The revealing light of the moon
Aurora launched up, sweat permeating on her deep blue brow, awoken from a distressful nightmare. Or was it a vision? She couldn't tell nowadays. This was Aurora’s 4th distraught dream in a row, and she knew she couldn't take many more of them. She looked to her left, the amber curtains pulled back, revealing a beautiful crescent moon, its light encompassing her whole room. She always had a fascination with the moon; even as a filly she would spend hours at night staring deep into its illuminating presence. Rummaging around, she found her deep hazel glasses and trotted to her windowsill. Below the radiant light of the moon sat a forest of evergreen trees on a sprawling hill leading up to a quaint shack for one. That was all she had ever known. A somber loneliness to some, but to her it was just what she wanted. Picking up a dusty book, long overdue, she sat down to read. The words on the faded book seemed to echo in her head. It was a collection of old lullabies and folk stories her parents used to read to her when she was younger. Those days are long gone.
Once the sharp crack of dawn broke into her vision, she knew it was time to begin her seemingly infinite daily cycle: water the plants, travel down to the ancient well for water, socialize with the animals, take a walk, and try to find something to do to kill time till the next day. Taking a rusty watering can, she began the short journey down to the garden. Unbeknownst to her, she was being watched. Trotting down, she watered the kales, the carrots, cabbages, and her other various vegetables. The monotony of her life distracted her from anything and everything she could ever wish to have; as she was completely content. With her watering can empty, she returned to her isolated shack, a reflection of her life itself. As the trek continued, a tuft on the back of her cerulean mane stood cold. She paused for a moment, assessing the situation. A deep feeling of unrest enveloped her whole body, sending shivers down her spine. She slowly looked right, then left…
Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw it.
It was a being made entirely of shadow, sharing the outline of a distorted horse. Two red eyes betwixt its featureless face. Deep inside, Aurora could feel a sense of familiarity, in contrast to her overwhelming fear. She tried to speak, say anything, but she felt entrapped in one position, her throat baring no sound. Near the gloomy creatures' flank, she noticed a large cutie mark, a combination of an all too familiar crescent moon with stars to guard its sides. Seemingly once she noticed this minute detail, the creature seemed to jump out at her, in such speed it would have seemed instant. It surrounded her, its dark figure blotting out the early sunlight. She tried to move, but her legs were frozen to the muck and dirt beneath her. Without warning, frames of a grand battle of two deity-like figures flashed between her irises. Though with such sheer tenacity being displayed it was hard to follow, she could make out an equine being clad in scarce golden armor, a coat of white fur surrounding her body. The other entity seemed much more battle-ready, with bright blue protection placed in much more strategically sound areas. Its coat was an elegant black, its teeth fanged, and its wings pointed at a jagged right angle, resembling the stories she had heard of the fearsome ‘bat ponies’. Its ferocity surpassed that of the white being, with every strike it seemingly became more angry. Aurora could feel the hatred in the dark beings eyes. Once again, the feeling of deja vu returned. She was so overwhelmed with what she was viewing, she tried to close her eyes, but the seemingly never-ending battle played in her mind. This shadow creature wanted her to see this strange glimpse into what she could only believe was fantasy, and she was going to receive that message no matter what. The being clad in dark blue seemingly had the upper hand, pushing the white being into a castle past its prime. The chaotic battle stopped, and all stood silent. The Black-furred entity, believing it had won, stood tall and released a tumultuous laugh, echoing through Aurora’s head. With her eyes closed and her head up, she did not notice the opposing being rise up in a blinding white light, now surrounded by 6 unidentifiable Crystals.
The white creature's rosy hair flew straight up, her eyes now glowing a radiant bright light. With a noticeable tear in her eye, the snowy White Equine blasted a ray of rainbow light directly at its brooding enemy. With its guard cut off, it was taken aback and seemingly evaporated by the blast of energy. Soon after the energy ceased, the chalky horse fell to the floor, in a duality of tears and screams. Aurora could hear exactly what the white horse bellowed:
“What have I done?!” Aurora felt the sting in each scream, and she too cried in unison with the unknown white figure, forgetting the shadow monster, her outside life, everything. She was enveloped with the story. Just as suddenly as the strange anecdote had begun, it ended, fading into the back of her mind. She broke out of her spoof and noticed she was all alone. After quickly surveying her surroundings, she sat gently on a soft patch of grass and began to process all that had happened. Based on the sun’s position, it had been about an hour since her intrepid encounter with the shadow pony. An endless stream of emotions dashed through her head.
“What… what was that…” Aurora’s voice was a quivering whisper. She knew she needed to tell somepony, but she was so confused by the recent events she had no idea who to talk to. Her parents had told her never to venture too deep into the surrounding evergreen forest. Stories of beasts and ghouls kept her from wandering astray, but now… She felt she had to. She Hurriedly Trotted to her secluded home, writing down things she would need for her great trek through the woods…
Author's Note
I can already tell that no matter the public opinion, this story will hold a special place in my heart. It hasn't even been my first anniversary as a brony and here I am writing my first fan-fic, and my first story divorced from any school work. I hope this will sprout into a hobby of writing more and more, but that fate shall be left to the reader. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter to its fullest extent!
-TheLazyCyberpony
The trot back to her stoop was daunting. Just putting one hoof in front of another was a trial. Aurora’s nerves were on high alert. Tunnel vision had hindered her sight, and a ringing sound in her ears hindered her hearing. She walked forward up the hill to her shack, catching it taking a sun bath. The early morning wind and noises had no calming effect on Aurora’s dashing mind. Aurora was greatly taken aback by her inexplicable vision. She had no focus, her mind refusing to center. She had to take a moment to sit. With her eyes closed, she hurriedly remembered all she had seen, fruitlessly trying to piece it all together. She questioned her destiny, wondering how and why this had happened to her. Knowing that she was only burning time, Aurora knew she had to put her mind at ease. She returned to her forward journey, passing the daisies and dahlias she had in her front yard. The flowers sparked a memory of her and her mother planting them, back before the never-ending cycle she knew her life had become. As always, she pushed those feelings aside and continued to her front yard. Opening her elderly door, a little bit of stress she had been carrying faded away. She took a moment to look around her abode, realizing how much she had overlooked in her usual day. The history of the house hit her like a wave. Aurora’s heart made itself known. Despite her attitude of self-isolation, she realized all she wanted was a guide. She thought of her parents, long gone now. A tear dropped from her face, seeping into her deep blue fur. She wanted nothing more than to see them one more time, to hear a lullaby from her mother, to help cook with her father.
“Wh-why did you leave me…” Aurora’s face contorted into a hurtful frown, tears flowing at a more aggressive pace. She was in an inner battle for the legacy of her parents. To love them and cherish her memory, or to move on from the ones who had left her. She thought back to a waning summer’s day. The cotton candy clouds in the sky sat motionless. Only a light breeze decided to show its face that day. Beside her sat her mother, A tall and stalwart mare, she was coated with an ice blue fur leading to white accents at the hooves. Her voice was as sweet as candy, and a feeling of welcoming warmth hugged all she interacted with. Aurora sat calmly in her lap. Her mother gently played with Aurora's greenish-gray mane. "Mom, what's beyond the forest?" Her mother's face noticeably shifted to a questioning appearance, before returning to its usually comforting smile.
"Things far greater than your little mind should worry about, stardust.” Her mother spoke calmly.
Aurora pondered further, “But it seems like just a big forest, I wanna explore.” Aurora was once a curious child, but her older self regarded that attitude as ignorance to the safety of home. Her mother, not wanting to reveal things incomprehensible to the mind of a young filly, ended the subject with subtle force.
“It doesn’t matter, you’re safe here.” Aurora knew to ponder no further, but the look on her face saddened Aurora's mom. Letting out a sigh undetectable to Aurora, her mother continued, “I bet your dad is all finished with your favorite meal!" Aurora's mother possessed the skill of making anything sound exciting, like an undiscovered treasure. Parallel to what her mother had said, her father’s deep voice sprung out from her lively home.
"Come on you two, food's ready!" Aurora's eyes lit up like a neon sign. Her mother giggled softly, helping her daughter up from the soft grass.
"Welp, you heard him, let’s go eat!" Aurora shook her head rapidly up and down. Aurora looked lovingly into her mother's eyes. Aurora's mother placed a hoof around her daughter and guided her into their pleasant residence. After entering the stark wooden door, the memory faded. She realized the irony that delving into her memory produced. She was now more despondent than before, and less motivated to leave. She wanted to stay here, in the comfort of her own mind, but a voice inside her echoed forward in her mind.
“Keep going, Aurora, you can do this.” Aurora did not know if this was a foggy reminiscence or a frail attempt at self-motivation, but she decided she would listen in. Wiping her drying tears, she pushed forward. Aurora realized she had little in the way of survival gear, but she would make do with what she possessed in front of her. Grabbing a deep brown flask, a bag of assorted foods, and a light gray coat for protection, she prepared to venture off. Exiting her aged home, she trekked down. The light chirp of birds aided by the sweep of the wind into her ears helped to calm her nerves. After departing down the hill leading up to her house, she stopped for a second, taking the time to look back. The Sloped tan roof, well-made wooden walls, combined with a dazzling oak trim seemed to call her to stay. But she knew her new ambitions and would stick to them. Motioning a respectful bow to the house, she ventured further down the path. The foreboding trees seemed to curve inwards eerily. Of all the times she viewed the forest, it never looked so hostile. Despite this, her resolve was now set in stone. Using the affection she carried for her parents, and how proud she thought they would be of her, she pushed on, out of the clearing and into the unknown…
