all.”

I wasn’t totally convinced but I had a mysterious package that posed a larger problem. I look around and see a letter opener on her desk. I grab it and head back to the package. I cut through the tape and open the flaps very carefully. I wasn’t prepared for what I saw inside.

“Oh shit,” I exclaim.

“What is it,” Luna calls from the bathroom.

There’s knock on the chamber door.

“If the two of you are decent, I would like to enter,” I heard Celestia say.

I walk over and open the door, “We have a problem Princess.”

She stopped, “What larger problem?”

“You still haven’t told me what it is Midnight,” I hear Luna call.

“First come inside,” I tell Celestia and close the down behind her.

“What is it?” Celestia asks gravely.

“I think it best you see for yourself,” I point at the opened package.

Celestia walks over and peers inside, “Don’t tell me that’s what I think it is.”

“I wish I could,” I say solemnly.

“What is going on,” Luna calls from the bathroom, now sounding like she’s near hysterics.

“Princess, why don’t you go take of Luna, I don’t know what she’s up to. I will head down to LSTD headquarters and start preparations for the funerals and notifying the families,” I tell her.

“Sounds reasonable,” she agrees, “We will all talk later.”

“Yes Princess,” I said.

She walks into the bathroom and I grab the box containing two sets of eyes and a pair of mismatching cutie marks along with a note saying ‘I believe these are yours. You get the rest shortly’ written in blood.

As soon as I had finished being teleported into the LSTD headquarters I was pulled to Captain Dusker’s desk.

“Sir?” I ask when I get there.

“Ah, Lieutenant, we received two emergency packets from two of your field agents last night,” he said as he handed me two red envelopes.

“Has anypony opened them?” I ask while taking them.

“No, I felt that since they were your informants, it should be your responsibility,” he said solemnly.

“Thank you sir,” I said respectfully.

I walked back to my desk, heart heavy. It was good that the agents had managed to get the emergency packets sent, but receiving them was never a good sign. Agents would only send them once their cover had been blown and they wanted submit whatever evidence or information they had before they were caught. These magical envelopes would combust and deliver themselves, similar to mail by dragon’s fire, just minus the dragon.

I set the packets on my desk and walked to the room where my analysts were. Some looked up from their work when I walked in and saw that I wasn’t getting ready to say something good.

I clear my throat loudly and they all look up this time, “I have an announcement that I regret I have to make. Last night, we lost two of our own. Their packets came in last night and I received a package containing confirmation of their demise. I will get all of you the information they sent in, but I want all of you to know that this is no longer just a job. It is now a matter of ensuring that two of our own didn’t die in vain. I would also like to take this to remember them and to remind you all of the high stakes here.”

It faded away and the steady beep returned. Except this time, my chest felt wet and heard somepony sniffling. I open my eyes briefly and saw Luna sitting over me. I raise my head a little.

“Hey beautiful, why are you crying,” I manage to say before slumping and falling back into the abyss.

Act 1: Ch 12: Legacy and Power

The Shadow of the Moon

Act 1: Drifting

Chapter 12: Legacy and Power

I stood in traditional armor plating. No special disguising enchantments or tactical vests for this event. Before me were three fresh graves of ponies under my command and one for a young foal. The services were respectful, and tear filled. A pegasus honor guard flew overhead, leaving dark trails of clouds in honor of the fallen soldiers while I presented a folded flag to each of the next of kin. I couldn’t tell any of the families how their loved ones died. All I could say was that they served with honor and distinction and that on behalf of a grateful nation, I thank them for their sacrifice. Those words rang, dark and heavy in my ears.

News of the two field agents’ death circulated the headquarters quickly. Not less than an hour after my announcement, one of our support operation staff had gone to the locker room and hung himself from his locker. In his suicide note, he admitted to divulging information to the Seen about our raids and eventually, that we had successfully imbedded two spies into their ranks. He was a single father, his wife had died during birth, and his daughter was sick in the hospital with cancer. He had been struggling to make ends meet and the last recent round of treatments had drained him of everything he had. The Seen approached him and offered him money to pay for the treatments, in return for information. He complied, but the Seen did not. He never received a bit from them and she died. He couldn’t bear the pain of losing his daughter and the weight of being responsible for the death of two fellow serviceponies.

I couldn’t hate the father for want he had done. At the same time though, I couldn’t paint him blameless. He was just pony who dreamed a dream; a better life that involved serving his nation, getting a wife and having a foal. However, his dream turned into a nightmare.

The cold gravestones stared at me with their granite faces. Despite my armor, I felt barren as I stood before them and left me with a heavy and tormented heart. There was no comfort to be found here. Just a story of how far reaching the cracks of a shattered life can stretch. A dark sapphire wing draped itself over my body. I reached over and hold Luna’s hoof.

“Tragic,” she said.

I didn’t say anything; I just stared ahead at the monuments to the lives in front of me.

“You’re trying assign where the blame belongs aren’t you,” she continued.

“There’s always somepony responsible, always,” I say gravely, “Discord killed my parents, the changlings killed Lime Hoof, the Seen kill ponies and in this case, I guess manipulate  them.”

Luna said nothing, “If that is so, then take it further. Who gave the young filly cancer? Who is to blame for that Midnight?”

I stare blankly, “I don’t know Luna. I don’t have all the answers. I don’t know something for once. I have always had a reason for everything, always a plan, and now…I don’t know.”

Luna nodded softly, “Sometimes, bad things happen to good ponies Midnight. You told me not too ago that it was life, giving us what we need to grow. While it is easy to give philosophy in a warm booth after one to many drinks, it becomes much harder when you witness it first hoof isn’t it?”

I look at her, “Why are you doing this Luna? Why are you asking me these questions?”

“Because you weren’t wrong,” Luna tells me softly, “While tragedy is awful, it is the yardstick of life. In this case, there isn’t a pony solely responsible for all of these deaths. All you can do Midnight is hold those that contributed to this responsible for their part of it.”

I look back at the graves and mull over her words, “I’d like to think over what you told me.”

She withdrew her wing and kissed me softly on the cheek, “Very well. Don’t take too long though. I have finished translating the inscriptions on those killing circles and honestly, it doesn’t look good. Also, your teams want to see you. They too have much to tell you.”

I nuzzled her neck briefly, “I’ll see back at the castle soon then. First I need to take care of some things first.”

“Okay,” she whispers to me and walks back to her Chariot. I give a nod to Steel Wing and Storm Cloud and they nodded back. They had gotten much older, but so had I. As they took off though, it didn’t seem age slowed them down any. I looked down at the graves again. I walked over to the young filly’s headstone and knelt at her grave.

‘Here lies Hope. Beloved daughter, cherished by all.’

I thought about the doctors and former patients that showed up spoke at her eulogy.

“Your father loved you, more than anything else. I’ll wish I could have met you. From what I heard, you were always so strong; you would hide your pain, just so you could take on others,” tears began blur my vision, “In place of their pain you would give them happiness, joy, and comfort. That is a rare talent that this world so desperately needs. Your deeds are timeless and you will be remembered in the hearts of those whose lives you touched.” I shed a few tears. “If there are such things as angels, you most certainly were one.”

I stood up and walked over to Hope’s father’s grave.

‘Quick Read. Dedicated father.’

“I don’t hate you for what you did, but I can’t forgive you either. I guess I understand though. I am not jealous of the decisions you made and without being in your position, I can’t say I would have acted differently. I wish you had told us about your daughter. I would have liked to help. I have more in my paycheck than I know what to do with and I would have gladly given it had you told me. She sounded like such a wonderful filly, and I know she made you proud because I’m in awe of her. Her candle burned so much more vibrantly than ours. Thank you for bringing her into this world.”

I walked over to the last two graves.

The first one read, ‘Silver Shine. Beloved son, distinguish guard.’ The second read, ‘Heavy Weight. Husband, father, friend.’

“I’m sorry. Neither one of you deserved this. We will catch them though. Your sacrifice will not be in vain. We will catch them, and when we do, you’ll get to speak to them soon afterwards.” I saluted their graves, “Thank you.”

I flew away from the Canterlot Cemetery and to the hospital in a calm peace.

"Maybe, just maybe, stoicism is overrated."

I landed and walked into the reception area.

“Can I help you?” the mare at the front desk asked.

“Yes,” I said, “My name is Lieutenant Shadow and I would like to speak with your charity coordinator and Doctor Coltson.”

“Oh, I’ll see what I can do,” the receptionist said as she began making a few calls.

Both agreed to meet me and over the next two hours, the three of us set up the Hope Memorial Charity. It would help provide aid to families that needed assistance paying for cancer treatments. I left the hospital and hopefully some lives, better than I went I arrived there. I headed back to the castle. I needed to see the troops. It was time to get to work.

“Sir, we have some good news,” Dusty Scroll reports, “Thank to the evidence Agent Shine and Agent Weight we have a name and face for what they say is the leader of the Seen.”

“Well let’s give this monster a name shall we,” I say dryly.

“Yes sir,” she pulls out a photo and pins it to the top of my cluttered corkboard. “This is the head of the snake. Calls herself, “The Watcher” which finally explains why her followers call themselves the Seen. We aren’t sure but we think she may have had some birth defects, which might explain the additional growths.”

I stare at the picture of the mare behind it all. Her plum coat and maroon mane contrasted sharply against her angry, glowing pink eyes. That wasn’t what startled me the most. Her horn was longer than it should have been for a normal unicorn, and she had small little nubs jutting from her back where wings would usually be.

I got a sick feeling in my stomach as I thought over the list of victims she had killed.

“First it was a unicorn, second a pegasus. Then she killed our agents. I’m not so sure those are birth defects.”

“Dusty, this was taken by our agents before their execution correct?” I ask trying to keep the concern out of my voice.

“Yes sir.”

“Do we have a recent one of her taken after their deaths?” I ask, trying to keep the sinking feeling down.

“No sir, but they did submit a possible location that the Watcher maybe hiding. It’s a large warehouse in the industrial sector,” she replied.

“Okay. Get some surveillance teams in the surrounding warehouses and watch that place. I want to know what it going on in there and if at all possible, get me an updated photo and I want to know her real name. None of this fear tactics crap by calling her ‘the Watcher’,” I order.

“Yes sir,” she said quickly.

“Thank you, that is all,” I dismiss her. I take one last look at the picture. I pull it down and pick up the file Dusty left me and went to see Luna.

Arriving at her chambers, I saw her two guards standing outside as usual. After events today, I couldn’t just leave things the way I had, which was leaving them unconscious in the middle of the hall. I walked up to them.

“Can I speak with the two of you a minute?” I ask.

“Depends,” the large one grunted, “You going to try and dent my head in with my helmet again?”

“Or kick me in the face,” the second one added.

“No, neither one. I wanted to apologize. You two were doing your jobs. As an officer I should have respected that and not attacked you as I did. As things are now, I appreciate you two being here and I want you here. We are supposed to be on the same team and I feel that what I did hurt the team, not help it. For that I am sorry,” I tell them.

“The big one studies me a minute, “You and me meet in the training ring sometime. I want to know how you learned to fight like that.”

 I nod my head, “You got it.”

He held out a hoof and I pounded it.

“We’re cool then,” he says.

I turn to the second guard.

“I don’t any part of getting in a ring with you, but if he’s cool with you, I have no complaints,” he explains.

“Good to hear,” I reply, “I don’t believe I ever learned your names either.”

“I’m Tug,” the big one says.

“And I’m W,” the second ones says.

“W?” I ask surprised.

W dangled his left front leg embarrassed.

“It stands for ‘Whoops,” Tug clarified smirking.

“You swore you’d never tell anypony,” Whoops said exasperated and ashamed. “My dad wasn’t really intending having another foal with my mom, but then I happened and as a cruel joke he named me ‘Whoops.’ He loved me nonetheless, but it was jerk thing to do. I can’t believe my mother let him do that.”

“Oh,” I tried hiding a smile, “I’m sorry to hear that.” Tug was chuckling softly anyways. “Well, I need to see Luna,” I say and step forward. They stop me.

“One thing first,” Tug says, “Tonight do we need to prevent any staff from entering the bathroom?” The two of them start laughing.

“No, not tonight,” I say deadpanning. I enter the room while they continue to laugh. I close the door to help drown them out.

Luna looks up at me, “Feel better?”

“A little,” I admit, “But not enough to consider myself in a good mood. Today was been difficult.”

“I know it has. Before we get to the translation, did you accomplish what you wanted to do today?” she asked.

“Yes, I did,” I said.

“Good,” Luna said. “Do you want to get straight to business?”

“Yes, it’s been a long day,” I admit with a yawn.

“Okay. The runes are the original markings for how to preform magic primarily through the environment itself and chanting. These pictograms are a subset of ones that can be used for transferring power and energy,” she paused, “Except they have been perverted and misused. These will drain the total essence of a ponies innate specialty, such as magic from a unicorn, flight from a pegasus, and strength from an earth pony, and,” she faltered a minute. “And transfer them to the spell caster. That is why the unicorn’s horn was inverted, and when I took a closer look at the pegasus victim’s wounds around the wings, they appear to have just been taken by magic.”

The sinking feeling in my gut returned. I pulled out the photograph of the Watcher, “Would that spell create these kinds of changes?”

Luna studied to photo, “It’s worse than I feared.”

“That doesn’t sound good.”

“Do you think she is trying to,” I pause unsure if I should finish that train of thought, “become like you?”

Luna sat silent. Finally she says, “I fear that may be possible. If she performed this one our agents, she’s already on her way. The problem will soon become with a spell like this is that while she can absorb these traits, she will never attain immortality and never look like a natural alicorn. She will be no different from Cadence, except not nearly as graceful looking.”

“If this monster is trying to obtain immortality, does that mean she would to…” I couldn’t finish the phrase.

Luna took a deep breath and the expression in her eyes hardened, “Yes Midnight, she would have to come after me or Celestia.”

Soft chanting began speaking in the back of my mind, but I repressed it for the time being, “Luna, are there any risks to using a spell like this?”

Her gaze softened again, “Oh yes, many things can go wrong, the biggest being that, when the pony in the center is cut with the enchanted knife inside the circle and the circle activates, the spellcaster needs to be outside of it in three seconds. If they don’t move fast enough in those three seconds and get caught in the spell, well, let’s just say, none survive.”

I think about that a moment and yawn again.

“Midnight, let’s go to bed. You’ve clearly had enough today,” she said as she folded a wing around me.

I didn’t complain as the two of us climbed into the soft sheets and snuggled up to each other and fell asleep. I was out the instant my head hit the pillow, but in the back of my mind, I heard Zecora saying,

“Both of you will fight to the death;

Up until the very last breath.

Win, save us all;

Lose, and the night princess will fall.”

The beeping was still there along with some soft snores to the right of me. I crack an eye and see Luna sound asleep in a chair. Outside the door I recognize the shape of two guards, Tug and Whoops. I look back at Luna, smile and drift back into unconsciousness.

Act 1: Ch 13: The Trap Snaps Shut

The Shadow of the Moon

Act 1: Drifting

Chapter 13: The Trap Snaps Shut

I look at the ponies in front of me. Each one had a role to play tomorrow, either in the field, or in the command room.

I begin to speak, “I thank each and every one of you here today. Over the past few months, we have experienced great highs and extreme lows. Tomorrow is the day that we have been working towards all that time. Every late hour spent reading, every sleepless night, everything we have done has led us here. Tomorrow we seek vengeance and stop a killer. Hopefully then after tomorrow, we may never have to meet again to discuss the Seen or the Watcher or any of the things they have done. Now over these last two days since we discovered their location, we have put in a tremendous amount of work and I feel that we are ready. Tomorrow we end this.”

I clear my throat, “As you all know, this is our target,” I point at a picture behind me. “Calls herself ‘the Watcher,’ but our research teams dug deeper and know differently. This is Amethyst. She is wanted for extortion, conspiracy to commit murder, four counts of murder,  terrorism, vandalism, and the list goes on. Our surveillance teams snapped this picture of her earlier this morning. She is as big as an earth pony and has small nubs where wings should be. The most dangerous part is her horn and powers as a unicorn. She has been using ancient and dark magic to absorb to powers of other ponies. This makes her extremely dangerous and our primary target.”

I move to point at a picture of the warehouse taken from above and continue, “Each of you on the strike teams have your orders for how we approach the warehouse. We will use these crates surrounding the structure as cover when approaching. We don’t want to be seen until the second we bust down the front door. We will be moving in on the structure just before sunrise. The reports from surveillance indicate that this is the time that the fewest number of hostiles can be seen active and we hope to catch them unaware and sleeping. ”

I look around the room seeing ponies writing down last bits of information or staring up at me, “We get one shot at this tomorrow, so let’s do it right. At this point I’d like to ask if anypony has anything new to add.” Nopony stood up to say anything. “In that case, you are dismissed. Get a good night’s rest and I’ll see you on the field tomorrow.”

The ponies all stood up and filed out the door. I instead sat there and looked over the plans. I review the pictures of the warehouse; of Amethyst; of the evidence from the past crime scenes.

“This is it. Everything we have. We are so close to ending this. I just hope everything goes according to plan.”

A tap on the shoulder drew me out of my thoughts. Buck, one of the team leaders, was standing behind me.

“What can I do for you?” I ask him.

“Sir,” he starts, “Are you sure you should be out in the field tomorrow? Something about this whole thing has me worried. It could be nerves, but I don’t know. If she is as dangerous as I think she is, are you sure that being at the warehouse is the best place for you?”

I put the file down on the table, “I appreciate your concern, Buck, but I can’t sit here behind the scenes all the time. I also don’t want to be perceived as hiding behind my troops either. Plus, I want to see the pony that has the focus of my attention since I practically joined this unit with my own two eyes. I want to meet the monster that has been hiding under my bed.”

“Yes sir,” he says, “I understand. In that case, I’ll see you in the morning. Right now, I’m going to go home and tell my wife I love her like I always do before a raid. You never know when those might be the last words you ever say. You should do the same too sir. ”

“I don’t like your wife would like that,” I remark.

He laughs as he leaves the room, “Your special somepony, not mine. You stay away.”

I gave the file one last glance and closed it. No amount of staring was going to change anything. I turn off the lights and walk to the locker room.

“Buck has a point. Maybe we missed something, or are being too hasty. However, I’ve seen the material and so have the analysts. If there was something we should have noticed, surely somepony would have found it.

I open my locker and look at my vest inside. It had been repaired and reinforced at Luna’s request two days ago.

I had balked when I heard her put in the request to have it reinforced, knowing she was playing favorites because of our relationship. She stuck her tongue out at me and then told the armorer that since I was the commander and going to be out in the field, I needed extra protection.

I began to laugh at her craftiness when making that order. She sure did keep things interesting for me. I take out a foreleg blade and check it ensuring that they didn’t have any problems. As I go to put it back, I see a scroll lying on the floor of my locker. On the outside was the royal seal. Curious, I pick it up and open it.

Midnight Shadow,

You have made my sister happier than I have ever seen her before. She practically prances around in circles when she tells me what happens between the two of you. Don’t worry, she glosses over the good bits. Now I know she told you the truth about her banishment, about my fiancé, and our strange family tree. Now I want to tell you something. Don’t do to her what happened to me. Don’t leave her alone, left to pick up the pieces of a broken heart. Do not go out there and be a hero Midnight. Heroes die. They may die doing something brave and selfless but they die nonetheless and what you have with her is worth more than any legacy you can make for yourself. Death is a journey that she and I cannot take naturally, and because of that we can’t just hope to see you again in twenty years. We are forced to carry that pain for eons. This pain I carry, she does not deserve. She needs you Midnight and because of that, you aren’t allowed to die. So when you go out tomorrow, and you fulfill your duty, you remember that your first priority is to come back alive. Nothing else matters except that.

-Celestia

I set the scroll back down. Now even the goddess of the sun of leaving me notes in my locker telling me to be careful. If that was the case, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I saw Luna tonight. No doubt she would probably be pacing on her balcony or staring at her stars. I noticed she did that when something was bothering her. I place the scroll next to by my weaponized foreleg armor and close my locker. I was tired and needed sleep. Tomorrow morning wasn’t going to wait for nopony. Feeling as prepared as I could be for the dawn, I left the locker room. It was time to go see my lovely Luna.

No matter what state of distress I found Luna in upstairs, I wanted to be near her right now. If things went south tomorrow, then I wanted tonight to be a good one. I pressed my hoof to the teleportation stone and appeared in the hallway outside the door. Out of curiosity I opened the door that was there only to discover it was a water closet. I begin to laugh.

“I wonder if any of the staff ever wonder why so many ponies come to use this toilet in particular.

I trot off down the hall and work my way to Luna’s room. Tug and Whoops stop me.

“So I hear you have a huge bust going down tomorrow,” Tug says, “I just wanted to wish you good luck.”

“Yeah,” Whoops speaks up, “Tug here stills wants to face you in the ring and doesn’t feel like waiting until the afterlife for a rematch.”

Tug just smiles.

I laugh, “I appreciate the sentiment, but if you two don’t mind, I think there is somepony I need the see.”

They part ways and let me through. I open the door and shut it.

“Midnight? Is that you,” Luna’s voice calls from outside.

“Hoooney, I’m hoooome,” I shout softly and walk out to meet her.

As soon as I stick my head out, she practically tackles me in a hug. I grab the back of her head and pull her face to mine and kiss her passionately. We pull apart to catch a breath.

“I’m worried about tomorrow Midnight. I’m less and less comfortable letting you go out there,” she says.

I look into her beautiful eyes and see the concern and worry that had plagued her mind for the last few hours, “Luna, if this is the last night we get to spend together, then let’s make it a good one. I don’t want to spoil it with thoughts of tomorrow when we have all of tonight left. Okay?”

She began to cry a little.

“I’m not going to die tomorrow Luna,” I tell her as I hold her close, “Celestia says that I’m not allowed to, and I, quite frankly, don’t want to go. Not as long as you’re around.” I kiss her right behind her, “I love you too much to let go.”

She gives a soft sob, “I love you too.”

We walk back to her bed and crawl in. She snuggles up to me and I wrap my forelegs around her and whisper, “I will never let go.”

Tomorrow came too soon. I stood with a pair of binoculars staring at the face of the warehouse my squad was going to attack.

“Is everypony ready to do this?” I ask over the mic.

“Sir, your Shadow’s are ready.”

“Then move in,” I order.

Swiftly and silently we file through the piled crates working our way to the doors. We made it as did the other teams.

I whisper over the com-link, “On my mark breach. One, two, three, mark!”

The sound of multiple doors being burst open could be heard along with the shouts of my soldiers taking the building. My squad and I head to the office upstairs. We kick down the door and there sat the pony that I had come to loathe so much covered in chains.

“What the…,” I say.

Amethyst begins to laugh. The sound grates my ears, “I prepared for this,” she turned around and shows us the several locks that bound her chains to the ground, “I have this place wired with explosives and there’s only forty-five seconds until they detonate. So unless you can get these locks off of me and get out of her in that time, you’d better run because I’m going nowhere.”

I stare at her angrily. Despite everything that had happened, she was going to kill herself before I could bring her in and take as many of us with her. Thinking quickly, I turn to the unicorn next me, “Can you blast apart those chains?”

He aims his horn and lets a spell loose. The chains stood resilient against the magic.

Amethyst began to laugh even more, “Thirty seconds.”

“EVERYPONY GET OUT OF HERE,” I yell over the radio, “THIS PLACE IS GOING TO BLOW!”

I hear my ponies start running away. I walk into the room and stand in front of Amethyst.

She smiles. I can see the insanity in her eyes. “Aren’t you going to run?” she asks.

“I can make it in ten seconds flat,” I growl, “You however have less time.”

Her eyes grow wide and her horn starts to glow. Before she had a chance to do something, I flick out my sword and ram it through her throat. I hear a clunk as something falls to the floor behind me.

She coughs and sputters up crimson blood.

“Hey Amethyst,” I say.

She looks me in the eyes. I can see the pain clearly in hers.

“Watch this,” I whisper. I rip the blade back out through the side of her neck, splattering the wall in her blood. Her eyes go dim. Her head loses balance on it precarious perch and flops to one side, while the smell of copper fills the room. I retract the blood soaked blade and turn around. Behind me on the ground is a large double bladed knife covered in runes with an amethyst stone in the center. I grab it for examination and run for the exit.

“What’s taking you so long sir?” Buck asks over the radio, “There’s only twenty seconds left.”

“Tying up some loose ends, that’s all,” I answer.

“What do you mean?” Buck asks.

“Amethyst is dead,” I clarify while running, “I didn’t want to worry about whether she threw up a force field to protect herself from the explosion.”

“Do you think she’s powerful enough for that?”

I ran out the door and into the crates. Five seconds left by my count, “I didn’t want to leave it to chance.”

I kick off the ground and take flight. I found my team huddling behind some crates in the back. I dive and land next to them.

“Everypony made it out okay?” I ask.

The one closest me replies, “Yes sir. It’s been longer than forty-five seconds sir. Do you think she could have been bluffing or-”

BOOOOM!

The world went black. I barely felt a thing.

Act 2: Ch 14: Aftermath

The Shadow of the Moon

Act 2: Meeting the Family

Chapter 14: Aftermath

I stir slightly trying to find a comfortable way to lie down. My right wing for some odd reason was stretched out and I couldn’t get it to fold. A steady beep is audible to my right. The more I listen to it, the more I notice it matches up with the beating of my heart. I crack open one of my eyes and see the plain white room before me. My eyes shoot open.

“How did I get here? What is going on?”

The beeping of the EKG machine increased. I thought furiously trying to remember anything. I remembered dreaming about everything that had happened to me from foalhood before stopping abruptly when I had landed at the raid. The soldier was talking, then nothing. Everything was dark and fuzzy. Little segments and fuzzy snippets were all I could gather until I remembered one thing. Luna. She was screaming.

“Luna! Where is she!?”

I was starting to freak out, and trying to clamber our of the bed when blue hoof put itself down on my chest softly. Suddenly Luna’s face filled my vision. The EKG machine’s beeping slowed back down. I just gazed into those blue eyes and felt at peace. She looked tired. Her eyes were red and puffy, like she had been crying. There were large bags under her eyes from lack of sleep and tufts of her coat that stuck out at odd places. Despite all this, though, I was happy she was there.

“Luna,” I croak. My voice sounds awful.

She sighs deeply. “Midnight,” she kisses me softly, “The doctors said that you may have some amnesia and worse yet not remember me at all.”

“Never. I told you. I’ll never let go,” my raspy voice continues.

She hugs me as gently as she can and I reached around with my forelegs to hug her back. My heart skipped a beat. I rub her back trying to hold back my panic.

“Luna,” I say anxiously.

Sensing my shift in character she replies cautiously, “Yes.”

“I can’t find my right foreleg. I think it is there but I can’t find it with my left one,” I explain, trying to keep it together, “Where is my leg Luna?”

I feel her hold me tighter, “Y-you were injured badly Midnight. I thought I might lose you. You gave all of us quite the scare.”

“Luna, tell it to me straight. How bad is it,” I say. My nerves were slowing fraying.

I feel a warm tear fall soak the side of my face. She releases me and leans back so I could see her face. She sniffs, “Very bad Midnight. The crate you were standing next to was filled with explosives.” She reached down and pulled out my shredded, blood-soaked combat vest. At least what was left of it. “If it hadn’t been for the reinforcements I had the armorer put in, the blast and the shrapnel would have likely killed you.” She rubbed a hoof softly over the bandages. “Your right forearm was facing the explosion and suffered the full brunt of the blast. When we found you, it was gone.” Her voice cracked. “They tried Midnight, but they couldn’t. The bones had been shattered and the muscles shredded beyond recognition. I’m sorry.”

I follow her gaze to where my leg was supposed to be. In its place was nothing, not even a stump. Just bandages running over the area to keep out infection.

She continues, “The doctors did say the socket looked like it would heal up well when they had finished pulling wood splinters from it. They said there was a good chance they can put a prosthetic in its place. Then there is your wing. Your right wing was pulled from its socket from the force of the blast and the bones broken in countless places. The doctors reset everything and it should heal up well in a couple days. The rest of your injuries were bits of wooden shrapnel. They pulled enough of it from you the build a nightstand and they doubt they removed all of it. They are going to keep an eye out for infection that may indicate where any extra pieces might be.”

I continued to stare at Luna, “Anything else?”

She shook her head while sniffing. I reach out with my only foreleg and pull her near.

Her sobs become more violent and while they hurt me, I didn’t care. She was hurting just as bad. I had put her through an emotional wringer that she didn't deserve. My heart hung heavy in my chest.

Her muffled voice spoke against my chest, “I was so afraid I was going to lose you. When they wheeled you into the emergency room, they took one look at you and didn’t think you’d make it. You scared them several times too. The first was when you almost died. The second was when you flopped off the table to come to me when I was in hysterics.” She sobbed harder, “You almost killed yourself right then and there landing on the floor as hard as you did in the shape you were in. You also head butted the nurse and broke her nose fighting to get to me.”

"Yeah, that sounds about right."

“Luna, I would fight through a horde of dragons to get to you if I thought you were in danger,” I say and rub her back, “You look tired, have you slept at all?”

“Very little. I remember napping once in a chair when exhaustion grew too great,” she admitted, “I haven’t left you side for more than a just a few minutes at a time for the last week.”

“Week! I’ve been out a whole week!” I exclaim, “You’ve been here the whole time?”

She nodded her head softly against my chest.

“You didn’t need to do that,” I tell her.

“Just like you didn’t need to go get yourself blown up,” she retorts through her tears, “But you did it anyways.”

I nuzzle her ears, “I know. I know.” A thought paralyzes me, “Did any of the others survive the explosion?”

She sits back up hesitant, “Only three. They are all in intensive care and one is in a coma.”

My heart sinks even further, “I led them to a slaughter.”

“You didn’t know Midnight,” she says, “Amethyst laid that trap long before we found the warehouse. Those crates were always there, that's why nopony caught onto it.”

“Did you find her body amongst the wreckage?” I ask.

Luna cocks her head, “What wreckage? We recovered her body and I saw what you did to her, but we found no wreckage around her.”

“Amethyst said the place was wired with explosives. The whole building was going to come down on us,” I said confused.

Luna shook her head, “There were no charges on the building, only in the crates. My guess is that she anticipated you all running away to the perimeter so the planted the charges there. We found a key to the locks in one of the drawers, so my guess is that she was going to unchain herself after the explosion and walk away knowing she wiped out most of the ponies chasing after her.”

“I-I-I told them all to get out of the building,” I felt nauseous, “I told them to fall back. I killed them.”

“No Midnight, you can’t blame yourself for that. Like I said, you didn’t know,” she tries to comfort me, “There’s no way with the information you had you could have known. You did what you thought was right. By doing that you threw her plan off by a huge margin. For all her careful planning and tricks, she didn’t anticipate you Midnight. She didn’t come to think that you would leave nothing to chance. She didn’t think that you would kill her instead of letting the “bomb” finish her when you found out you couldn’t unchain her. You did what you could, Midnight.”

“It doesn’t make me feel any better. Their deaths are still on my head. It's time to change the subject.”

“Luna, you look like you need some rest,” I say out loud.

“No I don't! I'm fine!" she says indignant.

I stare at her unwavering.

"It’s that apparent, huh,” she murmurs.

I nod. I pat the bed right next to me, “Come on. I know you want to be strong for me, just as I try to be for you, but I think we've both done enough of that recently. Now we're both worn out.”

She looks at the bed, “I couldn’t Midnight. There isn’t enough room.”

I shimmy over to the side closest to the IVs, making enough her and me to lay against each other, “Is now.”

“You won’t take no for an answer will you,” she says with a smile.

“Luna, after all that's happened, I just want to be with you,” I say.

She crawls up into the bed gently and snuggles up to me. I wrap my hoof around her and nuzzle her neck, “I don’t think I can say it enough Luna, but, I love you.”

“I love you too Midnight,” she says, “I-”

“What is it?” I ask, “You sounded like you had something else to say.”

“It’s nothing,” she says, “I’m just glad you’re alive.”

“So I am,” I nuzzle her neck again, “So am I.”

I smile.

“This was where I want to be. Right here with her; nopony but her.”

I could hear her soft snores and feel her chest rise and fall. I close my eyes and fall asleep listening to her breathing. Zecora's prophesy rings in the back of my head,

"You and another will fight to the death;

Up until your very last breath.

Win and you will save us all;

Lose and the night princess will fall"

"I'm done. I finished it. I didn't die and Luna's safe."

I sigh content.

Act 2: Ch 15: Liking What You See

The Shadow of the Moon

Act 2: Meeting the Family

Chapter 15: Liking What You See

“Midnight………Are you awake?”

I feel my sleepy brain’s gear start to turn.

“Midnight?”

Is that Luna? She sounds different.

I reach out blindly with my left hoof and find a face.

“Midnight?”

“My hearing must be out of whack from the explosion.”

“Morning moonshine,” I croak deeply. I pull Luna’s face to mine and give her passionate kiss. I notice a bit of resistance and hesitation in the kiss. I open my eyes confused as to why she wasn’t kissing back as usual. My heart stops for a second. The EKG machine confirms it audibly. Instead of those beautiful cyan eyes that would look at him lovingly, were a pair of wide, and surprised pale magenta eyes. I stop and let go of Celestia. She backs away and wipes her mouth gently with a hoof. I stare at her, my face reddening from embarrassment.

“Sorry,” I apologize, “I thought you were somepony else.”

A coy smile plays along her lips, “I can tell. I can honestly say I’m a little jealous of my sister right now.” She laughs softly, “It’s been a long time since somepony kissed me like that.”

“Sorry,” I say again, “Where did Luna go?”

She laughs some more, “Don’t be. Despite the unexpectedness of it, I found it enjoyable. Luna and I will have much to discuss. As for where she is, she left to go get cleaned up at the castle now that she is confident you will make it through this. She will be back later tonight.”

“Should I be afraid?” I ask.

“Hmmm, maybe some other time,” she smiles.

“So, uh, I don’t imagine that you are here to get kissed by injured suitors of your sister,” I say trying to move away from the awkward moment.

“No, though I might have to add it to my list some time,” she laughs.

“I think she have enjoyed that too much.”

“No, I’m here for this,” she says sternly. Her expression changes to anger and her hoof slaps me across the face.

I recoil from the hit, “Okay, what was that for?”

“Did you read that scroll I left in your locker?” she questions.

“Yes. You said come back alive.”

“Maybe I should have specified that I meant in one piece. Not scraps for my sister to weep over and fret that you might die,” she chastises me, “You may not have died, but you sure as hell gave it your best shot. Don’t do that! Not to her! She’s had enough heartache on her own and doesn’t need your help adding to it!”

“Okay, fine. I get it. You want to protect her and I’m sorry!” I shout back, my temper becoming heated. I would have never dreamed of speaking this way towards a princess months ago, but things in my life had been changing rapidly.

“I’m sorry I got blown up!” I raise my voice and gesture with my remaining hoof at my limbless shoulder. “I’m sorry that I did the job that I was assigned to do! I am sorry that I had the see the things I saw and do the things I did!” I was nearing my breaking point. All the stress that had built up over the months; all the pain I had ever felt; everything I had bottled up was about to come spilling out and I didn’t care.

“Do you think I asked for this!? Do you think I wanted to get blown up! Do you think I want the weight of knowing that I sent those ponies out of the building to take cover behind those same DAMN CRATES! THEY TRUSTED ME AND I FAILED THEM!” My voice cracked from the strain. I cough and clear it. I bring the volume down a notch, “They died because they thought I knew what I was doing and now those ponies are added to the list of those that died because of me! Their names and faces are forever etched in my memory and their blood stains my soul! I didn’t want this! I didn’t ask for this!” My rage was short lived and starting to dissipate. Instead tears sprang from my eyes blurring the look on Celestia’s face beyond recognition.

“I sometimes wish I never asked Zecora to tell me my future. I wish that I could lead a normal life. Free of power-hungry murderers and dead soldiers. I do, Celestia. I wish I could be free of this curse of a prophesy that hangs over me but everything time I do, I see Luna. I could never leave her. I just couldn’t. All the things that I have had to see and do are worth every second I spend with her. As much as I wish I could bring ponies like Buck back to their wives, but to do this would come at the cost of never getting to know Luna, and I am too selfish to give her up. As much as I hate this, I don’t want to change it. She’s the only good thing I have left. She’s the light that guides me through dark.” I cry bitterly, my emotions spent.

Celestia shuffles her feet a little before speaking, “I think I owe you an apology. Even though I was happy for my sister, I was concerned that maybe you didn’t take what you had with her as seriously. That maybe you were on a crusade to be the best and greatest; a hero for the modern times.” She clears her throat, “While we need heroes to inspire and promote the good that can be found in life, I did not want my sister being used as a part of the façade and legacy left behind while you make the ‘ultimate sacrifice.’ After hearing what you just said though, after hearing the pain and anger, I don’t think I have to worry about your motivations. I am sorry. You also said something about a future telling and a prophesy? What do you mean?”

I sniff, “When I was just a young colt, I left Ponyville and entered the Everfree forest to go see a zebra named Zecora. I didn’t know much about my cutie mark and wanted to know more. She created a brew and began to chant. Her voice changed and it sounded like many ponies were speaking at once.”

Celestia swallowed, “Did you tell anypony about this?”

I shake my head.

“Do you want to talk about it?” she asks.

“No,” I reply, “It is my burden to carry.”

“It’s a burden that you share with my sister as long as you are with her. You should tell her when you are ready,” Celestia says calmly.

“Can I ask you a question Celestia?”

“That was one, but yes.”

“What kind of pony am I?”

Celestia smiled slightly and walks to the bathroom door with a full length mirror mounted on it. She turns the door so that I can see my reflection in it, “Only you can answer that Midnight. Only you know what it is truly in your heart and know the depths of your mind.”

I sigh.

“No such thing as easy answers.”

“I will tell you two things however,” Celestia says. Her face grows serious as she looks me dead in the eye, “I heard of a pony who once told my sister that ‘life isn’t being unfair, but giving you what you need to grow.’ I think that pony was onto something. Second, I don’t know if you’ve picked up a newspaper lately, but there is a second killer on the loose with the same modus operandi as Amethyst, right down to the rune circles. We aren’t sure it is a copycat or if Amethyst had an apprentice, but I fear it isn’t over yet.” Celestia turns and leaves the room.

I stare at the door she just left through, cold shivers rock my body.

“Not over? No. No. No. NO. NO! IT ISN’T FAIR! IT WAS DONE!”

I dip my head weep bitterly.

“None of it mattered. All those deaths and none of it mattered. This isn’t right. It’s starting all over again, except this time I’m only part the pony I used to be.”

I wipe my eyes with my hoof. I look up and catch my reflection in the corner of my eye. I look in the mirror and study the pony in it. White bandages wrapped around his broad chest. Traces of red blood could be seen trying to seep through his limbless shoulder. Behind him two slightly disproportionate wings lay spread out. The right one was bandaged and splinted and singed dark grey feathers protruded from the wrappings. Up and down his neck were several slight lacerations that would eventually heal into small white scars. Across the lower edge of his jaw line, a small sliver of a scar had already formed shining brightly against his dark grey coat. His black mane was uneven in places where fire and doctors had shaved away at it to do their work. Sticking out above the black mane were his ears. The corner of his right one was missing, leaving a jagged torn edge. Standing out the most was his sharp blue eyes. They were piercing and honest. Reflected in them were moments of pain and times of joy. They seemed to study me as I did the same to them.

“Who are you?” I ask the mirror pony.

Silence prevails in the room except for the old sound of hushed voices talking in the hall and the sounds of staff walking through the hospital.

“Who I am?.......How do I figure that out?”

Faced with these two questions I look back at the mirror.

“These aren’t the right questions are they?” I ask my glassy doppelganger.

“Celestia threw my own words back in my face. ‘Life isn’t being unfair, but giving you what you need to grow.’ Well, I’m finding it difficult to grow back another arm!”

My mirror pony looked at me disapproving.

“I know that isn’t what it means. I came up with it after all. So how do I grow from this mess?

I watch myself blink. “You just have a clue either do you?” The other pony said nothing. I sigh.

“Simpler question. Who do you love?”

“Luna. Wholeheartedly and faithfully,” I say the mirror and watch as the stallion inside smiles and nod his head affirmatively. I felt my heart swell with passion and love for the mare of my dreams.

“At least I’ve established that. I would do whatever it takes to protect and love her.”

My reflection looks at me and I understand the unspoken question.

“Then what do you have to do?”

“I’m going to have to take this copycat killer down. If they are following the same footsteps as Amethyst, then Luna and Celestia could be in danger. This time though, I am going to do it for Luna because I love her. Not because some prophesy said I had to. This is my life,” I tell the stallion in the mirror. He nods.

“Then it is settled. After this copycat is dealt with I will deal with who I am in more detail. For now though this will work.”

“I am in love with Luna,” I whisper to myself, “And that is enough.” I watch my doppelganger smile. I close my eyes and fell back into the dream world as my battered body rested.