Lunar: Caught Somewhere in Time

Chapter 3

‘Many people are skilled at talking, but what are your words worth when you are faced with death.’

Shadow moved towards the princess with a strange gait, or so it seemed for him, for he thought every princess should be approached with a royal manner, but he didn’t do so here. “Your majesty, I am the messenger fro-”

He was stopped short by her interruption.

“Where is Spike? He was supposed to be with you. Never mind that, I heard you have a message of great importance for me, but first, I thought you were supposed to be… never mind.”

Shadow drew in deep breaths, but he couldn’t get his mind around how he lost spike, and at this moment he was thinking hard on things that he never had thought about before. He was thinking about his origins, about what he was or what he used to be, and the thoughts were rushing to him.

As he stood before the princess, a strange feeling overtook him, as if a memory flew into his mind like wind through trees.

‘It was a long time ago, about 1000 years. The terrestrial ball was given life to bear as the first animals started to form families and reproduce. The atmosphere was thin but it could sustain even the most formidable of creatures. To this you had the humanoids, a species unlike any other on the planet, gifted with the power of speech with the heavens above. ‘Prayer’ as they like to call it, they would speak to their ‘god’ and wish for mercy and forgiveness.’

‘But there were men that were evil, humanoids disobeyed their gods, and were sentenced to the nexus. Nexus was time in eternity, which was never-ending torment as a nightmare. Most people that were sentenced to nexus were usually banished to the outermost regions of space. Some were gifted with strengths so they can redeem themselves. The planet was destroyed after 200 years of existence, and the cause was unknown.’

‘Nexus was lost, but the punishments weren’t, and those who were punished were sentenced to redeem themselves. It was a long time ago, but it seems to Shadow like yesterday, for this world seemed familiar, but it never seemed to him like he could put his finger on what he got the memory from.’

He was thinking and taking up the princess’s time. He looked up at her and spoke in a shocked manner, “Actually ma’am, I don’t know where Spike is, I lost him on my way here in the Royal plaza. But he is very smart I assure you, he will be here very soon. But about the warning, I need to tell you. There is a great danger coming to the land of Equestria, a dark force has risen, or at least I am told. I don’t know who has told me, but I was sent here to warn you of this force. I don’t know who sent me, or where I’m from, but all I know is that they knew that you were in danger before it was going to happen.” Celestia looked at Shadow, and a very long one.

“So you are not from Equestria?”

He looked back at her, his eyes fixed on her beauty, “No milady, I am not even a pony, look, and please don’t be shocked.” He stood and closed his eyes, changing himself back into the humanoid form he was used to. As this was occurring he thought to himself ‘Oh god walking on all fours was annoying, I wonder what she will think of my real form…’ When he was finished the look on her face was a smile, which shocked him.

“Why aren’t you shocked? I am more shocked than you!”

She widened her smile, making herself at home with the new ‘creature’. “Well, I figure since I am the Princess of Equestria, I have to expect the unexpected, and I have to stay alert. You are no shocker, or at least I can’t show it on the outside. I believe your story of danger, and I understand you aren’t from here. But that doesn’t explain why we are in danger.”

It was raining, or at least a misty sprinkle and this aggravated Rainbow Dash, to the point where she stuffed her head away under Twilights flank. As the rain progressed, Twilight huddled up to her rainbow coated friend and casted a spell of shielding. Usually casted to prevent hot objects or damaging debris from hurting the caster, this time it was used to shield the two from rain.

Twilight was gaining strength back, but at a slower rate than she usually would. The day slowly started to fade away, and for the first time, the two got a glimpse of the moon. It was different than what they were used to, brighter, and wider, which made it closer to where they were.

Rainbow Dash was eager to leave, and her mouth was ready to move. “Twilight, you know I’m feeling better, we have to go.” Twilight turned her head, the rain tapping the shield behind her.

“Where to?”

The simple question was enough to boggle the mind of the Pegasus pony in an instant.

After a little thinking, even though it wasn’t smart and rational thinking, she spoke above the weather. “Anywhere but here, I want to leave, and we need to leave. We need to move far, far… Far away from the coast. I would like to see how far inland we can get.”

  “So be it, we will rest first, and after we sleep it over, we can leave. That is, if you still feel up to it after the nap.” Her smile soothed Rainbow Dash’s gentle eyes, breaking the silence in the calm air, or at least visually. The two laid down beside each other, slipping into deep dreams, and gently falling asleep for the night. Both of them unaware of the danger in Equestria, and how they would get home…

It was 9:00 Pm sharp. Rarity had woken up to the sound of rustling in the kitchen, which to her “amazement” was none other than Sweetie Belle.

“Sweetie, I want you to explain to me, what in the blazing beauties are you doing up so late?”

She didn’t get an immediate response, but she knew she would get one. Sweetie Belle looked shocked at the most, probably because she was caught stealing some of Rarity’s favorite sugar-coated raspberry muffins.

“Sweetie Belle answer me now!” The roar of Rarity’s voice echoed through the household like a lightning strike hitting a tree.

Sweetie Belle retreated to a corner of the room, which this brought sorrow to the face of Rarity, but quickly Sweetie answered, “I was just hungry, I’m sorry sis.” Rarity smiled, “Its ok Sweetie, eat up. In fact, I’m a tad bit hungry myself, why not get Spike over here since the rain has stopped, and get him a few of those cookies?”

“That would be great!”

Rarity marched out of the door with her fine leather boots on her hooves to avoid too much mud. As she trotted over to the library she noticed that the lights were on, or at least some of them. She motioned herself up to the door and knocked with at first, a few subtle pounds. When there was no answer, she then threw her hoof against the wood grain door, thrashing the wood, but then stopping herself. She knew how Twilight respected her library.

After a little waiting, Rarity got tired of being ignored. She opened the door on her own (And oh how she hated breaking and entering) and waltzed into the foyer of the library.

“Spike!” She called, “Spike, are you here?”

She started upstairs, but to her horror, Spike was gone.

Shadow was pacing himself around the hall, waiting for the Royal review. Wait, Royal review? The princess is the most powerful being in this land, who else could possibly be the one to help “Review” such a risky situation with a high power? Or at least these are the thoughts running through his head. He walked over to a chair, not built for him, but suitable for relaxation, and he comforted himself by ecstatically lounging down onto the chair.

As he waited he had begun to think about where Spike was, and how he hadn’t come back yet. In his mind he thought maybe his tiny dragon friend deserted him, or maybe someone took the ‘baby’ dragon.

Slowly the door in front of him creaked open, revealing two royal guards. They passed through the room, stationing themselves in two different corners to watch a conversation about to take place. Immediately Shadow recognized Celestia, by her beauty of course, that’s the only thing he focuses on. She then passed by the doorway, her hair pulled into braids for a diplomatic occasion, gold bands securing the knots in her smooth hair. (He thought hair, not mane)

But after Celestia, came another pony, this one was a little different, well scratch that. He studied her well, because she was almost equally as beautiful. Her hair had about 4 different colors in it, or at least that he could count. It had purple, pink and a yellowish apricot. She was wearing a white satin dress, accompanied with a bouquet of ribbons in her hair. She was pinkish overall, and she was basically the same makeup as Celestia, a horn and wings.

As he studied on he noticed that her tail was the same as her mane. The mare caught him staring and he blushed wildly. He sat up strait in the chair, fixing his seat against the giant table at which the two other ponies sat.

“Shadow, I would like you to meet a very great friend of mine! This is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.”

He sat up straight not knowing how to greet her, seeing as she had a hoof and he had a hand.

“Hello Shadow, nice to meet you. I am the Princess of the Crystal Pony Empire, and ‘married’ (Boy she put a lot of emphasis on married) to Shining Armor of Equestria.” She glared down on him.

After a second or two of thinking about what he was going to say next, he rose up from his cramped position and opened his mouth to speak. “It is an honor to meet you Princess Mi Amore Cadenza-” He was stopped short by her interruption.

“Please, just call me Cadence.” She winked at him, and he followed this up with a mad blush. Celestia glanced at him, then back at Cadence with a devilishly evil glare.

“All right, Princess Cadence.” The words were choppy coming from his mouth as the sweat rolled from his brow, for he was surrounded by two beautiful, ponies. What was he thinking? They were ponies for sweet sake, but for some reason they were very attractive ponies.

“I am Shadow, from-“ He stopped himself again, well this time he really couldn’t speak, he didn’t have anything to say. He didn’t know where he was from.

“From a place… (Wow dull, just dull…) I can’t remember who I am or who I was, but all I know is that for some reason fate has led me here to your Kingdom of Equestria.” Cadence looked at him with half derped eyes, still stuck on the fact that shadow wasn’t a proper name to give someone with such a colorful background, or at least she thought, it was too dull.

“Are you sure your name is Shadow, not Shadow bolt, or Shadow speed, something ‘cooler’? (She put a lot of emphasis on cooler) Just asking.”

He stared back at her getting the feeling she completely ignored what he had just said to her, but at this point Celestia was getting neck high fed up with tomfoolery. “You two know we do have serious matters to discuss, (Staring at Shadow while saying this, trying to justify it was him that was disrupting the importance of the meeting) Shadow here is trying to tell us that we are, or Equestria is in great danger of an evil force.”

Shadow responded to this immediately, “Exactly Princess, what I wanted to continue on with was that I was sent here, I don’t know what I was meant to do afterwards, but I know I am here to warn you of grave danger. And- Umm… Princess, where is Spike?”

“I, I don’t know,” she started to say. “We sent a guard out to look for him over an hour ago, he couldn’t have gone far.”

Shadow thought to himself after hearing this, Couldn’t have gone far… true, but If gone, where would he go? The facts didn’t add up, and they were starting to bother Shadow to the point of him wondering, Is Spike all right?

Twilight Sparkle woke to the sound of birds, but strange birds it seemed, because as she recalled she had never heard a bird that sounded like this. Its pitch was low, and a slight echo, almost a repetitive growl. She quickly shoved off the fact that it was strange and brought in that there was life other than the two ponies that were stranded.

She rushed over to Rainbow Dash and slammed her hoof into her back, jostling the pegasus into consciousness.

"What is it Twi'? I'm trying to sleep..." She said with a groggy tone of voice.

"Its birds, we aren't the only life forms out here! C'mon we gotta get moving so we can see where they are headin!" Twilight had already observed that they were moving inland, and she knew that birds migrated. When a bird migrates it usually picks a safe spot to call home, Twilight knew that she could find a shelter by following the 'birds' to their migratory place.

Rainbow Dash wasnt very happy about getting up, first of all considering that she had a broken leg, and second she was tired from a sleep that only consisted of about five hours.

She stumbled to her feet only to see that she was too dizzy to walk, let alone hobble or stand. Twilight motioned over towards her and held onto her shoulders, gripping her very tense around the neck area so she wouldnt fall over.

"Ok, I think Im ready to go. Just walk with me for a bit longer, ok?"

Twilight nodded and they started to walk, both of them at least trying to keep an eye on the birds in the sky. After a few moments of steady footwork from both of them, Rainbow Dash managed to 'limp' on her own, steadily trodding in Twilight's footsteps.

The constellations lit the way for the two as they trudged the pathway that the birds led, at least that some led. Twilight noticed that not all of them were going to the same place, and she made a decision to follow the biggest flock of birds heading, well wherever they were going.

As the two of them progressed through the damp night, it seemed that the land was just a checkerboard, and never changing in the way it presented itself to the two. Eventually, she thought, we will run across a forest or mountain...

Eventually

Applejack kicked off her striped boots to releave the swelling on her hooves, as she headed for her rocking chair.

She sat down and pulled out her favorite copy of 'Daring-Do' (Cause who doesnt like to read every once in a while) while rocking to the thought of old country blues. She flipped through the pages to find her favored chapter, as she stopped to gaze at the fancy illustration and small print. As she was admiring the courage of Daring, somepony knocked on the door, and you could hear Applebloom wake up in her bedroom upstairs.

As aggravated as it made Applejack to take company this late at night, she had to, regarding the incedent and the quick dissaperance of Twilight and Rainbow Dash. She waddled (because of her swollen hoof) over to the front door. The night was reflecting onto the shadow outside, so she couldnt see who it was, but she knew how to fix that. She walked over to the side of her door and flipped the light switch, revealing Rarity in a bright yellow raincoat.

"What r' ya doin out so late girl?"

"Well, I thought I should stop by and deliver news..."

Applejack stood blank, but understood that it was important to listen. "Go on ahead!"

"Spike is missing, and so are most of the alchemy spell books in the library."

Applejack called down Big Mac immediatly and put a hold on the conversation with Rarity. Big mac came rushing down the stairs of the house, his hooves thoundering in the silent night air (Which it should have stayed silent) as he stampeded towards the two.

"Eeyup?"

His dull questioning was just as good as his responses...

"Big Mac, watch over Applebloom, we got ourselves a kidnapper."

Shadow stood watching as Celestia conversed with the Guards in her chambers to watch over his room as he stayed his first night in the castle. She was saying to them it would be a honor to do this, since he gave the warning.

The Warning, what exactly did Shadow give? A mere thought of being threatened, the thought came to his mind of it just being a false alarm. Maybe these ponies are just really gullible, he hoped not, for he was playing them for fools then if he was wrong about all of this.

As soon as she was done, she walked over to him, seeming to tower with authority she spoke, "We have your room ready, Princess Cadence will guide you  to your sleeping quarters. I forbid you to wander off at night, and I ask of you, to stay out of the kitchen please."

Shadow responded with a yes ma'am and a nod, maybe he should have worked on being more polite.

As they were walking, Cadence and Shadow didnt talk much for the first few minutes, but Shadow had to go and open his mouth about Shining Armour.

"So when did you two meet, you and him?"

She looked into Shadow's eyes and saw curiosity, and she was glad to answer him. "We met about twelve years ago, and I met him because I was the Sitter for his little sister."

Shadow laughed at that, even thought it was serious buisness. But how does a sitter become a princess? He left that thought behind, anything can happen.

"I needed to say this and I didnt say it in the meeting..."

Cadence focused in on his words.

"I really dont know about my words, if it will happen or not. But I do feel something, deep inside. It hurts, and I never feel like this, I just dont. Something is coming that cant be stopped, and I dont know how i know this I just do..."

Cadence shushed him, and stared into him with a worried look, "Most of us dont realize this untill we are old or near death, but we were destined for a certain greatness, and when you fulfill that greatness, you know that was your destiny. Everyone has one, and everyone will reach their own eventually, whether it is love, or just getting your cutie mark."

"Whats a-?"

"Dont ask, its not important. But what is important is you, realizing your destiny, and that you should be here, warning us that we are in danger. By the way, this is your room."

She unlocked the door, revealing a master suite, with a bed ten times bigger than her or Shadow. The windows were barred but beautiful, and draped with velvet. The carpet was apricot with a tinge of a lemon color, and the room was a size for five. She waved goodbye and left Shadow standing there, as he thought about what she had said... he needed to realize his destiny, whether it be love, or whatever else.