Son of the Moon

"Princess, the prince is at it again."

Luna sighed and shook her head with a smile. She had absolutely no idea why Polaris believed this form of "training" to be a good idea. Standing up from her throne, she closed her eyes and felt around for her son's energy signature. She quickly located him running through a hallway near the entrance to the castle.

It had been a full year since Luna had accepted Polaris as her son, and his energy never seemed to wane in the slightest. Of course, the colt was delighted to find out that Luna did indeed see him as a son as much as he saw her as a mother. Since that day, he had begun to train even harder than ever, his strength growing and his moves sharpening with each passing day. He had even started sparring with the royal guard, which served to help them grow as well as himself.

Lately, however, he had taken to doing mock "escape attempts" where he would attempt to escape the castle, fighting the many guards along the way. Many held back, understandably so, they didn't want to hurt a child. Those were the ones who were beaten the quickest. But these attempts always ended the same way: with Luna herself appearing at the very end and putting a stop to him.

Why did the guards agree to this stupid, stupid form of training that really just wasted resources they could better use to defend the castle from invaders? Probably either relentless begging or abuse of his authority as prince, if Luna were to guess.

Teleporting in front of the castle entrance, her sudden appearance caused the runaway prince to stop dead in his tracks. She had a stern look in her eye. Polaris knew that look, it was her mom look. She only used it when he was in trouble.

"Again, Polaris?" She asked in a tone that barely masked her disappointment and annoyance.

"Yep! It's pretty good for stamina and endurance!" Polaris gave a smile. He had a few cuts and bruises littering his body, no doubt a result of the few guards he likely fought on his way there.

"Polaris Starshine," She used her stern motherly voice, causing him to flinch back a bit. "Go to your room. Now." Polaris had learned pretty quickly after his unofficial adoption that the power of Luna's motherly voice was not only very comforting, but it could also be used for intimidation. The results were often quite effective.

Still, this time he wouldn't back down.

"You're gonna have to make me!" He stuck out his tongue, pulling his bottom left eyelid downwards in a taunting gesture. Luna's eye twitched at the sight.

"I thought you had learned not to be so flamboyant after your battle with that minotaur."

Polaris had taken the opportunity to sprint past her and towards the doors, but Luna caught him in her telekinesis, dragging him back in front of her. She flicked his forehead, sending him tumbling backwards along the floor until he hit the wall, rubbing his forehead in pain as another small bruise formed.

"You can't just levitate me like that! It's not fair!" Polaris complained.

"Not every battle will be a fair one, you should know this already." Luna retorted.

Polaris huffed before running forward once more towards his mother. His speed had increased greatly in the last year, but it still was no match for his mother. He threw a spin kick to the side, but Luna simply raised a hand and blocked it. Polaris jumped backwards before jumping up and throwing a punch to her face. Luna caught his fist with ease, tossing him away from her. He rolled backwards across the ground, hitting the wall once again.

"Not every problem can be solved through violence, you know." Luna chided. "Sometimes, you must think. Think about whether or not a fight actually needs to happen in the situation."

Polaris struggled to catch his breath as he looked up at the imposing form of his mother. She was like a mountain, a mountain he had yet to even begin climbing. Her strength was so astronomically superior to his own that defeating her was absolutely, one hundred percent impossible. He would need a plan, but boy was Polaris bad at thinking. All of his fights had been won through the sheer difference in physical abilities or skill between him and his opponent. But sadly, such an option wasn't applicable here.

Once again, Polaris ran forward; Luna expected another frontal assault, but instead Polaris ran to the side, using his great speed to run upwards on the wall before jumping off towards Luna like a rocket. Still, the attack, though unexpected, was easily stopped as Luna caught his fist once again without breaking a sweat and tossed him away. Polaris attempted to run forward once more but winced and fell to his knees as his leg cramped up.

"You took too much damage from the guards earlier." Luna observed. "This is what I mean by picking your battles. Had you not insisted on fighting so many on the way here, you would be in better shape." Polaris grunted and stood back up. A plan formed in his head, though he was unsure if it would work.

Taking a deep breath, Polaris crouched down into a runner's stance. Luna watched as the muscles in his legs began to bulge under the strain he was building up. This felt somewhat familiar, but she couldn't exactly say why. She was taken by surprise when Polaris suddenly dashed forward at incredible speed, leaving a small crater where he once stood. His target wasn't her, but the door she was guarding.

"Did he just...?" With no time to finish her thoughts, Luna quickly whipped around, grabbing Polaris in her magical aura and stopping him mere inches from the door. She flicked her wrist, flinging him behind her and back into the wall for the third time.

"Gah! I thought that would work for sure!" Polaris shouted in frustration.

"It was an admirable attempt," Luna said. "I had not expected you to take my words to heart so quickly."

"I just thought that you were too strong, so I would just get past you instead of losing a fight against you." Polaris suddenly beamed. "This was my best attempt yet!"

"Polaris." Luna put a hand on his shoulder, a gentle smile on her face.

"Yeah, mom?" He looked up at her.

"You're grounded."

"Wha- DAMN IT!"

"And that's extra time added for swearing."

Polaris groaned and hung his head.

Soon after Celestia had raised the sun, Luna had requested to meet with her to discuss something she had deemed as important. Celestia decided to indulge her younger sister, curious as to what she considered important enough to meet her at the crack of dawn. Red Wind stood by Celestia's side as usual, though his presence wasn't really needed. He just preferred to be near her.

"What's wrong, Luna?" Celestia asked with concern. If Luna was missing sleep for this, then it must have been serious.

"Well... It is about Polaris," Luna said, only piquing Celestia's interest further. "His talent for combat seems to grow every day. Last night, he had done something that I had not thought possible." Celestia leaned in, urging her sister to continue. After a deep breath, Luna did. "He seems to have an uncanny ability to copy techniques he has seen from those he has fought against in the past."

Celestia's eyes widened in surprise at the news. "And you're sure of this? It wasn't just your imagination?" Luna nodded in response.

"Those movements then, they were almost exactly like those of the minotaur he had faced on the night we met. Granted, he does not seem to be aware that he has this capability." Luna paused, chewing on her bottom lip. "I am not sure how to train him. At this rate, he will soon grow restless. He is a... somewhat unruly child, as you know, and I fear he may take out his pent-up frustrations out on the guards."

"Well, you did decide to take him in," Celestia pointed out. "I'll admit, he does liven up the place, but I do agree that he also needs to learn some self-control. He cannot simply fight everypony that he meets. You should discipline him more." Celestia took a sip of tea.

"I discipline my child well enough, thank you very much!" Luna huffed, silently adding this judgement of her capabilities as a mother to the list of reasons she didn't like her sister. "The problem is not a lack of punishment; the child simply needs an outlet for his energy. He is used to constantly training, he has done so his entire life. A single year in a better home will not change these instincts that have been ingrained into his very being! AND I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO!!!" Luna shouted, subconsciously activating her Royal Canterlot Voice and stomping her foot on the ground, cratering it. Celestia quickly used her magic to prevent the windows from shattering, but unfortunately the guards just outside the door were still blown away by Luna's display of power.

"The ability to 'copy' an opponent's moves isn't entirely unheard of," Red Wind suddenly spoke up. "It comes with the Fighting Talent, an extreme affinity for martial arts or simply fighting in general. The 'Copycat' ability is simply an extension of that innate talent. Every battle learning something new, expanding the range of techniques, unlocking hidden abilities in the heat of battle, that is the true essence of Fighting Talent." He sighed, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the wall.

"You are saying his potential for growth is possibly limitless?" Luna questioned, though she received no answer as Red Wind was deep within his own thoughts. "This makes me even less sure of how to handle him..." Just as Celestia was about to speak up and ease Luna's worries, Red Wind interrupted.

"I know someone. Someone who can train him properly, and maybe even teach him a bit of humility." Luna was immediately in his face, her nose mere inches from his own.

"You must tell me!" Luna demanded, face stern as she looked into his eyes. He wasn't deterred in the slightest.

"He's a bit of a kooky old fart, but his skill is top notch. He's a zebra, they call him Zen, I met on my travels." His gaze suddenly hardened as he stared directly into Luna's eyes, peering into her very soul. "The question is, princess, are you willing to part with your son for a while?" Luna gained a contemplative look.

Since she had met Polaris a year ago, he had become largely dependent on her for advice. He was wise for his age, sure, but that knowledge didn't extend far beyond street smarts he had picked up from ten years of poverty. He didn't know much about things such as history, math, or even basic manners. He couldn't even read more than a few basic words before Celestia had brought in a tutor to teach him. As such, he had come to her, relying on her to fill in gaps in his knowledge. Even still, he was ignorant of many things that she had yet to teach him. Could she really hand him over to a complete stranger?

"Luna," Celestia spoke, derailing her sister's train of thought. "I believe this would benefit him. It will help him learn and grow, not just as your son, but as an individual. He needs to walk his own path." She said sagely. Luna bit her bottom lip, for she knew deep down that her Celestia was right.

"I believe this is not a choice that we should make." Luna looked up at Celestia, looking into her eyes. "I propose that tonight, we introduce Polaris to this 'Zen' and let him choose whether he will train under him or not. After all, if he is to walk his own path, he must make his own choices." She concluded. Celestia smiled at her words.

"Very well, tonight we shall arrange for their meeting. Red Wind, please get in contact with Zen." Celestia turned to her guardian.

"Yes, your majesty." Red Wind bowed in respect before making his way out of the room.

Luna only hoped that this was the right decision.

That night, Polaris had been called into the throne room. For what, he didn't know. He just figured that it was some kind of punishment planned by his mother. She would probably have him sweep the floors or dust off the thrones or some other form of menial labor. Sure, she hadn't made him do that type of stuff as punishment before, but that didn't mean she couldn't start now.

Opening the door to the throne room, he was met with both Celestia and Luna, along with a third that he didn't recognize. He looked like a pony, but instead of a pony's usual solid fur color, he instead had black and white stripes covering his body. His hair, which was that same black and white as the rest of him, was done up in a messy looking mohawk, some of the long bangs hanging in front of his face. He was clearly older, evidenced by the wrinkles visible on his face, but another striking feature were his silver eyes which seemed to almost glow in the moonlight.

"Who's this old guy?" He questioned. Celestia held back her laughter.

"Zen. But to you, Master Zen." The old zebra stated firmly. Polaris looked to his mother for an explanation.

"Zen will train you in fighting. He will teach you in martial arts," Luna explained. "That is, if you wish to go and train under him."

"Martial arts?" Polaris tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Why would I need to learn fancy ways of fighting? I'm already good enough, I think."

"Is that all you believe martial arts to be, kid?" Zen questioned in a low tone as he approached Polaris, standing over him. "Just fancy punches and kicks?"

"Well... Yeah?" Polaris was immediately hit in the side by Zen's knee, making him crumble to the floor.

"Polaris!" Luna attempted to rush in and slaughter the one who hurt her child but was held back by Celestia grabbing her arm. "What are you doing, sister!?"

"Let's just see where this goes," Celestia said calmly.

"Martial arts are more than simply flashy moves. They are an art; it's even in the name! They require discipline to learn! Something you clearly don't have, brat." Zen stared down at Polaris, who was still recovering from the surprise attack. Polaris looked up at Zen, leering at him, having not expected the earlier attack.

Polaris suddenly shot to his feet, aiming an uppercut to the elderly zebra's chin. Zen caught his fist with one hand and used the other to catch an attempted surprise kick to the side. He quickly flicked his wrists, making Polaris flip rapidly in the air before landing a palm strike to his stomach and sending him flying away and into a wall. Polaris flipped in midair, landing on the wall with his feet and launching himself back towards Zen. But the zebra was fast to react, sidestepping Polaris' "living missile" attack and bringing his fist down on the colt's back, sending him crashing into the floor.

Polaris groaned, now laying on his stomach on the floor. Zen was about to ask if he was finished yet when Polaris slowly climbed back to his feet. He was panting heavily, trying to catch his breath as his whole body shook, ready to give out.

"You have tenacity, I'll give you that," Zen commented. "But spirit alone isn't enough to win."

Polaris gave a low chuckle, to everyone's surprise. "I'd never thought I would ever meet someone this strong besides my mom and aunt Tia. It's exciting!" He stood up straight, having regained some of his energy. "I'll train with you, I wanna get stronger! Strong enough to beat you!"

Zen gave a smile, though his eyebrow twitched, and veins were visible on his forehead. "Cheeky little shit."

"Polaris," Luna called. She tossed him something after he looked in her direction, and he caught it, looking down at the object.

It was a silver pendant, on the chain was a black circle with a silver crescent moon inside it.

"Keep it, and when things become difficult, you can look at it and remember." Luna smiled, pointing to her eyes. "Your mother is always watching over you. Near or far, if you carry that pendant with you, then I will always be at your side."

Polaris looked down at the pendant, lip quivering as he fought back tears. He clutched the pendant in his fist, holding it to his heart. His mother truly loved him, and she would never stop loving him.

"Should we head out?" Zen looked at Polaris. He nodded, putting the pendant in his pocket and following Zen.

"I'm leaving now, but I'll be back! I'll be way stronger than I am now! I'll make you proud, mom!" Polaris declared, making Luna smile. She was already proud of him, though it had only been a year, she had a connection to her son as if she were his biological mother. She was sad to see him leave, but was excited to see how much he will have grown upon his return.

Polaris smiled as he followed his new master with newfound determination in his heart. He now had a solid reason to get stronger, and not simply for himself. He vowed to himself that day that he would become the strongest in the world.

For his mother.