-Chapter 1-
At the time I was quite young perhaps only 6 or 7 years old. The year would have been 17 BR or Before Rebellion by today’s reckoning. Although I was much too young to remember, I know now that this was a time of great struggle. The rulers of our land, Princesses Celestia and Luna had only recently overthrown the wicked rule of the chaos bringer known as Discord. By utilizing the legendary Elements of Harmony, they had managed to lock him away in a prison of stone. Unfortunately however, the damage had been done. Through his tyrannical rule of madness many ponies suffered. When crops failed because of irregular cycles of the sun and moon, ponies starved to death. Chocolate milk rain ruined any other crop that may have survived. Because of these and other tragedies, there were many ponies like me. Foals who no one cared for and who were unwanted.
My earliest memories are from the orphanage. I do not really remember my parents but oh do I remember my “caretakers”. To my knowledge, the orphanages of Canterlot received money from the palace to feed and care for us. If only that was the case. Me and my fellow orphans often had to beg for even a bit more food in our already small bowls. The nights were even worse for us because we were told scary stories of timberwolves and manticores that prowled about outside the orphanage looking for anypony unlucky enough to become their dinner. I realize of course now how silly such a story was, but to an emotionally wounded foal, it was torment.
One night, I sat up in my dingy cot. I had heard something. Looking to my left and right it appeared that two of my friends had as well.
“Did you hear that?” Asked a little blue unicorn with a pale-yellow mane.
“I sure did Stargazer, what do you think it is?” I replied with a bit of curiosity in my voice.
In the cot below mine, we had bunk beds you see, a soft, yet terrified voice piped up.
“It was p-probably a t-timber wolf!”
Maneuvering to the edge of my bed, I hung my head down to address the source of the comment.
There in the lower bunk was a unicorn filly close to my age. She had light pink fur along with a fuzzy mop of a yellow mane.
“Daisy, if it were a timberwolf don’t you think that it would be growling? I don’t hear any growling.”
Pouting she held her little stuffed pony closer to her chest.
“…could be a sneaky timberwolf…”
Just then I noticed something different about the moonlight streaming in through the high windows of our room. Hoping down from my bunk, I decided to investigate.
“C’mon you two let’s go check it out. I think I hear…. singing?”
“I…. I think I hear it too” said Stargazer.
“Me too, it’s so…pretty sounding” added Daisy.
Being as silent as we could, we snuck out of our room and stole down the hall. Once we got to the staircase, I slowly peered around the corner to make sure nopony was coming. We knew if we were caught we would regret it. Seeing nothing but shadows, I motioned for the other two to follow me as we crept down the stairs. About halfway down one of the boards let out a dreadful creaking sound. All three of us froze in our tracks at the sound and did not move for what felt like hours though it was only a second or two. Satisfied that nopony was coming to tan our hides, we continued down to the bottom of the staircase.
After yet another moment or two of caution, we made our way out into the foyer of the building. What we saw through the large windows took our breath away. It seemed as though the moonlight itself was alive as it streamed through those windows. It danced across the wall and on the floor as we watched. Just then, all three of us were envelopes in a silvery glow. I thought it made my orange coat look shiny and sparkly. Next we began to hover and float in the air. Even though I am a pegasus, this was a totally new sensation to me having not yet learned to fly. Try as I might to flap my underdeveloped wings, I could not seem to succeed in doing anything other than spinning in circles. My friends were not doing much better though. Daisy had succeeded in inverting herself whilst Stargazer was running his legs like crazy trying to “walk” in the air. I stifled a laugh as I watched them but then things got even weirder. Slowly, we started to float upwards and towards the now open windows. How they were opened I did not know. However as soon as we passed out into the clear night air, I became even more aware of the singing that I had heard earlier. In truth, it seemed to be coming from everywhere at once and was the most beautiful thing my young ears had ever heard.
🎵Come little children
I'll take thee away, into a land
Of enchantment
Come little children
The time's come to play
Here in my garden
Of shadows🎵
So relaxing and peaceful was the singing voice that I felt as though I had not a care in the whole world.
Looking about as we “flew” higher into the night sky, I saw other colts and fillies. Some seemed to be coming from other orphanages within the city while others were coming from elsewhere. I am sure that I saw at least one who came from under a bridge, no doubt an orphan who had managed to evade the dreadful orphanages.
🎵
Rest now my children
For soon we'll away
Into the calm and
The quiet🎵
It was then that I saw her. Gliding along on midnight blue wings and with a mane and tail that seemed to hold galaxies was a pony. This was not any ordinary pony though; she was a bit larger and more graceful than most ponies that I had ever seen. Perhaps the most striking feature to my young eyes was that she possessed both wings and a horn. I had heard rumors that two of these ponies ruled the land, but I had never seen them myself.
As she flew past me, she smiled. She had the kindest eyes I had ever seen in an adult pony. Most of the ponies that I had ever seen were either cruel looking or were so worn out that there was nothing left in their eyes but gloom. This majestic pony’s eyes however were so full of life and joy that it tickled my spirit. For the first time that I could remember in my short life, I felt true joy.
She continued to sing as we flew off into the night. As we went, I noticed that Stargazer had taken an interest in some of the clouds we were passing by. As we flew over a patch of them, he extended his hoof into them creating swirling tendrils of water vapor.
As we flew away from the city that night, I had no idea where we were going. Somehow though, as I maneuvered myself closer to the dark blue colored pony, I felt more at home than I had ever been. Eventually I got close enough to see that her cutie mark was that of a crescent moon.
Suddenly, I was enveloped in a different colored light. Where before I seemed to be glowing silver like my fellow foals, now I was enveloped in a rich blue light. I was brought up close to the pony where she looked deep into my eyes. As she looked, I felt a warmth emanating from that gaze. Then she gave me a smile and brought me in close for a hug. She nuzzled my cheek like the mother I never knew, and I felt unbelievably safe and secure.
Wherever we were going, it was home.
-Chapter 2-
As we flew, I stayed close to my new friend. Something about her just felt…. right…safe. Eventually we crested a mountainous ridge and that’s when I saw it. Below us was a vast valley with lush forests and a river snaking down from a large lake at the far end. As we got closer to that lake, I noticed something not far from the beach. There, looking as though it were hewn from the mountain itself was a castle. It was not particularly large as castles go, but it certainly wasn’t small either. The stone blocks which formed the walls appeared to be a deep blue in color, with ever so subtle swirls of purple in them. I blinked and tried to convince myself that it was a trick of the light, but it was not so. The tops of the turrets were crowned with blocks made of the most brilliant white I had ever seen. They appeared to glow in the moonlight. The next thing I saw were the deep purple flags that hung from the tops of the walls at regular intervals. Etched in the center of those flags was the shape of a crescent moon over a black field. Glancing backwards for a moment, I noted to myself that the symbol matched the cutie-mark of our savior. Continuing to examine the fortress I saw that the tower’s roofs were made of a luminous, almost turquoise blue material that I had not seen before.
It had to be the single most beautiful building that I had ever seen in my short life. It was leaps and bounds above even the architecture in the capital city of Canterlot where I had lived up until this point.
“Who is this pony?” I thought.
As we swooped in, it became clear that we were heading for the castle courtyard. When we landed, I saw that the courtyard appeared to be a garden of sorts. All about were flowers that were varying shades of blue, purple, white and even some dark red ones. Lining the cobblestone path which lead to the main keep were the most full and lush lavender plants in perhaps all Equestria.
While I was awestruck by the beauty and smell of these plants, my attention was soon captured by something else. There was a blur of movement and all of a sudden, we were surrounded. Quickly, I and my fellow foals found ourselves trying to hide underneath and between the legs of the midnight blue pony. Spreading her wings, she looked at us kindly and softly spoke.
“Shhh, it’s quite alright little ones, there is nothing to fear here.”
Gently, she nudged us out so that we were not underneath her anymore, though we all stayed close. Before us were ponies the likes of which I had never seen before.
Standing before as well as behind the group of us were what at first glance looked like normal ponies. Upon further inspection however I realized they were quite different from myself. Some for example, had leathery, bat-like wings while others possessed a horn like a unicorn, but curved and sharper. They were all wearing purple and blue colored armor with swords strapped to their sides.
Still a bit terrified, I made eye contact with one of them. Her eyes were a light shade of purple, but her irises were slit, like a cat or dragon’s eye. Briefly, she broke her stoic expression, smiled, and then winked at me before once again hardening her features.
Turning my gaze from the friendly guard, I then noticed one of them step forward. This one had bat-like wings and red colored eyes. His armor, while the same base colors as the others was a bit different. Where the other guard’s armor was more uniform, this pony’s armor was more ornate. It was highlighted in places by the same turquoise material that is on the towers. His face was more grizzled looking, and he had what looked like a rough beard.
Like the other guards he too had a sword sheathed at his side. Unlike the other guards however, he had something attached to the front edge and tips of his wings. It was hard to tell while he had the appendages folded but I was reasonably sure they were blades of some kind.
Clearing his throat, he spoke with a gruff voice.
“Princess! You have returned!” He began
Glancing at the lot of us foals he continued.
“I take it Celestia agreed to your proposal?”
I looked up quizzically at our new friend.
“Princess?” I thought.
Shaking her head, the blue pony replied.
“Greetings commander Keenblade. No…. she did not. Outright rejected me actually. She said that it would only weaken the kingdom.”
The soldier looked at us again before speaking again.
“Then…the foals?”
She lowered and shook her head again, closing her eyes.
“I…I just couldn’t do nothing. There are so many hurting in our kingdom and my sister would sit on her throne let it all happen.”
As she lifted her head once again, I could have sworn I saw a single tear run down her graceful cheek.
“I decided to take matters into my own hooves and rescue who I could.”
Gesturing at us she smiled and continued.
“These foals will live here from now on. Here they will grow strong and happy. Of course, only if that is their wish.”
Taking a few steps forward, she turned to face the group of us.
“My little ponies, would you like to stay here and live with me?”
At that, a small voice could be heard with its own question
“Does…does that mean you’ll be my mommy?”
I recognized it immediately as Daisy’s
There was a brief pause before the warmest look I have ever seen came upon the blue pony’s face.
“But of course! It would be my great pleasure to adopt you all as my dear children.”
There was another brief pause before, as one, we all let out a shout of joy and galloped to hug our new mother.
After several minuets of hugging, laughing and shouting with joy, everypony started to calm down.
Standing to her hooves the princess began to speak.
“My name is Princess Luna, though you may call me whatever makes you feel comfortable. This castle and valley are a secret from the rest of Equestria. Here you will be safe.”
Gesturing to the soldier she continued.
“This is commander Keenblade and his Starguard. They are also here to watch over us.”
Looking over us again, she appeared to be fighting back tears.
“I’m so happy to have you here and I hope you will be happy.”
Looking around, I turned my gaze to the far eastern end of the valley where the sky above the high mountain peaks was beginning to turn an orangish yellow shade as the sun was chasing away the colors of night.
I let out a long yawn as I thought to myself
“It’s morning? How long have I been awake?”
In answer to my yawn, the lunar princess spoke,
“Oh dear, it’s nearly dawn. I do believe that there are some little foals who need their rest.”
This was met by a few groans but personally I was quite tired and hoping for a bed. Luna beckoned for us to follow her and she led the way into the castle. As we walked away, the guards all scattered to assume various posts. Some you could see while others melted into the shadows becoming nearly invisible.
Once inside the castle we were taken to a large room lined with beds on each side, one for each of us. Like the rest of the castle, the room and beds were all accented with various shades of blue and purple as well as elements of the night sky. The high ceiling was covered in little specs of light so that it looked like millions of twinkling stars.
Climbing into the bed closest to the door I snuggled into the covers. It was the most comfortable thing that I had ever felt. As the other foals did the same, the princess began to slowly walk around the room whilst singing a lullaby. He voice was like that of an angel and I slowly began to drift off to dreamland. As I laid there, the last thought I had was that, at long last, I had a real home.
-Chapter 3-
The following weeks were glorious. Slowly, I came to better know my new brothers and sisters. Together we ate, slept and played together. Every night for a few hours we would attend lessons in reading, history as well as learning all about the night sky. After our lessons we would break out and do things that took our interests. Daisy for example had shown quite a fascination with the garden that we encountered when we first arrived. Stargazer on the other had was showing interest, as his name suggests, in the night sky as well as a bit of magic. After a few weeks he was becoming quite the little spell caster.
I on the other hand had other interests. Whenever I could I begged Keenblade to let me look at his sword.
“When you’re a bit bigger lad” he would chuckle as I followed him about the castle.
The other thing that I loved to do was explore. We were not supposed to leave the castle without a guard but, being the foal that I was, I didn’t listen. I spent hours crawling all over that valley. More than once I was discovered by a very worried looking alicorn and taken back home.
“You can explore when you get bigger” she often chastised me.
“But mooommm” I would counter.
“Now now, none of that dear, a night hawk could fly away with you! I can’t have my little Fireheart becoming a bird’s dinner now can I?”
She always smiled when she said that, which made me smile in return.
One day, I was in the courtyard where I had determined that I was going to teach myself how to fly. I had been reading books in the library on the subject and was now flapping my little wings furiously.
I was getting nowhere.
It was then that Keenblade appeared out of the shadows where he had apparently been watching me.
“You’ll never get in the air like that lad, you gotta feel the air with yer wings, not fight it.”
Looking around, he motioned me to follow him before trotting off towards the main gate. I took off after him and immediately began asking questions.
“Where are we going Mr. Keenblade?”
“Ah, not to worry my boy, you’ll see.”
The batpony then led the way out of the castle and into the forest. We walked in silence but as we went, I noticed a steady incline in the path. Eventually I saw the light of the moon poking through the trees ahead. Breaking through the trees, I suddenly realized that we had ascended a small way up the mountain. Up ahead of us was a a cliff which offered a beautiful view of the valley.
“Everything looks so pretty from up here….”
Looking all about I struggled to take it all in. Even though I had made a point to explore the valley, I had never managed to find a path up the mountain.
“This lad is where you earn your wings” The batpony said.
“Here I will teach you to fly. Now then, first, I need you to come to the edge here. There you go.”
As I shuffled to the edge, I felt my stomach do a flip flop. From there at the edge, the height suddenly looked much much higher than I thought before. From our perch there on the ledge, it was perhaps a 500 ft sheer drop to an outcropping of rather jagged rocks.
I gulped before speaking.
“M-Mr. Keenblade? Is this really such a good idea?”
The batpony commander looked down and arched an eyebrow.
“Scared eh lad? That’s all right, it’s perfectly normal. As long as you do what I say you’ll be alright, ok?”
I shuffled where I stood, still not entirely convinced.
“If you say so…”
At that he smiled.
“Excellent! Now watch what I do, first you need to unfold your wings like so.”
He then unfolded his leathery wings and held them out straight from his body.
“Next, you are going to want to angle them like this. Now then, I want you to come up to the edge here, there. Do you feel that?”
I nodded as I felt what he was referring to. My red and yellow mane blew into my eyes and whipped around my neck as the wind blew in my face.
“That lad is what’s known as a ridge-lift. The wind hits the cliff and rushes up to where we are. We are going to use that draft to get you airborne.”
With that he leaned over the edge until the wind caught his wings and he began rise into the air. Without even needing to flap, he hung there, supported by the wind itself.
“C’mon then! You can do it! Just lean over and let the wind do all the work!”
I hesitated, but eventually worked up the courage to do what I was told and leaned over with my wings outstretched. At first nothing happened but then, my hooves were no longer on the ground, I was flying! Sort of.
“Good on ya lad! Now then, once we get away from this draft you re going to need to flap to stay up. Watch my wings.”
He then proceeded to demonstrate the proper wing movement. It was less a straight up and down movement and more like moving in little circles with the wings.
“When you flap right, it’s almost like being in the water, your feathers will catch the air and keep you up. Now then, are you ready to try it yourself?”
I nodded and waited for a prompt.
“Good! Follow me!”
With that he was off.
(Suggested track: https://youtu.be/6IBlQj2U5kU )
At first, I struggled, while I had been able to hold a semi stable glide on the wind, actual flying was much more difficult. While Keenblade flew out in front effortlessly, I continually dropped in altitude only to regain a small semblance of control and rise again.
Slowly but surely, I started to get the hang of it. I found it easier and easier to move my wings in the right pattern. It was almost like, deep within, I already knew how. Eventually I was able to catch up to the batpony.
“Alright! Good on ya lad! I knew ye could do it!”
“It’s not as bad as I thought!” I said with glee.
Deep in my chest, I felt a warmth rising to the surface as we flew about the valley.
“Let’s try something else now.” The batpony said.
“Follow me!”
He then went into a dive and I followed. As we picked up speed, I got a little nervous but convinced myself that I would be fine so long as I mirrored the other pony’s every move.
With sufficient speed built up, we headed for a formation of rocks poking up through the forest canopy. Following my instructors lead, we weaved back and forth between them. The feeling was exhilarating.
“Woooohhhooo!!” I shouted at the top of my lungs.
Looking back at me the batpony smiled.
“Feeling your oats are ye lad?”
I nodded enthusiastically
“Right then, let’s have some more fun! Up we go!”
He then went into a steep climb, gaining altitude my the second. I tried to follow but after not much of a climb, I started to struggle again. It was not long before I lost all upward momentum and dropped like a stone to the valley below.
“Kid!” The guard shouted.
He dove to try and recover my flailing form but there was no way he would make it.
As I fell, I was screaming rather loudly. As the ground got closer and closer, I closed my eyes and prepared for the impact….an impact that never came. All of a sudden, the rushing wind in my ears was gone, replaced by what seemed to be a gentle breeze. As I opened my eyes, my vision was once again filled with an aerial view of the valley. Except now I wasn’t plunging towards it at a high rate of speed, but rather gliding high above it.
I then became aware of the presence of two forelegs holding me close and then I recognized my rescuer.
“Mom! You caught me!”
“Indeed I did little one” said the lunar princess.
“Would you mind telling me what you were doing plunging towards certain doom?”
I stammered at that.
“W-well M-Mr. Keenblade was teaching me how to fly and I s-sorta….fell”
She raised an eyebrow before her face lightened and she hugged me tighter.
“Well I’m just glad you are okay. And flying!”
My expression changed once I realized I wasn’t in trouble and was replaced by a mile-wide grin.
“Yeah! I was flying! Wanna see?”
The princess giggled and replied,
“Very well, if you insist”
With that she released me, and I demonstrated how I could hover as well as fly forwards and glide. Once Keenblade joined us, we then headed back to the castle with me leading the charge. Behind me were what could only be described as one very proud alicorn and one equally proud batpony.
-Chapter 4-
(Suggested track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ9aK5FYU_8 )
Over the years, I as well as my fellow former orphans started to uncover our special talents. Daisy spent many a moonlit night in the castle gardens with mother. There, the two of them used their magic to make the most beautiful flowers bloom and continue to bloom in the moonlight. Stargazer on the other hoof had taken up more powerful spell casting. I could often see him working with the saberhorn guards to improve his skills.
It was not long before Keenblade saw fit to begin instructing me in the ways of sword-craft. At first all I was given was a stick. With that piece of wood I learned the most basic of combat forms and techniques. Eventually, I managed to graduate to a metal training blade. Its edge was blunt and couldn’t hurt a paraprite but it had weight like the real thing.
Once I was proficient enough, I was allowed to spar with other guards. It was in my first match with a saberhorn that I learned a valuable lesson. Saberhorns as well as unicorns, have a much larger field of control over their weapons than does a pegasus or earthpony. Because of their use of magic to manipulate objects it is not difficult for them to maneuver a weapon into a blind spot and then strike. I quickly learned to keep my head on a swivel and on the look out for incoming attacks.
I also learned however, that being a pegasus has its advantages as well. Thanks to my wings, I could get a hoof up on an opponent by flying over top of them and using well placed aerial strikes.
By the time I was 20 I could best any guard in the castle, all but Keenblade. While I found this fact annoying, the most glaring thing that bothered me was my lack of a cutie mark. Most of my brothers and sisters had received theirs years ago and I was beginning to think that I would forever be a blankflank.
That would all change however.
It was a lovely summer night. I had been moving through my different forms in the training yard and had managed to work up a decent sweat. It was then that I heard something behind me. I turned to find Keenblade with his sword strapped to his side.
“Evening lad, how would ye feel about a little duel this fine night?”
Offering a cocky grin I replied,
“What ever you say, maybe this time I’ll finally beat you.”
“Heh, I doubt it lad but ye be welcome to try.”
Trotting to our respective places in the combat circle marked out on the ground, we drew our swords and took up our stances.
We watched each other for a solid 60 seconds, studying each other from head to hoof. Every muscle in my body was tense every fiber ready to respond.
Then Keenblade said,
“Begin!”
And we were at it. Our swords flew at at each other, striking again and again. With each strike there came an accompanying ring throughout the training ground. As we fought, I watched Keenblade’s every move and was mesmerized. He truly was a master at his craft. Every step he took, and every slash of his blade was a perfectly calculated movement with a purpose. One jab might be an attempt to make me open up my back while a downward cut might try to break my defense with brute strength.
As good as he was however, I was just so. With every slash, every strike, I had a counter. When he tried to make me go to the right, I would push to the left instead. Occasionally I would jump into the air to deliver an offsetting vertical strike to try and create an opening. Back and forth we did our dance in the circle, neither one of us ever weakening lest the other seize upon that opportunity.
Normally there were only a few guards about who watched our sparing matches, but this match was dragging out longer than usual. Slowly, more and more of the nightguard who were not on duty gathered to watch.
Soon there were cheers of
“C’mon Fireheart you can take him”
Or
“You’re not gonna let the kid beat you are you Keenblade?”
Once, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a particular blue alicorn out of the corner of my eye watching with a few of my brothers and sisters.
“Moms watching” I thought
“Now I have to win this”
Once, I thought I heard her cheer for me, but over the clash of steel it was hard to tell.
“Come on Fireheart you can do this, he’s got to have an opening somewhere.” I told myself.
After several more tense moments of combat I saw it. Every so often when Keenblade would make a push there would be a tiny opening in his defense.
“Not much, but it’s there.” I thought
So, the next time he made a push I simply sidestepped the attack which caused the opening to widen.
“There!”
Now with the advantage, I pressed him hard, driving right to the edge of the combat circle. Once there, I managed to lock blades with him. Quicker than lighting, I heaved while the bewildered commander was still off balance and sent his sword tumbling through the air before it wedged into the dirt blade first a few feet away. Sweeping one of my legs beneath his I then knocked him on his back and placed the blunt tip of my training blade on his chest.
“Do you yield?” I asked
For a moment he just stared at me and blinked, totally shocked that he had been bested.
After a moment of stunned silence, he began to chuckle before saying,
“Alright then lad, I yield. Well done indeed!”
There was a cheer from the crowd of onlookers, and I do not think I have ever seen mother so proud. I had just managed to defeat the commander of the elite Starguard in combat.
Suddenly, there was a flash of light.
“What the?” I said as I started to look around
“Check yer flank boy” Keenblade said with a grin
I did indeed check and was astonished at what I saw. There, emblazoned on my orange fur was the image of a blue shield with a sword overlaid on top of it.
“My cutie mark!!” I shouted
“I finally got my cutie mark!!”
It was then that I was wrapped in a magnificent blue wing and pulled close to the lunar princess.
She giggled as she said,
“And I am very proud of you my little warrior”
-Chapter 5-
The next two years were fairly uneventful. Every night, after raising the moon into the sky, mother would spend time with each of her children. She even took an interest in my swordcraft, serving as a sparing partner when Keenblade was indisposed. The princess of the night was a skilled swordspony, in almost every way my better. Still, I noticed that she would often gain the upper hoof, only to let go of it. Truly, she was a master.
After lowering the moon in the morning, she would check that we had all gone to bed before taking flight away from our valley home. She had never told me when it was she went, but I ascertained that it was to see her sister about matters concerning the kingdom. She was a ruler after all.
Over time, I began to notice a change in our mother. At first it was small, hardly perceptible to anypony who did not know her as I and my brothers and sisters did. Still it was there. At times I could see her walking by herself with head drooped or staring blankly at her star-jeweled sky. Night by night, and day by day, it grew. She hid it well from the guards as well as the rest of my family, but I knew something was not right.
One night, I was walking down one of the castle’s corridors which led to the great hall. As I approached an intersection, I heard something. It was soft and hardly louder than a whisper, but I heard crying.
“…. why can’t they see it… my work is just as beautiful as Tia’s…”
“But no…when I visit a town……all I get is contempt…”
The crying continued so I quietly poked my head around the corner.
There, standing in the hallway was my dear mother. Her graceful alicorn form was illuminated by a combination of the warm orange light from torches as well as silver moonlight streaming through the huge stained-glass windows that lined this hall.
Seeing that she had tears running down her face, I rushed out to her.
“Mom? Mom what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
Quickly, the blue alicorn wiped the tears from her eyes before turning to face me.
“Oh, hello dear…. n-nothing’s wrong…I’ll be alright”
She was a remarkable concealer of emotion, but there was no fooling me. Walking up to her, I spread my forelegs wide and gave her the biggest hug I could muster. After a brief moment, she spread both of her wings and returned the gesture. We sat there for a few long moments before she relaxed her hold.
“Better?” I asked
Sniffing a bit, and wiping a single tear away, she managed a weak smile and replied,
“Yes, much. My dear Fireheart, you always know how to cheer me up.”
I smiled back at her, though I was unconvinced that she was entirely better. Still, for now, I hoped it would be enough.
After another few moments, her expression took on an a more serious expression.
“Fireheart, I need you to go find Keenblade and the rest of the Starguard. Please bring them to the great hall. Can you do that for me?”
With a look of concern, I nodded and turned to go find Keenblade.
“Fireheart, one more thing, don’t let your siblings know what you are doing, be discrete.”
Looking back to her I nodded
“I’m on it mom, we’ll be there as quick as possible”
As I headed off to find the castles best fighters, I wrestled with troubled thoughts.
“Why was mother crying?”
“Why the sudden need to gather the elite Starguard? “
“Something doesn’t feel right at all…”
It did not take me long to find Keenblade. Once I exited the castle, I could see his silhouette up on one of the main wall’s battlements. Spreading my wings, I flew up to meet him.
“Keenblade! I’ve been looking for you. Mother sent me to find you.”
“Lad! What’s the matter? You look as though you’ve seen a ghost.”
Looking around, I lowered my voice to a whisper before continuing,
“Mother told me to find you and have the Starguard gathered in the great hall. I fear something is terribly wrong”
Keenblade’s expression turned to one of concern.
“Gather the Starguard? Did she say to bring the rest of the Nightguard as well?”
“No sir, just the elite members”
“That doesn’t bode well lad, if she wants the Starguard, then a fight’ll be brewing. I’ll have them in the hall in 10 minuets.”
I ruffled my wings and shifted nervously before adding
“She also said to keep is quiet, don’t let my siblings know…”
He nodded solemnly before saying,
“Of course, lad, it will be done, nopony will notice us”
With that, he melted into the night shadows to gather his troops.
True to his word, Keenblade quickly and silently assembled the members of the Starguard in the great hall. Starguard were separate from the regular Nightguard in that they were the best fighters. Their armor, while still blue and purple like normal night guards was also trimmed in silver to denote their unit. All in all, there were about 200 ponies in this division though you would never know it by walking about the castle grounds. In addition to being elite combatants, they were also masters of concealment. You could easily walk past 4 of them in the woods and never be the wiser.
With everypony inside, Keenblade shut the massive oak doors to the room and set the heavy timber cross brace in place. Suddenly, there was a flash and a burst of blue magic which hit the door before splashing out and enveloping the room. It was a soundproofing spell. Now, if anypony were outside the doors they would not be able to hear a word spoken inside.
Looking to the far end of the room where the bolt had originated from, I located to source of the spell. Standing with her head held high at the other end of the room was my mother Princess Luna. Gone however was her usual warm and inviting demeanor. Her sadness that I had witnessed only a short time before was also nowhere to be seen. Both were replaced instead with an air of seriousness that I had never seen before.
“Form ranks!!” Shouted Keenblade
Without missing a beat and with practiced precision, the Starguard immediately formed into ranks and saluted their princess.
“Starguard at your disposal your highness” said Keenblade as he too saluted.
I stood off to the side watching the exchange and not entirely sure why I was there. After a moment of conversation with Keenblade the lunar princess turned to where I was standing.
“Fireheart dear, please come stand with me and the commander.”
I did as I was told and took up a place beside mother, still wondering as to my purpose.
With Keenblade and I to her left and right, Luna turned to face the members of the Starguard.
“It is with a heavy heart that I have gathered you here today. There is a darkness rising in the north. The Crystal Empire has fallen to the King of Shadows, Sombra.”
I shuddered; I had read in the castle library about this wicked king. He was once a unicorn but, somewhere along the way had fallen to darkness. He now used fear as a powerful weapon in his conquests. Up until now however, he had never been able to breech Equestria’s northern boarder and the Stormsheer mountains. If the Empire had fallen however…that meant that he would not stop until he had enslaved all of Equestria.
The princess continued
“The majority of the Nightguard has already assembled in Canterlot and are preparing to march north with my sister by the end of the day”
Beginning to pace, she walked up and down the line of guards assembled before her. I stayed with Keenblade and listened.
“You have been chosen for this task because you are the best, the elite” she was saying
“By first light we will march to meet the Equestrian army proper and together, make for the Crystal Empire. Ready your gear and be ready to move out, that is all.”
The Starguard once again saluted as one before silently leaving the chamber, leaving only myself, Keenblade, and the lunar ruler.
I looked at those large oak doors for several long moments before turning to face the pair.
“……. it’s war then?” I asked as I was still trying to comprehend the gravity of the situation.
Looking sullen, the princess replied
“I am afraid so my dear, and….there is yet something I must ask.”
She took a few seconds to formulate exactly what she was going to say.
“Fireheart…of all your brothers and sisters, you are the only one who has practiced, and become proficient in combat. The decision is yours, but I must ask, will you join me and the Nightguard?”
My heart sank for a moment. So it had come to this, my homeland needed me.
Keenblade spoke up
“No need to decide right away lad, if you need to think about it th-“
I held up my hoof and hardened my features.
“No….I don’t need to think about it. My answer is yes, I will go with you.”
The princess dropped her head slightly, indicating that perhaps she was hoping for me to refuse.
“Very well then. In that case you shall need a weapon.” She said
Her horn suddenly came alight in a blue glow as she gripped something in her ethereal grasp. From a table in the far corner of the room there floated over a bundle. Whatever it was was wrapped in a thick canvas and secured with leather straps.
One by one, using her magic Luna undid the straps until the canvas fell loose on one end of the object. As the cloth was pulled back the first thing I saw was a what looked like a large sapphire. The color of the stone was brilliant and seemed to glow. When the cloth was pulled back even farther it was revealed that it was not just a sapphire but rather a pommel stone to a sword. Dropping the cloth to the ground Luna gripped the sheathed weapon in her magic.
“This Fireheart is a weapon which requires great skill to wield. A skill I know you to possess.”
With a ring of metal on metal, the sword was freed from its home and held in front of the princess as she spoke.
“It was forged by a master unicorn black smith many hundreds of years ago. In fact, is one of three such blades though the others have since been lost. It was forged from the metal of a meteorite and heated with dragon fire. It was also enchanted so I believe you will find it to be quite unbreakable.
“Now, it is yours my dear son, use it wisely.”
Spinning it briefly in the air, she then offered it to me grip first. Tentatively I took the weapon, expecting it to be quite heavy. What I found instead was that it was incredibly light and well balanced. As I examined the sword I was taken aback by its most striking feature. While every sword I had ever seen possessed a grey colored blade, this one was different. The blade itself was a brilliant shade of emerald green. It was perhaps the most beautiful object I had ever seen. Why the blade would be such a color I could not fathom, perhaps it was a byproduct of some enchantment or simply the color of metal that was in the meteorite. After a few test swings, I replaced it in its scabbard.
“Thank you, mother, it is a beautiful gift.”
She smiled softly before placing a hoof under my chin and lifting my eyes to meet hers.
“You are strong my son, I have great faith in you indeed.”
Taking her hoof out from under my chin, she turned to Keenblade.
“Take him to the armory and fit him with the best armor we have, we march at daybreak.”
Keenblade nodded before motioning me to follow him.
“Come along lad, let’s get you set up proper.”
Obediently I followed with my new blade tucked under one wing.
“What have I gotten myself into?” I thought as I followed the batpony commander down the torch lit hall.
-Chapter 6-
The next morning, we left at precisely daybreak. Behind we left only enough Nightguards to protect the castle as well as take care of my siblings, though they were all capable of looking after themselves. My armor took some getting used to. It was purple and blue in color as well as trimmed in silver like that of the Starguard. Unlike Starguard armor however, mine possessed the image of a crescent moon in the center of the chest that resembled my mother’s cutie mark. I almost immediately ditched the helmet as I found it to be constricting to my head movement. On my forelegs were einforced leather vambraces with a bit of purple steel on the front for added durability. I marched together with my mother at the head of the small army. The trip would have been much faster had we been able to fly, but nearly half of the members of the Starguard were Saberhorns. Therefore, we all marched together. Occasionally, I would reach back and fiddle with the pommel of my sword where it was secured via a belt under my wing.
The guards and I however were not the only ones wearing combat armor. Walking alongside me, Luna was also encased in protective steel. Rather than the purple and blue that the other guards wore, her armor was jet black with moon white trim, her chest piece was made of two pieces which strapped together behind her forelegs in order to fully encircle her chest. Her normally free flowing ethereal mane was tied back with a silver circlet. Both her forelegs and hind legs were shod with armor of the same jet black as the chest-piece. At either side under her wings she had two twin short swords, each with a crescent moon on the cross-guard. Lastly, she wore a helmet which matched the rest of her armor with a single hole for her horn to protrude. All in all, she looked every bit the warrior and I was glad to be by her side.
It took us two days to finally meet up with the Equestrian army. Once we did, we continued onward to the north and the Crystal Empire. It was the first time that I had ever met mother’s sister Princess Celestia. She too wore armor like that of Luna except it was gold in color. Rather that wear a helm, Celestia let her mane flow free in an unfelt breeze. Lastly, her weapon was different from her sisters. It was a kind of spear combined with a sword. I had never seen a weapon like it though I was certain that the princess of the day could handle it with ease.
Luna, wanting to protect my status as one of the foals who had disappeared all those years ago, introduced me as one of her top lieutenants. I played along, also not wanting to earn the ire of the elder sister. Celestia seemed happy to meet me but was obviously preoccupied with the battle ahead.
As we moved north, I noticed that it suddenly started to get cold. Even though it was the middle of June, I started to see snow on the side of the path. The landscape steadily got grayer and more lifeless as we went. The further we went, the more I had to fight this strange feeling of despair. I looked to the two princess and saw that they alone among the soldiers with us seemed unfazed.
“It’s a spell” said Luna
“Indeed, you must all fight it, steel your resolve!” Agreed Celestia
Finally, after much walking we came upon a snowy hill. On the other side of it stood the Empire, along with the Shadow King’s armies.
It was quiet…too quiet.
There was a kind of uneasy stillness in the air. All around, you could hear soldiers shifting in their armor. All of a sudden, I thought I could hear the muffled sound of galloping hooves. Then cresting the hill, I saw a glint of gold armor. It was one of our advance scouts and he did not look good. As he came closer, I could see his helmet was missing and his armor was charred and dented.
“Make ready!!! They’re coming!!” He shouted as he ran.
Quickly I drew my blade. With a flash of green steel, I had it out and ready to use.
Immediately, Keenblade began barking orders
“Right then lads, form up! Draw weapons! They be a-comin!”
With rehearsed precision, the army quickly formed battle lines. In the rear, unicorns and saberhorns were ready to unleash long range spells. At the front, earthponies and pegasai stood at the ready with weapons drawn. The anticipation in the air was palpable. Just then there was a faint rumble which grew stronger with each second. And then, all Tartarus broke loose.
The enemy army crested the snow-covered hill like a swarm of parasprites. They wore dark, heavy metal armor with helmets that covered their faces completely. It was a ghostly sight.
They smashed into our front lines but were held back at first. Slowly however, they began to move into our ranks and violent combat began.
For what seemed like an eternity I fought. I would put down one foe only to be engaged by two more.
“Rats! They are trying to divide us!” I said through gritted teeth as I continued to move through the battlefield.
Coming upon several members of the Starguard I felt a bit of relief. They were doing their job efficiently and so far, did not look to have a scratch.
“Come on! We have to push them back!” I hollered above the commotion of battle.
The guards nodded and followed my lead. After a hard 30-minute push, we managed to rout the enemy out from our ranks. Then we slowly began to push the enemy’s force back and over the hill.
Once I saw the two princesses fighting. I pity anypony foolish enough to get close to those two. They were a veritable tornado on the battlefield dropping enemies left and right.
Eventually, we were able to drive all the way to the limits of the Crystal City itself. We could advance no further however due to the presence of a sickly green and red magic barrier. It was then that the fighting came to an uneasy halt. The rest of the enemy forces had retreated within the magic shield. Panting hard, I sheathed my blade and set off in search of the princesses. As I ran, I began to get a feel for our situation. We had many wounded, but many more were still strong and able bodied.
“It looks as though we are faring better than I thought” I said to myself.
It did not take me long to find the leaders of the army up on a hill overlooking the battlefield and city beyond. As I came up, I stayed silent as the two of them were talking.
“…hiding in his fortress like a coward” Luna was saying
“We only need a small window; you and I will be able to handle him once inside” Celestia replied.
Luna turned as I approached.
“Fireheart, my sister and I are going to make our move against Sombra. I want you to stay here with Keenblade incase of another attack.”
“But I can help, surly I could be of some use on the inside.”
Celestia then stepped forward to interject,
“Nay brave warrior, I am afraid this foe is beyond you. Do as Luna says, we will not be gone long.”
With that, the celestial princess leaped into the air.
“It will be alright dear, do not worry.” Luna said before following her sister.
I watched them fly through the barrier, utilizing some form of spell to create an opening.
“What am I going to do here?” I asked to myself aloud.
I had been left on the hill by myself. Somewhere in the crowd of soldiers, I could hear Keenblade barking orders, but I couldn’t tell what he was saying.
Just then, I saw a flash from inside the fortress followed by an even brighter golden flash.
“Horse apples! They could be in trouble!”
Weighing my options, I spread my wings and took off towards the fortress. Once I got to the energy field, I pulled out my sword and placed the tip against the magical energy. To my Surprise, it seemed like the magic was retreating from where I placed the tip. The sword repelled magic.
“Will wonders never cease….”
I then unleashed a fierce vertical chop to the barrier and succeeded in creating a hole big enough to fly through which I did. Once on the other side I heard a pop and turned to see that the hole had resealed itself.
Now inside the barrier, I made my way towards the dark crystal fortress. Inside I could hear the sounds of metal on metal and the sound of magic blasts. The other thing I heard was a voice. It was not Celestia’s or Luna’s but something deeper and masculine. I could not tell what it was saying but it still filled my soul with dread.
Flying to a window, I looked inside to find a frightening scene. There, the two rulers of the free Equestrian world we’re going hoof to hoof with a unicorn who looked to be part shadow. Again and again they clashed. The unicorn would unleash waves of pitch-black shadow and green energy bolts.
Just then, one of those shadows hit Celestia and she went down. Luna landed between her sister and the King of Shadows and took up a defensive position, daring the enemy to test her. From where I was watching, I could see that Celestia has trails of green coming from her eyes and her eyes were wide with terror.
Perhaps foolishly, I flew down as fast as I could thinking I could help. I landed behind Luna and next to Celestia. Luna shot me a look and hissed
“I told you to stay outside!”
Her look quickly changed from one of agree to one of urgency
“Never mind, get Tia out of here, I will handle this villain myself.”
With that, she charged Sombra and the two began their fight anew. Carefully, I hoisted Celestia over my back and began to make my way towards the exit. Before I could get there, I felt a cold rush of air enter the room. I then heard the voice of the evil one, but it was different this time it sounded…afraid.
“What…..are you?”
The next voice I heard sent ice through my veins. It was definitely my mother’s voice, but it was different somehow. There was hatred and venom in it.
“I…am a nightmare.”
I turned to see my mother’s blue coat was gone, replaced by one of pitch black. Her eyes had turned pale blue and were slit like those of a batpony. Her starry mane had gone wild and looked almost angry.
I blinked, not sure what it was my eyes were seeing and then everything went dark.
When I awoke, I was laying sprawled in the snow next to Celestia. Just then, Luna landed gently next to us as Celestia was slowly coming around.
“L-Lulu?” She asked weakly as she stood to her hooves
“I am alright sister.” The lunar princess responded, helping to steady her weakened sibling.
“Ughhhhh” I said as I slowly sat up in the snow
“What happened?”
Luna looked between me and her sister before speaking
“The Dark King is finished…..but…”
It was only then that I noticed the fortress was gone. Not just the fortress but the entire city had simply vanished leaving nothing but a field of snow and ice.
“An entire empire gone…what kind of evil were we dealing with?” mused Celestia
Luna walked slowly over to me and offered a hoof. I took it and she helped me up, absentmindedly dusting the snow off my armor while she knew Celestia wasn’t looking.
Luna then spoke up.
“I believe it is time we returned home. The threat has been handled and….there is nothing here anymore…”
Celestia nodded in agreement before taking to the sky followed by her sister. For a moment, I looked at the snowy field where the city had only just stood.
“What happened to mother?”
“Where did the city go?”
I pondered these things for a few more seconds before my thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.
“Fireheart, are you coming dear?”
It was Luna, she was hovering a short distance behind me.
“Yeah…uh…..I’m coming.”
I spread my wings and took flight, joining my mother as we flew back to where the rest of the army waited. It would be a long trip home.
Chapter 7
The following months were a blur. Up until this point, I had noticed a slight change in mother’s demeanor as I have mentioned previously. After what has come to be called, the Battle of the Crystal Plains, she withdrew almost completely. Almost all of her time was spent in either Canterlot, where the seat of government is located, or the traditional home of the royal alicorns in what is now called the Everfree Forest. Although I made a few trips home to the hidden valley to check on things, I too spent most of my time wherever mother was. Even if she was locked in her room or the observatory, I was determined to be there for her.
There were a few times when I ventured to her room and knocked only to be answered with silence. I knew that she was in there and that something was wrong but my calls and attempts to talk went unanswered.
It was on a fateful night in late October when the situation finally deteriorated for the worse. It was like a thick shadow had slowly been gathering force and was now ready to be unleashed. I will never forget the eerie feeling that hung in the air and made the fur on my neck stand on end.
Myself as well as the lunar princess were both staying in Canterlot at the time. I couldn’t sleep so I had decided to take a walk.
I had never had a particularly easy time transitioning to being awake during the day and sleeping at night. However, this was how pretty much the entire kingdom, aside from batponies and those back home in the valley, functioned.
As I walked down the corridors of Canterlot, I took note of my surroundings. The normally white marble used in the castle was bathed in a bluish glow streaming in through large windows. On the walls, torches flickered and crackled, giving their light to see by. Every so often I would pass a royal guard in golden armor. They would nod as I passed but did not offer any words or attempts at conversation. I also knew that somewhere, in the shadows, there lurked a few members of the Nightguard and Starguard.
Nearing the great throne room, I became aware of a singing voice. It was soft at first and the words were those of hurt, bitterness, and resentment.
I recognized them immediately as my mother’s. Moving to a vantage point, I watched as she sang and tried to stop my tears from flowing.
🎵Now the hour has come at last
The soft and fading light
Has crossed the west horizon
And has bidden us goodnight
And what a lovely night it is
To walk a moonlit field
To see the softer shades
That are by starlight now revealed🎵
🎵So why is it that now
When all is quiet and at rest
When candles glow and all the world
Is at its very best
The ponies of Equestria
Should lock themselves away
To shun the moon and wait instead
For Sister’s sunny day?🎵
After the first two verses, I very nearly ran out and embraced her in the biggest hug I could manage. However, the words then began to take on a much more vengeful tone and I shrunk back, unsure of what to do.
🎵 Am I so wrong to wish that they
Would see things like I do?
And am I so wrong to think
That they might love me too?
Why shouldn’t they adore me?
Is it not within my right?
I’ll not be overshadowed!
Mine is not the lesser light!
I’ve waited long enough now
For them all to come around
And though the Sun may plead and threaten
The Moon will stand her ground🎵
It was then that she cast a spell of some sort which arced up towards the moon. For a moment, there was a flash and then the once beautiful night sky took on a sickly tone of red and purple.
While this was certainly a terrible sign, what really shook me were her eyes. Gone were the soft, caring, turquoise colored eyes that I had grown up with. They were instead replaced with the cold dragon slit eyes that I had seen back in the Crystal Empire.
🎵 And all will know the wonder
Of my dark and jeweled sky
When all the world is wrapped
In an eternal lullaby
So say goodnight at this
The final setting of the sun
Tomorrow dawns in darkness
The nighttime has begun!🎵
With those last words, my dear mother was enshrouded in a ball of energy. When it subsided, the first thing I heard was a laugh. A cold, cruel laugh that sent ice through my veins. I then saw the jet-black fur and leathery wings. She was also wearing armor and a helm made of a metal that was bluish in color.
It was then that I heard the sound of hoof steps. From my vantage I could see none other than Princess Celestia was coming towards Luna.
“S-sister? Is that you?” Asked Celestia
There was a chuckle from the dark alicorn, and then she spoke with contempt dripping from her tone.
“Your precious Luna is gone, I, am Nightmare Moon!”
With speed that rivaled even the fastest of pegasai, the Nightmare closed the distance between herself and Celestia. It was thus that one of the greatest duels this world has ever seen commenced.
In a flash, Celestia had drawn a sword and only barely managed to deflect a magically charged attack from her foe. Nightmare Moon however was not one to be deterred. Again, and again she came against the princess of the sun, and again and again she was repelled.
Eventually, the two took their battle to the sky’s above the city where they clashed in brilliant flashes of blue and yellow magic. Truly, alicorns are as titans in the power they wield. If both were using their full power the mountains themselves could have been leveled.
I gradually became aware however…Celestia was holding back. The two goddesses were moving away from the city towards the south. The elder sister was drawing the battle away from her subjects.
It was perhaps foolish, but I followed. I thought about trying to stay hidden in a cloud, but I decided against it. The two princesses were far to preoccupied to notice a lone egasus tailing them.
At last, the battle returned once again to the ground. The two landed in the courtyard of the Castle of the Two Sisters. The two panted heavily, both clearly fatiguing, but still surging with magical power.
It was then that Celestia lowered her guard, apparently in an attempt reason with her sister once more. Nightmare Moon however seized her opportunity and blasted Celestia with a bolt of energy that would have killed an ordinary pony.
With a cry, Celestia was launched into a stone statue of some kind. It appeared to resemble a model of the solar system but was different. Celestia laid in a crumpled heap at the base, her brilliant white fur charred, and her body bruised.
I could take it no more and hurled myself out from my concealment so that I was between Celestia and Nightmare Moon.
As I fought to speak, the tears were steaming down my face
“Mother! Please stop! This is wrong!”
Nightmare Moon looked at me with contempt and venom in her voice and gaze.
“Out of my way little pony! I have work to finish”
She took a step towards me, but I did not budge.
“You will have to go through me!” I said with perhaps less courage than I had intended.
The Nightmare snarled and her horn glowed bright blue.
“Very well then, have it your way!”
What happened next happened incredibly fast and yet time seemed to slow. For the briefest of moments, the cruel gaze of Nightmare Moon was replaced by that of my beloved mother Luna. She looked at me with love and yet…pain…sorrow. Then she was gone, replaced again by the nightmare. The bolt of magic left the dark horn before impacting me square in the chest. The sheer force of the impact felt like being hit by several carts loaded with stone. As the energy dissipated throughout my body, I felt…strange…something was different. I did not have much time to contemplate this however because very quickly, the force of the blow flung me into a stone wall.
My head and vision swam as I slid from the point of impact down onto the ground. Through my blurred vision, I thought I saw Celestia stand up, surrounded by some multicolored gems of some sort. I fought to maintain consciousness, but it was a losing battle. The darkness encroached from the sides of my vision. The last thing I saw, was a bright flash of many colors, and then everything went dark.
-Chapter 8-
When I came to, the first thing I was greeted with was a splitting headache. I felt as though my skull had been used in a game of buckball. Slowly I looked around and saw the sun was up and peaking through broken holes in the castle ceiling. I also became aware of another pony lying close to me. I turned to find none other than the sun princess herself closely watching over me. She was still bruised and charred from the battle and yet, her beauty was no less staggering. When she spoke, her voice was sweet like honey and carried the most comforting of tones.
“There now my little pony, there’s no need to fear. You are safe”
She paused, and I saw a tear roll down her cheek. As a matter of fact her eyes were a bit red as though she had been crying.
She began to speak again.
“You…. you were rescued by her weren’t you?”
It took a moment for my brain to catch up, still working on processing the events of the previous night.
Slowly I nodded.
She continued, looking up sadly as she did.
“I thought so….I heard you call her your mother when you tried to stop her.”
I nodded again, still not fully in the moment.
“I suppose now you are my responsibility little one”
She smiled softly as she said those words.
“B-but…where’s mo-er…where’s Luna?” I asked
Celestia look out a window not far from where we were to where the moon was sinking low in the sky.
“I….” the princesses’ voice cracked a bit
“I did what needed to be done…”
“The spell I used… it….it will not weaken for 1000 years.”
She began to cry again, and I joined her. She had lost her dear sister I…I had lost the most important pony in my life.
-Chapter 9-
The first few years after Nightmare Moon’s banishment were hard. I never could bring myself to return to the hidden valley. I felt I had failed my brothers and sisters and, well, I simply could not face them.
Celestia was most kind to me, taking me under her wing. Being her adopted nephew I was even offered the ceremonial title of prince and a place among the Nobility of Canterlot.
While generous, the offer was not for me. I could not see myself putting up with those snobbish ponies who all though they were better than the common folk. I was after all once one of those same common folk.
Instead I spent most of my time among the royal guard. I never did find one of them able to best me and my emerald blade.
I came to call my sword “Estel” or “Hope” in the old Equestrian. It was a gift from my mother and with it by my side, I had hope I would see her again.
As time continued to pass, I noticed something strange. As ponies my own age began to show visible signs of aging, I showed no such signs. If anything, I only grew stronger and quicker when it came to my swordcraft. Evidently, that spell that Nightmare Moon had intended for evil had been used instead for good.
Eventually I could no longer tolerate life in the castle. There were far too many things there that reminded me of my mother.
And so, when I was 120 years old, I set out with Celestia’s blessing. Where I was going, I knew not only that I must go.
And so, over the coming centuries I became a wanderer. I would often come across bandits harassing travelers or wild monsters terrorizing villages.
One such disagreement with a manticore is how I lost part of my right ear.
Ponies who met me began calling me a Ranger. I sort of liked that title, so I kept it. Living for much longer than the average pony has the effect of creating legends that get handed down. In fact, there are still places today where tales of the Equestrian Ranger are told around campfires.
I made a point throughout my travels to keep in contact with Celestia. Her letters always addressed me as her “faithful student”. I never did understand that. She did teach me many things while I was living in Canterlot, but I never considered myself her student. Being a pegasus I never took up studies in magic. I suppose it could be called a term of endearment.
Over the years I would visit her in Canterlot. She was always ecstatic to see me, perhaps because I reminded her of her sister in some ways. I could never stay long however; the memories would come flooding back and I would once again need to set off.
One summer night I was sitting outside my tent looking up at the stars. As the crackling campfire sent up little orange sparks, I turned my gaze to the moon. There on its face was the shadow that had come to be known as the Mare in The Moon. It had been nearly 1001 years since that fateful night. 1001 years of heart ache and sadness.
Just then there was a flash of light. My jaw nearly hit the floor as I gazed at the moon which was now as white and clear as that night nearly a millennium ago.
I frantically thought to myself what could this mean? Had I missed something?
I began to dig about furiously in my tent, searching through the pile of dusty volumes I insisted on dragging with me everywhere.
It took me a few moments but I found it a worn copy of “Predictions and Prophecies” . After turning it to the section entitled “Mare in the Moon” I found something I had overlooked before. Somehow, in more than 1000 years of life, I had missed something so critical. The prophesy read: “On the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape”. I was dumbfounded, that meant…. I had to get to the old castle.
With haste I did not know I possessed, I gathered my things and after consulting my maps, set off for a town called Ponyville.
By the time I arrived the town was abuzz with excitement. Based on the bits of conversation I picked up on, something drastic had interrupted the Summer Sun Celebration. After asking around, I was able to ascertain that Nightmare Moon had indeed returned. However, I was shocked to learn that the Elements of Harmony now had six new bearers. Not only that, but they had apparently managed to purge the Nightmare that had consumed Princess Luna.
Now my path was set, I had to find her, I just had to…
After a bit more digging, I learned that she had returned to Canterlot with Celestia.
By the time I reached the capitol city the sun was getting low in the sky. I made a beeline for the castle courtyard and then for the throne room. As I approached the great golden doors, I saw that they were closed. On each side of the door we’re several members of the royal guard.
“Halt!” One shouted as he leveled his spear at me.
“The princesses are not to be disturbed!”
Through the door I could hear the soft mumblings of those inside. I could hear what sounded like Celestia’s voice along with several others, but I did not hear Luna.
“I said to halt!” The guard shouted again.
I was not going to have it; I had waited a thousand years and a random guard was not about to come between me and my mother.
Coming to a stop, I locked my gaze with that of the guards before saying with all the force I could muster,
“My name is Fireheart, son of the Moon, and you will stand aside!”
The voices inside the throne room hushed. Just then those massive golden doors were surrounded in a blue aura and were nearly ripped off their hinges.
Then I heard a voice that made my spirit soar like it hadn’t in 1000 years.
“Fireheart! My son!”
With that I was tackled by a blue blur and promptly put into the strongest bear hug a pony could possibly muster.
There were a lot of tears that night. From Luna and I, from Celestia, and even from those six ponies who were now the keepers of the Elements of Harmony. My family was finally whole again and I could not be more joy filled.
As I write this, it has been 1 year since the return of Princess Luna. Together, we spend almost every night talking until long after the sun has risen.
For me, the future looks bright!
My name is Fireheart, and I am a Child of the Night.
