Chapter 2: Closer Than You Think
Moonlight’s eyes fluttered open. An unusual mist had plagued the forest, complimented by an overcast sky, making the gray unicorn's golden eyes squint in a futile attempt to see more clearly as he lay on the stone pedestal of which the statue of Nightmare Moon also stood. It was strange, as no birds seemed to sing, something that he’d barely noticed before as he’d been chased into the strange forest. Only the faint drone of crickets echoed in the rolling fog. As Moonlight stood fully he was suddenly struck with the consequences of running through thorns and thick branches, as the untreated scrapes now stung in the thick, moist air. Trying not to grimace, he stepped down from the stone altar and attempted to navigate his way back to where he’d carelessly dropped his saddlebag, as he’d packed some bandages in the off chance he’d use them. After some blind wandering, he found the brown sacks lying on the dew-drowned grass near the far edge of the clearing. Moonlight was grateful to see it had not been torn up by the wildlife or dampened too much by the air. However, as his head was bent down about to pick up the burlap straps in his teeth, he was suffocated by a sudden, ghastly odor equivalent to burning wood and heavily decayed meat.
He scrunched his muzzle and opened his mouth to comment out loud, but he was stopped as he noticed a pair of green, unblinking, glowing eyes staring daggers at him from the trees. With a pang of fear, he stumbled back on his cold hooves, the emotions instinctually igniting his horn with a blaze of sapphire-colored magic. The thing crawled towards him slowly, with the stench getting stronger and more pungent with every creaking step it took. As its form jutted out of the mist, Moonlight began to make out the tangle of sticks, logs, and leaves that made up its dog-like body. A low, guttural growl solidified in the colt's mind that this… whatever this creature was, was out for blood. He let out a slight gasp through gritted teeth as two more of these masses of wood unveiled themselves from his left and right. Dropping the bag, the unicorn quickly turned on his heel and scrambled back onto the statue's stone base. The creatures gave chase and started to circle the structure like starving sharks. Moonlight swore he saw two or three more join the pack, and his chest started to tighten, and he began to breathe faster, disturbing the mist in front of his face. One suddenly leapt out from the sea of fog and moving figures with a ghostly bark, its wooden maw opened to latch onto the neck of the scrawny pony. Moonlight caught it in time and reared on his hind legs, barely able to blast the malicious creature to splinters with magic before it got a chance to bite down. Another threw itself at him, and another magical beam fired from his horn. And again. And again. Each time the wooden monsters lunged at Moonlight, he had to suppress any sound that would tell them that he was afraid, just another prey animal for them to feast on.
Just as the blue-maned unicorn thought he was getting the upper hoof, he noticed a similar green glow emanating from the destroyed remains of the creatures he’d managed to blow apart. His heart sank as he saw twigs, leaves and logs begin to float off of the damp earth and meld back together, and soon they looked as if nothing had ever happened to them in the first place, although much, much angrier than before. Moonlight desperately tried to think of other spells he knew; teleportation? He didn’t even know where he’d teleport to, let alone the fact that he hadn’t practiced enough to where it would even be safe. He could try picking up one of the creatures with levitation, but surely they’d just come back, and at this point he had no idea how many were around him. His thoughts were interrupted by one of the creatures trying again to pounce on him, and he used a beam to deflect it once more. His head was beginning to hurt. One slip up was all it was going to take before–
Suddenly, the scuffling of wooden paws on grass ceased, and the swirling of mist around the wooden animals slowed. Moonlight quickly realized they’d all stopped moving, barely paying attention to him anymore, and were staring into the mist. He stood as still as he could, as if he was trying to become a part of the statue itself so as to not disturb the creature's trance. As Moonlight followed their glowing gazes, he could just barely make out a shadowy silhouette just lengths away. His heart didn’t stop pounding in his chest, and thundered like a drum in his ears in the silence that came with the sudden stillness. After a few tense, silent moments of nothing but the crickets and fluttering heartbeats, the creatures split off into the surrounding trees, leaving the area a still blanket of mist again, and thus leaving Moonlight Glow alone with the stranger.
Moonlight wasn’t sure whether to say something or flee, and his horn was still flared anxiously. A knot in his stomach began to tighten as the figure started to move towards him. Moonlight took a slight step back, his hindquarters brushing the leg of the Nightmare Moon statue. Were they police? Some lost pony unfortunate enough to stumble upon this place? These questions didn’t leave his mind even as the pony was no longer veiled by mist.
It was an earth-pony colt, who was actually around the same age as Moonlight, but his fur was scratched and covered in thick scars, and his face was hardened like a fully grown stallion. The most notable of the scars was the chip in his ear, the three deep scratches that crossed from his left shoulder to his chest, and the other three scratches that dragged from his right eyebrow down to his lower cheek, though the eye itself didn’t look too damaged. The strengthened muscles only years of hard labor could create seemed to stretch the hide of orange fur. His crimson-red mane was tangled with leaves and dirt, but was also slightly curled and bouncy, and both his mane and tail were tied down at the ends. The style faintly reminded Moonlight of how Applejack had worn hers when he saw her the previous evening.
The two colts stared at each other; the orange ones' piercing, teal eyes narrowed aggressively at the scrawny Moonlight, who tried to settle his face and calm his breath to not look as afraid as he had when the creatures were around. This standoff was broken once the orange colt spoke.
“Who are you?” His voice was just as hardened and cold as his body, though bolder than Moonlight's own icy tone, but the unicorn couldn’t help but notice the drawl of a country accent.
It took Moonlight a moment to carefully piece together his thoughts, and he spoke softly, “Moonlight Glow.” He said simply, his skinny chest tightened more. A few more moments of silence passed as the strange, scarred colts' teal eyes looked him over, and an approving look seemed to cross over his face.
“Come with me. It’s not safe out in the open.” He turned and began to walk back into the mist, revealing his apple-shaped cutie mark that looked slightly rotten, carved with a huge bite-mark engraved into one side. Every step the colt took was heavy and deliberate.
“Wait– Who are–” Moonlight stammered quickly, forgetting all dialogue he had put together in his head, and his ears flattened unsurely.
“Do you want to be eaten by timberwolves?” The colt whipped his head back around to the scrawny unicorn, his voice was gravelly and harsh, and the mass of red, matted mane whipped around with him. Moonlight stiffened again and stared in surprise. After a few more seconds of stunned silence, the colt made a slight huff through his nose like an angry bull, “Then follow me.”
Moonlight blinked, he didn’t trust this pony, and his intentions were unreadable at best, and his aggressive tone made him sound as dangerous as those wolves. Despite his many reasons to stay near the statue and continue his journey alone, Moonlight carefully stepped off of the pedestal and walked behind the stranger, whisking away the rest of the magic that swirled around his horn. He might as well be better than the creatures anyways. At least this colt wouldn’t kill him right away.
Moonlight kept his yellow eyes narrowed and his body tense as he silently followed. They traveled through tightly knit thickets of trees, carpets of brambles and bushes, and small creeks with their natural stone bridges. As their hike stretched on, the gray unicorn began to take notice of how expertly the scarred earth-pony maneuvered through and over every rock, stream and jutting root, as though he knew every step of this unmarked path by heart. This was even more apparent as the mist offered little visibility to whatever was in front of them. Though finally, after some time of trudging through brush and dodging stumps, Moonlight asked something he knew he should have said from the beginning.
“Where are we going?” He couldn’t help but feel his stomach squirm anxiously, though he masked his anxiety with his usual blank face and fairly monotone way of speaking.
“Somewhere the ponies in town won’t find you.” The colt replied simply without looking back, answering almost automatically.
Moonlight's eyes winced cautiously at the stranger, and he quickened his pace for a moment to position himself shoulder to shoulder with him, “You…know who I am?”
The colt glanced at him, his face was twisted into a determined grimace, “Everypony knows who you are. Your face and cutie mark’ve been all over the papers. I just wanted to make sure it was actually you back at the statue.” The colt's mouth pulled into a slight sneer, contorting the scar on his eye disgustingly.
Moonlight turned his own yellow eyes to the ground as they walked side by side; of course everyone knew who he was by now. Something like what he left behind in Canterlot wouldn’t go unrecognized by just about every citizen in Equestria, though now that he thought about it; he was surprised how quickly they’d found the dumped body and gotten an evening paper published before the day was out.
“May I know your name?... And why you’re…” He paused mid-sentence, “What are you doing?” Moonlight inquired as he raised his eyes back to the mysterious colt, though their gazes didn’t meet.
“Like I said; somewhere the ponies in town can’t find you, and away from the timberwolves. If it’s not obvious, I'm trying to help you.” His chipped ear twitched slightly in irritation, the amused sneer now gone, and didn’t even bother acknowledging the first question.
Moonlight tried not to let an exhale of irritation leave his muzzle. Who even was this pony? What reason did he have to help somepony like Moonlight if he would only give him half-assed answers? Why was Moonlight even following him further into this unknown territory? The stranger seemed to know what he did, so why would–
“Stop.” The harsh word came from the orange-furred colt like the crack of a whip, and he stomped a hoof in front of Moonlight's path, jerking him from his thoughts and making him flinch. Moonlight looked at him quickly and in confusion, though the colt had yet to look back. Instead, as Moonlight followed his scowling gaze; he saw they were standing in front of a large curtain of hedges and vines, woven between thick trees and veiled well by the mist, almost as if it was walling off some secret no eyes were meant to see. The scarred pony raised his head and swiveled his ears, keeping his eyes straight and narrow. The gray unicorn stared at him as he did this, trying to decipher his behavior. After a few seconds passed, with only the rustling of leaves to fill the soundless breeze, the colt lifted his hoof from in front of Moonlight, and looked at him slowly.
“Follow me.” The orange colt muttered the command, flicking his heavily matted tail. Moonlight wanted to question him again, but one look at his demeanor and strengthened legs told him that the unicorn had already questioned him enough, so he followed cautiously through the tangle of plants, many of which Moonlight found out were covered in some thorn or another. Luckily, his thin, bordering skeletal frame allowed him to duck and squirm through the gaps without being scratched or pricked too harshly or opening his previous cuts. This was much unlike the stranger who, with almost the complete opposite physique of Moonlight, butted his way to the other side, though he didn’t even seem to flinch at any of the thorns jabbing into his hide. The wall of plants wasn’t overly thick, but just enough to where it would deter any other pony to try to traverse it willingly, or even see the other side. When Moonlight pulled the rest of himself out of the brush, he paused immediately, frozen, and his eyes widened.
The crimson-maned colt had led him into a tiny, extremely shaded clearing; it was a little less foggy than the surrounding area, and every side was surrounded by the wall of tree trunks, branches or thorned plants, but that, of course, wasn’t what surprised him. It was the four other colts that were staring daggers at him as he entered. The stranger joined with the quartet of other aggressive-looking horses, standing next to one with his head still lowered, and quickly shot Moonlight the same look as the rest. The unicorn took a few steps back, his hind legs barely pressing against the wall of foliage, and stared in anxiously as his eyes landed on every colt.
The first was a lithe, pale-pink pegasus who sat on a thick branch not far above the heads of the three others on the ground. One of his rosey eyes was almost entirely shielded by a wavy curtain of even paler hair that almost looked white in the dimming light, though the unicorn couldn’t make out a cutie mark in it either. His face was actually the most gentle-looking out of the troupe; eyes half-lidded and his brow relaxed, though the slight frown he wore didn’t make the expression any more friendly than the rest. It was more of a cold look a father would give his son.
He quickly picked out another earth-colt; slate gray and muscly like the other earth pony, though far skinnier, like the middle ground between himself and the first stranger. His mane and tail was a light silver, and cut extremely straight in a slight angle, as though sliced through with a knife in one slash. His mane was short enough that it didn’t cover his reddened, teal-gray eyes that hid his emotions so well. He stood like stone, and Moonlight didn’t know what to make of him, only that his eyes read the same, aggressive message all the others had.
Golden eyes quickly fell upon another pegasus, who Moonlight had barely seen at first sitting in the trees. His extremely dark blue coat hid him well, though it was his purple, orange, and yellow hair, blended into an ombre down his mane and tail that gave him away. As Moonlight took in the sight of the pegasus, he began to notice how large and strong the colt's wings really were. So large that for a brief moment, Moonlight wondered how he managed to carry them on the branch. His dark-pink eyes glared at him intensely.
The final colt, the one the orange stranger was standing by, was an off-white unicorn, with bright, sapphire eyes that stood out even in the shade. His hair was slightly curled at the end, and striped with pink and brown, though his tail was cut extremely short, and both were unkempt messes. His head was raised high, and his body was positioned in a pose that meant superiority. He was skinny too, but not to the point where his ribs stuck out like Moonlight, more the way an elegant model would refrain from eating. His arrogant smirk didn’t feel any more welcoming either. Moonlight’s immediate anxiety from seeing them all staring at him ignited his horn once again, illuminating the small clearing a blue glow, which lit up the faces of every pony in the ring of foliage and highlighted the blue eyes of the arrogant-looking colt even more.
The cream-colored unicorn took a step forward and spoke first “Moonlight–”
“Who are you all?” Moonlight spoke coldly and sharply. The first seemingly held down something in his throat.
“I’m– … sorry for not explaining anything sooner, it’s safer for all of us if we’re…well…here,” He spoke formally, though a hint of flamboyancy hung on his words. Moonlight's horn flared brighter with magic, and the unknown colt cleared his throat, raising a foreleg to cover his mouth, “Right… where are my manners? I’m Sugar, Sugar Shortcake.” He raised his head as he said this. Moonlight couldn’t help but blink in surprise at the name, though didn’t let down his own defensive look. However the narrow-eyed expression Sugar shot Moonlight told him that the joke had long since been funny. “This,” he motioned his head to the scarred earth-pony, “Is Autumn Glory. The two up there are Lightwind and Star Storm.” The mention of the pegasi made Moonlight look up in time to watch them leap down from the trees they’d been perched on and land heavily next to Autumn Glory and Sugar Shortcake, especially Star Storm. “And that brute over there is Coal.” The dark gray colt nodded towards him, as if to confirm he got his name right, though his face stayed an unmoving scowl, and he didn’t move from his place in the shadow to join the rest.
Moonlight looked at all of them quickly as each was introduced, tensing further. He didn’t know what to think or say, but the soft voice of the one named Lightwind stepped closer and answered his racing mind, “Moonlight Glow, we know who you are, and we think you’ll be the perfect thing our little group needs.” It was almost like the hiss of a snake whispering in his ear.
“What would you possibly need me for?”
Star Storm spoke up, his voice was rough, but not deep, “Tell us; you’re related to Twilight Sparkle, right?”
At the sound of the name, Moonlight's ears flattened sharply, and his horn flared more like an angry inferno, and the wisps of magic seemed like they would catch the surrounding leaves with blue fire, “Why do you need to know?” He growled, taking a couple steps towards the group.
“Told you he’d be perfect,” Sugar commented to Autumn smugly, nudging the scarred shoulder with his own.
Star Storm instinctually took a step back, flaring his wings a little. If someone were to lay beneath them, it would look just like the night sky. Despite his worry of having his face singed by the magic, he tried to keep his voice steady, “Wait Moonlight! Hear us out.”
Lightwind stepped between them, speaking soothingly, “The Elements of Harmony. You’re familiar?” Moonlight’s eyes narrowed, waiting for him to get to the point. Lightwind took a breath, “Our sisters are now the bearers of the Elements, and so is yours.”
“I am aware.” Each of Moonlight’s words rolled out like a threat.
Lightwind nodded, “Well, you’ve clearly demonstrated you have a grudge against Twilight. And we all have grudges against our own kin. You also aren’t afraid to kill. This is why we thought you might be a nice fit for us.” His quiet, whispered words floated almost like a song.
Sugar continued, “We’ve actually killed too. We’ve been trotting down the same path you’re walking right now.”
Moonlight’s horn slowly lost the flare of blue magic, though he stayed quiet and his golden eyes stayed narrowed unsurely
Star Storm added, “They’ve done things, things… that have carved the paths of how we’ve gotten here. We’ve been trying to get back at them, but the five of us just aren’t enough. We think that you can add one more brain that’ll finish them for good.” He closed his wings and ruffled them slightly to make them settle comfortably on his back.
Moonlight kept quiet, and his tight chest relaxed slightly. He stared at the five ponies as they joined closely in front of him, even Coal, blinking expectantly. He knew they knew even a fraction of what he went through with Twilight, but even so, they were willing to help him get his vengeance on the six, and it was personal. If the rest of the element bearers were all as bad as the colts made them out to be, it only fueled his desire that much more to stomp out their light and restore Equestria to what it was meant to be. As he finished his thoughts, his neutral mouth upturned into a slight smile.
“Alright… You’ve convinced me. I’m in.” He said finally, and stood a bit straighter.
Sugar beamed and trotted up next to him, “You won’t regret this, I promise! With the six of us, we’ll actually stand a chance. Plus,” he chuckled a little, “it’s almost like we’re the opposite of their little posse.”
The Lightwind and Star Storm nodded their agreements, though Coal stayed quiet, and Autumn Glory shook his coat like a wet dog, making Sugar lift a hoof in recoil.
“Ya’ll keep getting acquainted, I’m gonna grab some apples from the orchard. It’s almost midday, so I shouldn’t have much trouble snagging a bag or two.” He said firmly as he approached a border of the clearing with his head low and a slight trot, not bothering to see if anyone else had anything to say before he left.
Moonlight however, stared at the last orange hoof slipped out of the campsite, stunned for a moment by how casually Autumn had mentioned stealing. Though before he could let a question exit his brain and enter his mouth, he realized, why wouldn’t a troupe of murderers in some forest want or need to steal, especially food.
As the others dispersed back to spots around the grass, Moonlight got a chance to finally breathe and think. He did feel a slight bit claustrophobic; the trees did provide shelter, but it was a tight space to share between 6 ponies.
“So… what now?” He asked after a few seconds.
“We stay…We wait.” The slate gray pony answered, settling down near the base of one of the trees.
“You all just… do nothing?” Moonlight narrowed his eyes in sudden suspicion as he watched Coal rest his head against the grass, and then looked back at the rest. Lightwind and Star Storm bounded back up to the branches with powerful wingbeats.
Sugar chuckled with a flick of his tail, “He’s just being blunt. We stay here during the day, and at night is when we really get to work. Though with a name like ‘Moonlight,’ you must already be accustomed to that kind of schedule.” He grinned and nudged Moonlight lightly in the chest, and walked off to rest as well, leaving the gray unicorn uncomfortable by the touch.
What Moonlight knew he really needed to get used to, however, was the new clique he found himself in. He’d never had friends, even in Celestia’s school, and his relationship with his siblings was… strained… at the very best. These thoughts swarmed him as he settled in a drier place in the grass. As hours passed, the feeling began to sink in that this was his new life; these were his new peers, he was living in a forest, he was a criminal on the run, and there was no going back…and that was okay. He was okay with this new life, and he was much, much closer to his goal than before, and he was very satisfied with that as he laid his head on the cool grass.
Chapter 1: Prophecies Fulfilled
Wind blew softly over the tower’s balcony. Sweet, crisp air made purple and blue streaked mane dance gently in its breeze. A breath drew the air in, and the colt exhaled just as slowly with rises and descents of a bony chest. He looked up at the moon with half-lidded, golden eyes, and set one gray hoof over the edge of the yellow railing that so boldly stood atop of one Canterlot tower. He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of relief that the Summer Sun Celebration was held in Ponyville this year; as he’d come to learn that whenever it was held in Canterlot, the whole of the capital would be riding carnival rides, dancing, eating, singing, and laughing through the entire night until it was time for Celestia’s sun to rise again. Moonlight did not hold the same sentiment; in fact, he resented the holiday altogether. He never did stay to watch the sunrise, not just because he felt it was a frivolous holiday altogether. Still, he stayed just long enough to bid the moon another farewell, plus it was impossible to sleep through the capital’s parties.
Even so, tonight was different. It had to be different. He’d studied the stars and every dust-covered book filled with prophecies and history for years. He’d waited for this night since the moment he’d read that prophecy; that “old ponies' tale” mares told their foals, and what friends whispered around the fire as if the words themselves were some forbidden spell that would thrust the old tale into fruition. The signs were clear though, he’d connected the dots, he knew what was coming, and Moonlight Glow was going to watch the whole event unfurl before his very eyes.
He stood as still as icy stone as he waited for that glimmer of movement across the sky; even a single, moving star would signify the prophecy fulfilling itself. And finally, his patience was rewarded. Four twinkling stars dotting the corners of the moon began to drift slowly towards the celestial body. Moonlight felt a flutter in his stomach intensify as he stared, it's happening, he was watching a legend come true as he lived and breathed that crisp, night air that suddenly felt sweeter in his muzzle. The colt watched on for what felt like hours, the moon glistening in his eyes as the stars inched closer, and closer, and closer. Crowds slowly began to trickle outside to the edge of the capital to watch their sun. Eager herds had their eyes not on the moon, but on the horizon. For a single moment Moonlight glanced at the accumulation and felt a sense of what he could only describe as amusement. They were naive to the coming event; the mare who would return, and the night she would bring with her. They were only interested in a glorified event that they saw from their bedroom windows each morning.
Any moment now, he thought as he slowly lifted his head back to the sky, and that moment didn’t take long to arrive. While everyone else’s eyes were looking hopefully on at the horizon, Moonlight watched as the four sparkling lights collided into the moon, and with a dull flash that one would miss if they blinked, the silhouette of the mare was gone. That fluttering in Moonlight’s belly was strong as a final thought edged its way to the forefront of his brain; the night will last forever, it said. This was confirmed even more so by the growing chorus of concerned voices emanating from the crowds below the balcony as the night stretched on. Moonlight felt the urge to purse his lips into a light smirk, but he suppressed it, as surely, he would’ve worn that smirk for the next week, and ponies may become suspicious of such an expression. So, he stayed as poker-faced as ever, only letting out one more sigh of relief through his muzzle, giving one last glance at the moon, as if bidding an old friend goodnight, before turning to descend the tower and venture into the new world.
Hours had passed, though Moonlight Glow still wondered at how different the capital looked shrouded in nightly hues. Although he’d seen the city like this before, it felt different, a good type of a difference. It felt more… comfortable. Given, Moonlight had always been more comfortable in the cover of darkness; silence, with only the dim light of the moon gently caressing features the sun would otherwise oversaturate. With these thoughts in mind, he carried himself with a slow walk to admire his surroundings, with the panicked chatter of citizens breaking the peace every so often. Though, it didn’t bother him as much as he thought it would; voices in environments it was mutually considered forbidden to speak in before.
Something suddenly awakened him from his thoughts, it was the sky. It was a sudden shade brighter. Anxiety suddenly surged in his chest as the impossible started to occur; the sun was rising. In a jolt he turned on his hooves and sprinted between buildings to find the nearest place to where he could see the ever-brightening horizon. He soon stopped at the balcony of another tower that lingered over the edge of the cliff where Canterlot hung. To him, it would’ve been a beautiful sight; to see Equestria glistening in moonlight. But this no longer was the case, as dawn broke, and the celestial beast bathed the land and sky in shades of pink, orange, and yellow. For once the colts half-lidded eyes widened, and his pupils shrunk, and not just from the light entering his eyes.
He couldn’t believe it. Nightmare Moon couldn’t have been defeated, not unless… A thought crossed his mind. It had been a possibility he’d thought about during his studies, but thought it was so unlikely that it couldn’t have even been a possibility in the first place. But no; someone had actually found the fabled Elements of Harmony and had gotten rid of Nightmare Moon. Had they banished her again for another thousand years? Had she been destroyed altogether. Thoughts raced in his mind, trying to come up with some explanation as cheers from Canterlot's citizens started to meet his ears. Of course they’d be happy, the resentful thought pushed through the rest. After more moments of quick thinking and rationalizing, Moonlight set a plan into motion; Celestia would surely make a stained window in honor of this so-called victory after she returned to Canterlot. He’d simply ask her who the pony was and go from there. But he had to remember things were getting unpredictable, his plan could go to the wayside completely, and he had to be ready to work with whatever answers he was given. With his thoughts organized and set solidly in mind, he began to walk back to his residence and simply wait, with the blazing, morning sun at his back as he left.
Moonlight Glow paused at the turning corner to the hall of windows, hooves tingling in anticipation. He’d seen Celestia walk inside mere seconds before, though alongside her, the princess he had recently really become interested in talking to. Moonlight had watched the ruler of Equestria return home on the golden carriage just a couple days before, along with the little alicorn who’s name had been long since forgotten. Admittedly, as he watched from the balcony to observe their return home, he hadn’t anticipated Nightmare Moon be reformed to her former state. Since then, he’d hoped to have a chance to talk to her. To, in simple terms, learn more about her. He had a slight hope that maybe, just maybe, she wasn't so different from the pony who he though truly deserved to sit on Celestia's throne. Though despite his internal adamancy of wanting to meet Luna, he’d never been a talker, much less to Celestia. And now, talking to the pony who’s silhouette he’d stared at every night since foalhood, and who’s return he’d anticipated for years, made it feel like his belly was tight and full of swarming grubs. Still, he sucked in a breath to loosen his tight chest and forced his hooves to swerve into the hall.
His eyes first fell onto Celestia, the white alicorn with her iconic, ever flowing, pastel-rainbow mane, who was standing in the center of the hall, her long, alabaster neck craned with her head bent down towards her little sister, the returning princess Luna. The position reminded Moonlight of a swan. Luna, the small, blue alicorn with an even lighter blue mane, was gazing up at her, wings outstretched above her back. They were deep in conversation, deep enough they hadn’t noticed the skinny, gray colt approach them. Before he spoke he noticed two worker unicorns to his right walking away from the newly installed stained-glass window. He did always admire the skill that went into each window in that sunlit hall. Before he let himself get lost in its intricacies, he turned back to the sisters and softly cleared his throat.
“Ahem…”
They both paused and turned to look at him, Celestia’s face reverted to that ever-lasting, soft smile she always wore in someone else's company, and she was the first to speak, “Moonlight Glow, wonderful to see you, I assume you’re here to see the new window?”
Moonlight nodded, “And to meet the new princess.” He added, his golden gaze shifting to look at Luna, who had her head raised as she attempted to fit back into her regal role. He bowed his own respectfully, “I humbly welcome your return, and wish you well,” Moonlight uttered. His voice was hoarse and monotone.
“We graciously accept your greetings,” the small princess replied formally. As Moonlight raised his head, he saw Celestia holding back a grin of amusement at her sister. The royal tone she used had long since run out of fashion. Moonlight’s face stayed as stock-still as ever, and Celestia cleared her voice to rid it of any informality.
“Ahem… well, I’m glad you may be one of the first to see it, Moonlight,” she said finally, motioning her sister and the colt to follow her to the art piece with her wings. As Moonlight stepped closer, he started to put the scene together; it was of six ponies, reared up in victory, and smiling. Each of them had a beam of what Moonlight assumed to be magic pointed at Nightmare Moon. Nightmare Moon… He was sure the window didn’t do her actual power justice. Still, the fact there was now more than one pony he had to track down had made this a little more complicated than he would have liked.
As he kept staring, two thoughts entered his mind. On one hoof, the entire work was beautiful and flowed together to depict the scene; on the other, the scene itself made Moonlight’s blood come to a boil. These are the ponies that stole his chance, and took away the rightful ruler of this sun-burnt landscape. Without losing face, he turned to look at Luna, who’s brow was furrowed with what he presumed was regret. His golden-yellow eyes shifted to Celestia, who was gazing at the scene before her with that slight smile still on her face, making her expression impossible to read, much to Moonlight’s frustration. Still, he kept his skinny body cool on the outside and set the next step of his plan into motion.
“Who… are these ponies?” he asked slowly, letting the words roll casually from his mouth as he turned back to the window.
“Ah yes,” Celestia motioned to the window with a golden-encrusted hoof, motioning to each of the figures, “That is Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Twilight Sparkle.”
As the final name was spoken, Moonlight felt a chill down his spine, and his boiling blood ran cold. It took him a few moments to realize his face had contorted into shock, but he quickly tried to force it to be stone-still again. “I see…” His voice had a barely noticeable waver to it. Celestia looked down at the young unicorn, and Luna did as well, though before either of them could speak, Moonlight did first, and kept his usual calm and smooth tone.
“Thank you princesses, I have to return to my study.” He didn’t bother bowing his head as he trotted out of the hall. The colt's chest bony was tight as the two alicorns called after him, though he didn’t turn back or acknowledge their voices. If anything he’d already lost so much time. Had he known before that it was Twilight… He galloped out of the castle as he attempted to filter the thoughts in his mind; get them all in order. Moonlight had seen her when she left for Ponyville, being waved off by Shining Armor. Moonlight grimaced at the memory, at both of their names. Twilight Sparkle, the prized pupil of Celestia, why wouldn't she be the one to “save” all of Equestria, and Shining Armor, who is suddenly captain of the most useless royal guard–
“Moonlight!” The gray unicorn snapped out of his thoughts by a familiar shrill voice that reeked of fake friendliness. He was about to enter his dorm inside Celestia’s school when he slowly looked behind himself. Here we go… he thought to himself as a yellow unicorn trotted up to him. She had messy, dark blue mane that was styled in the way many other mares had at Celestia’s school, and her cutie-mark was of three lightbulbs. Despite her voice, the mare's face was twisted into a slight, malicious smirk, and her bright blue eyes were narrowed towards him. Moonlight Glow blinked slowly and straightened into their own cold glare, he didn’t want to deal with her at a time like this, not now. Electric Sky’s words dripped with sarcasm, “How’s my favorite classmate?”
“Not. Now.” Moonlight said flatly, yet firmly, as he ignited his horn in a blaze of magical blue fire, which made Electric Sky flinch before she saw it calmly surround the dorm room's handle and push it open.
“C’mon! You’re always good for a laugh. Or are you going to use some of that ‘scary’ magic you’re always threatening everypony with?” The yellow unicorn’s expression stayed smug. Moonlight’s ears burned with frustration, but the fiery, blue magic disappeared anyways as he forced down the urge to retort with a deep breath. He began to step inside the room, but Electric Sky’s voice caught up to him, “Awww you’re not running away from me again are you? Lock yourself in your room for the next moon or something?” Moonlight suddenly froze in his tracks, boiling blood once again running cold, and his expression of compressed anger briefly dropped into one of fear. Still he did not face her.
“Leave,” He suddenly said harshly, but the unicorn simply grinned wider in amusement and continued.
“Why should I? It’s not like I’m doing anything! Just messing around.” Electric Sky’s blue tail flicked excitedly as she began to let words pour from her mouth, “I mean, nopony’s going to see us anyways. So why shouldn’t I have my fun? You don’t have to be so sensitive–” and it went on… and on… As she spoke, she stepped closer and closer to Moonlight. His heart beat faster and harder in his chest as he endured the grating sound of her voice, and his ears flattened against his head to block everything out. She soon became a buzz of noise in his head, and it seemed like more voices joined as a chorus of mockery. Moonlight's bloodshot and baggy eyes shut tightly, and everything seemed to tense tighter and tighter as it continued. The stress of every little sensation blurred with the words that punctured his brain like it was a pincushion. He suddenly felt a hoof drape over his shoulders from his left, yanking the colt back to ruthless reality. With only a split second in between contact, his golden eyes snapping open, and his brain taking in the sensation of the touch, he let out a shrill scream of emotion.
“LEAVE ME ALONE!!!”
It didn’t even occur to him that his horn had even ignited until the blast had occurred, and warm liquid sprayed his gray coat. It didn’t take him much longer to realize what he’d done. A considerable distance away laid the virtually headless body of his former bully; her skull almost being completely destroyed, with only one side being slightly salvaged. Her yellow coat and blue mane, now stained in a deep, sticky crimson, was also adorned with a large spot of singed-off fur and hair, having been down her neck and what was left of her head.
Moonlight stood, shaking with his chest heaving and heart feeling like it would break his rib cage if it beat any harder, stared in shock. His horn was also still flaring with magic, the blue inferno lapping at the air hungrily. Time seemed to drag on as Moonlight stared at his carnage, and his eyes swept across the room, though he soon discovered that what had been around him had suffered to some degree from his blast as well; being covered in light splatter of the mare's blood. As the scene began to feel more real, Moonlight felt his heart slow, and his breaths consciously became deeper. His tensed body began to relax, and after a moment of closing his eyes, he opened them again, returning to his quiet-minded, calm, stone-faced state. And after a few more slow seconds, Moonlight sighed heavily through his nose and walked slowly to the shower to rinse off his now sticky, crimson-stained coat.
Moonlight Glow’s eyes followed the quickly passing trees as he lay his head on his front legs, which were propped up by the sill of the train window. The quiet chatter of the passengers was enough to not let him fall asleep on the journey. That and the fact that he’d never actually been on a train before, and he had found it quite enjoyable, despite the payment of a ticket which had cost him a bit that he would have rather saved for something like food. He’d never had a reason to leave his birthplace of Canterlot, nor had he ever wanted to. At least, not until now. A light, plain saddlebag rested against his flank, bouncing along with the rhythm of the chugging steam and wheels, which made his mind wander once or twice about how the giant, snaking machine had been constructed in the first place. Though the thoughts hadn’t lasted long, as he reminded himself the reason he was there, the goal he needed to achieve once he arrived in Ponyville.
The land leveled from rocky mountains to stretching fields tinted by the setting sun rather quickly, sooner than he expected in fact, and Moonlight had soon found himself in the little town. The only times he’d ever heard Ponyville come up before Twilight’s departure was that apples from a farm there were often imported to Canterlot. He briefly thought of how much the ponies in this town persisted off of the apples, but once again he shook off the distracted thoughts just as the train's whistle blew, signaling its arrival at the station. Moonlight stood, used his magic to gently settle his bag over his boney back, and trotted off of the train.
As the gray colt maneuvered his way to the main streets, he found himself fairly surprised by how friendly the ponies in town were. Everypony had a smile on, and a few even waved to him as he passed; a stark contrast to Canterlot, where ponies almost always kept to themselves or tiny groups. This put an uncomfortable weight in Moonlight’s belly, as he wasn’t sure how to correctly respond to the new treatment, in fact he actually began to make a conscious effort to steer clear of most lines of sight; like a weasel in a chicken coup. He stuck close to the edges of the street, at least until he found the market. The sight of food made the knot in his stomach feel less like stress, and more like the hollowness of hunger.
Responding to the feeling, he quickened his former slow, calm pace into a trot, and kept his eyes open for something that would satiate him at least for some time. As his tired, reddened orbs searched for something that appealed to his gut, he reminded himself that he could take his time, there's no rushing this plan. He needed time to strategize anyway. Six ponies to get rid of was going to be a little more than just tricky, and he had to think carefully about every step. But until then, he needed a good meal. The unicorn’s ears pricked up as he suddenly heard a loud voice shouting over the loose crowd.
“Woohoo! Get your Sweet Apple Acres apples! Freshly bucked and ready for eatin’! Fritters and pies only 3 bits!” A country accent called out over the hustle and bustle of customers. Pie… Didn’t sound too bad actually. Moonlight searched briefly for the source of the voice, but stopped as he realized who it was. The image of the window Celestia had shown him flashed in his mind, and her voice echoed in his ears.
“Applejack…”
He stood frozen on the dirt street as ponies gathered to the apple farmer’s cart. He mauled over his thoughts as he considered how actually walking up to her and buying food from her cart would affect his plan. His stomach growled audibly, arguing with his mind, barking to just get a pie and leave. However, he forced his light hooves to move on. If Applejack was that loud to begin with, and he even had a brief conversation with her, surely his appearance would make it to Twilight eventually. That could not happen; she could not know he was here. He knew his skinny body, with his ribs and spine just barely being covered by his fur and his sunken-in cheeks, weren't the conventional body type anywhere, so he’d surely stick in the farmer's head. With this in mind he simply went to a carrot stand a little further away, and bought a few of the vegetables and a small carrot cake.
He finished the last of the carrots as he stopped in front of an inn. The sky at this point was almost completely dark, with the last desperate rays of light just brimming on the horizon, and most of the streets being cleared. His mind involuntarily brought back the images of Electric Sky’s bleeding corpse as he began to reflect on his day, though the memory faded like mist almost as quickly as it came. He remained calm, and with his usual burst of blue magic, his horn almost like the twig the mystical fire burned on, Moonlight opened the door to the establishment.
The windows from the outside boasted an inviting, golden-orange light, and the inside was just as cozy as it seemed. However there was an eerie stillness that could be felt as soon as the gray colt entered. He made eye contact with the innkeeper, a gray stallion with a black, rough mane, who was wide-eyed and frozen with fear, almost shaking. Moonlight tilted his head slightly in confusion, until he saw what was on the desk in front of the earth pony; a newspaper with Moonlight’s face on the front page. From what he could briefly make out, the paper exclaimed DANGEROUS STALLION FLEES CANTERLOT. He forced his muzzle not to scrunch in disgust; he didn’t think the word “flee” was exactly flattering, as if he was some sort of coward. But the brief annoyance barely entered his mind for a moment before the innkeeper shouted to Moonlight.
“G-Get out!! Murderer!! Y-You are not welcome here!!” His voice cracked and wavered as he tried to scare Moonlight off, slamming his hooves on the counter.
Moonlight flinched and stepped back a little, narrowing his golden eyes which were now highlighted by the shining lamp that hung between the two of them. Moonlight’s jaw tightened, and as the silver stallion kept shouting threats, he turned sharply and started galloping away. His ears picked up the sound of the innkeeper following him out the door and began screaming into the night, which was soon followed by the thunderous hooves of the authorities behind Moonlight. He cursed to himself as he realized his horn was still ignited, rendering him more of a target than he already was. As such he quickly doused the light.
His heart pounded and his legs ached as the sound of hooves much stronger than his own plowed against the dirt like war drums. Moonlight’s face contorted into a determined snarl as he told himself he could not get caught, no. matter. what. This promise gave him the extra adrenaline he needed to shoot forward, and with quick succession he darted onto a path that led out of Ponyville. He clutched onto hope with a vice grip, pumping his muscles harder than he had ever in his life, though this adrenaline wasn’t enough to stop the burning aches that came with running for your life. Even so, he kept running, desperation clinging to his every thought and mixing with his hope; the two becoming one strange emotion.
He kept his eyes focused forward, and the path that he and his pursuers followed stretched onwards into a deep, thick forest. His snarl turned into a slight grin, and he pushed onwards, forcing his skinny legs to keep moving. The trees ahead of him were overgrown with vines, and below them were thick layers of large ferns and other plants. His mind hazily thought perfect before he looked behind himself. The ponies behind him were holding flashlights in their teeth. They were much closer than Moonlight thought, and they were gaining. This sparked another dose of adrenaline inside of him, and as he turned his head back to face the forest ahead, he managed to create a little bit more distance between him and the predators that followed him.
After a slight slope at the very mouth of the dense forest, its canopy quickly weaved together to block out the moon's already dim light. This allowed the gray unicorn enough cover to jerk his body to the right and race into the underbrush. And just like that, he could hear the sounds of hoofsteps fading behind him as he crashed into the bushes, brambles, and ferns that all scraped at his coat and skin. This was one of the times he was grateful for being as skinny as he was, as any other stallion or mare would find more struggle attempting to gallop in such thick foliage. He kept running, not allowing himself to slow until he couldn’t hear their shouts through the thicket. Even so it wasn’t until he reached a small clearing that he allowed himself to stop and breathe.
It was painful to do so, however. His lungs burned, and all four legs shook as the rush left his veins. Moonlight's head hung low as he panted, attempting to take in air. Every inhale made his ribs poke from his sides even more so. It wasn’t until he raised his heavy head, mane shredded with sticks and leaves, that he realized there was a large, looming statue in front of him.
He sharply inhaled, which shocked his lungs with another ache. The statue was of her, Nightmare Moon; teeth bared and on her hind legs, pointing one hoof down as if to accuse whoever stood in front of it of banishing her. Her stone wings were flared, and her expertly carved mane swirled around her body. Despite her threatening appearance, however, Moonlight was not afraid of her, simply surprised. As he looked on at it, he began to feel all of his aches and pains slowly melt away. Carefully he slipped his loose saddlebag off of himself, which he was surprised to find that it had not fallen off in the chase, and set it gingerly on the cool, green grass. He slowly made his way towards the statue, going around to the front, and staring at the cold, stony eyes that bore down on him. Moonlight couldn’t have been happier though, signaled by a tiny, relieved smile tugging at his lips. With a grunt he climbed onto the podium of which the statue stood, and after examining his perch, the young unicorn curled up underneath her, similarly to how a foal would tuck in with its mother after a nightmare. Resting his cheek against a sturdy bend in her tail, Moonlight felt the weight of sleep tug at his eyelids. He didn’t need to think at that moment, he’d have time for that when the sun rose again. He soon found himself lulled into the world of darkness as his eyes closed. Now, for once, underneath the stone hooves of one he’d dreamed of meeting since foalhood, he felt safe. And as he drifted off with barely a breeze rustling his fur and the moon rising to its peak in the sky, the strange shadows the old alter casted fell over the colt's cutie mark; a jagged, blue crescent, surrounding a white, six-pointed star.
Author's Note
Welcome to the world of Brotherhood. I hope you enjoy your stay. This is an AU I've been developing for a long time, and I figured it was time to release it into the wild. More chapters, and thus, information, is sure to come soon. Goodnight everyone.
