Lunar Legacy

Chapters

Chapter 1: Routine Report
Chapter 2: The night will Last Forever
Chapter 3: Tearful Battle
Chapter 4: The Return
Chapter 5: The Living Forest
Chapter 6: Sunrise
Chapter 7: Starlight Tears
Chapter 8: Reputation
Chapter 9: A Request

Chapter 1: Routine Report

Lunar Legacy

Chapter 1: Routine Report

One Thousand years ago, during the peaceful rule of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna……

A streak of blinding white flashed past the guards, along with a large gust of wind, yet they did not budge. For it was Moonlight Gleam, Pegasus captain of the Lunar Guard and Princess Luna’s good friend. She took pleasure in startling the guards with her speed, and they would not give her that satisfaction.

The Lunar guard were Princess Luna’s personal guard, as opposed to the Night guard, who watch over the night all across Equestria, the Lunar guard existed expressly for the safety of the princess and as a special task force, in case of an emergency. The Solar guard existed for the same purpose, but served Princess Celestia instead.

Moonlight Gleam landed gently and silently on her hooves, just inside the gate of the most glorious city of Canterlot. She walked briskly through the streets, on her way to deliver a routine report to Princess Celestia. She reaches the gates of Canterlot Castle and the guards stop her for a standard I.D. check. The best way to identify anypony was their Cutie Mark.

Once the guards were through with their checking of identification, Moonlight Gleam walked onward, into the castle. Passing through the vibrant entry hall, with a twin staircase and a mural hanging above each one, depicting the wing of the castle they represented. The right staircase headed to the lunar wing, home of Princess Luna during her visits, and otherwise a center for research. Also in the Lunar wing was the Night Guard Barracks, as every city of the time had one, as visits to outposts were common, and the guards needed somewhere to rest.

The Left staircase went to the solar wing, Housing the Ballroom, gardens, and Throne Room. As well as princess Celestia’s chambers and the Solar guard barracks. Moonlight Gleam followed the left staircase up into the solar wing, where everything was polished gold on white marble. She headed towards the throne room to deliver her report to the princess. It was a simple routine report, once a week she would make a round to each and every outpost across Equestria, gather their status, and report to Princess Celestia at dawn.

She could see the sun rising through the windows of the massive throne room; impossibly long crimson curtains flanked the windows on either side. Princess Celestia had just completed the sunrise for today, and was resting on the throne.

“Your Highness, I bring the regular report from the Night Guard. All is well across Equestria once again.” Moonlight Gleam stated with a bow to the Princess.

“Thank you for your hard work and dedication, please return home and rest, you have earned it.” The princess said, in her calm, melodious voice.

“Thank you, your highness. Good Day.” Moonlight stated and exited the throne room and out to the gardens. From there she took flight and headed west, towards Cloudsdale.

Moonlight Gleam arrived at her home after a few hours of smooth, calm flight. She was exhausted from flying across all of Equestria in one night. She lived in a Low-hanging cloud, shaped into a humble domicile by the Cloudsdale Cloud shapers. This wasn’t her only house, but most were just where she could sleep during the day when she needed to be somewhere in the morning. Her main residence was outside Baltimare with her Husband Sky Soar and her newborn son, Comet Flare. She walked inside, unstrapped her armor and placed it on its stand, and fell on her bed to sleep. Because her home was so low, the shadow from Cloudsdale was always overhead, making it perpetually darker in her home, she liked it that way though, it allowed her to sleep during the day.

The light from the sunset woke her up; it slips right under Cloudsdale and right into her west-facing window near her bed. The light always woke her up; it was better than an alarm clock. She pulled herself out of her bed, still feeling tired after the night’s long flight. She ate her dinner just as the sun was going down. She strapped her armor back on; it was a tough process alone because the straps were hard to reach. One behind her shoulders, one above her hindquarters, and one behind her head. Then the sleeves and boots, which slip on easily.

Once her armor was on and settled, she took off and flew out to meet the princess, who had been on a visit to the Crystal Empire; she was scheduled to return to her estate in Cloudsdale tonight, and Moonlight was to prepare the usual welcome back for their princess.

She landed in the main courtyard of the Princess’s Royal Cloudsdale Estate. From there she walked through the corridors until she reached the main hall, the preparations were well underway. The regal entrance hall was draped with silver silks across black marble pillars, with a midnight blue rug that portrayed all the phases of the moon in order from one end to the other. The Lunar guard all assembled in order of Rank on either side of the entrance hall, awaiting the arrival of their Princess.

The princess of the night rode forth on a Black chariot pulled by 2 of the Night Guard. It came to a stop just shortly before the entrance hall, and the princess stepped down from it and entered the hall.

“Welcome home, your highness.” The entire lunar guard stated in perfect harmony.

“Thank you, my loyal guards. I am… relieved to be home.” The princess said, sounding quite exhausted. “Moonlight Gleam, report the status of the outposts, if you will”

“Yes, your highness, a couple of the outposts need more supplies, but no signs of imminent danger anywhere in Equestria. I have already contacted the supply officer and he will be addressing the resupplying of the outposts soon.” Moonlight Gleam stated.

“Good to hear that all is well. Now, my friend. How are you doing? You seem tired.” The princess whispered the last bit into her ear.

“Fret not over me, your highness. For your concern is the safeguarding of all of Equestria.” Moonlight whispered back.

“As you wish, Moonlight Gleam. But I do not mistreat my subjects, so I especially do not mistreat my friends.” The princess whispered back and walked forward. “At ease, everyone, please return to your posts.” She said to everyone in the room at once.

“Yes, your highness” the guards said at once, and began returning to their regular duties.

“Come now Moonlight Gleam, we have much to discuss” said the princess as she led Moonlight towards her personal study.

Chapter 2: The night will Last Forever

Chapter 2: The Night will Last Forever

“What is it, your highness?” Moonlight asked as she followed her princess into the study. “Was there trouble in the Crystal Empire?”

“Nothing like that, my friend.” The princess said somberly. “I just feel so alone, now more than ever.”

“I am here with you, your highness. And your guards are always protecting you.” Moonlight said, attempting to ease the mind of the Princess.

“No, not like that. I know you all are loyal to me. It’s just, everypony adores my sister, Celestia, and they love their time in the light of day. But everypony hates my beautiful night, and instead of playing or stargazing they choose to sleep through it.” The princess said, beginning to cry.

Moonlight understood what the princess meant now, for a long time she has been guarding the night, and all that time it has been a very thankless task to the public.

“It’s okay your highness, I am here, and I love your night. All of the Night and Lunar guard do as well. We guard you because we love your night, and we wish to protect Equestria just as you do.”

Composing herself and wiping back her tears, the princess walked over to her desk. She levitated out a piece of blank paper, and a writing quill and an inkpot. She wrote a short letter and sealed it in an envelope with her lunar seal, preserved in wax. With a stern look she walked over to Moonlight.

“I would like you to take this to my sister, Princess Celestia. Give it to her and nopony else. Can you do this for me, my friend?” The Princess asked.

“Of course your highness, anything for you” Moonlight said.

“Thank you, my most faithful subject.” The princess said as she handed the letter to Moonlight. She slipped it onto a small pouch beneath one of the armor plates, made for this express purpose.

Moonlight walked back to the entrance hall and out the door and took off at top speed, flying towards Canterlot. She could make it in about twenty minutes if she could stay at her top speed the whole time, but due to exhaustion she was forced to slow down or risk falling out of the sky.

Over all it took her about an hour to reach the gates of Canterlot. Since the guards have orders to detain anyone entering the city by sky during the night, she landed at the gates and explained to the guards that she had an important letter from the princess. They let her pass, having just seen her last night they had no reason to check who she was. Moonlight galloped through the streets of Canterlot, heading towards the castle. She reached the castle gates a few minutes later and requested to see Princess Celestia, whom she carried an important letter for. One of the guards went inside the castle and returned some minutes later to inform her that her audience had been granted.

Moonlight walked through the halls, led by the guard ahead of her. They headed towards the throne room, where princess Celestia awaited the important letter. A few moments later they stepped into the throne room where the princess awaited them.

“Welcome, Moonlight Gleam. Please, let me see this letter that is so important it cannot wait until the dawn.” Princess Celestia said, sounding not upset, but simply intrigued.

“Here it is your highness.” Moonlight Stepped forward and removed the letter from its protective pocket. The princess levitated it towards her and broke the seal. She unfolded the letter and read it. Tears began streaming down her face as she dropped the letter for the floor; Moonlight walked over and began to read it, to see what caused the princess so much shock.

Dear Sister,

I am sorry it has become like this, but I cannot bear it any longer. The common people do not recognize what I do every single night; they instead love and cherish you, sister. They relish and play during the day, but they shun and sleep through my beautiful night. My position as Ruler of the night will never change, as long as the day comes, they will never appreciate me, and as long as you rule, the next day shall always come. I am sorry sister, but I cannot continue to guard those who do not appreciate it. I will head to Canterlot at the time that would normally be dawn to confront you. From this night forth, I am no longer Princess Luna; I am Nightmare Moon, and this night will last forever……

“No….This can’t be! Luna, Why?!” Princess Celestia shouted, tears rolling down her face.

Moonlight was shocked by what she had just read. She did not think the princess felt bad enough to do that. She always thought the princess knew that in their heart, the people really did love her.

“Your Highness, What should we do?” Moonlight asked, a small amount of panic rising inside her.

“I need to use the elements of harmony, but they will take time to retrieve.” The princess told her as she rose from the throne and began a stride towards the door.

“Tell me where, your highness, I will fly as fast as I can to get them.” Moonlight Declared.

“No, I will need your help when Princess Lu- I mean, Nightmare Moon arrives here. Rest up, I shall send my Solar Guard to retrieve them.” The princess declared.

“Yes, Your highness.” Moonlight said, and went to the barracks to rest. She did not like the Idea of fighting her friend, but she had no choice. She understood the gravity of the situation. If Nightmare Moon was not stopped, the land would never see the sun again. She unstrapped her armor and laid it next to the cot she had chosen to sleep on for the time being. It took her some time to finally sleep, but when she did, her dreams were fitful and full of nightmares. She woke to a guard nudging her; He informed her that it would be time soon and that she should get ready. She rose from the cot, strapped on her armor, and headed for the door.

Chapter 3: Tearful Battle

Moonlight Gleam stepped outside to darkness when the dawn should be rising. She flew up to the tower where princess Celestia was waiting for her.

“Good, you are here.” The Princess said. “Are you prepared? I will need time to concentrate once she is here to cast the spell. That means you will have to fight her off until I am ready.”

“I…am ready” replied Moonlight Gleam.

“Nightmare Moon Approaches!” shouted one of the guards. She rode upon a large dark chariot pulled by 2 pegasi with but with Bat wings and yellow eyes with thin pupils. The Princess of the Night had been transformed, with great black wings, her hair constantly flowing, fierce, cruel eyes, and pointed teeth. She was no longer the Gentle guardian of the night. She had become Nightmare Moon.

“What happened to those ponies? Their wings are like those of a bat and there is evil in their eyes!” exclaimed Moonlight.

“They have been corrupted by evil, just as Nightmare Moon herself has been.” Stated the Princess.

The chariot stopped over the city and Nightmare Moon Glided down, into the city streets.

“You must go, Moonlight Gleam. Help me stop the one who was once my sister, and your friend. Bring her before me and hold her off while I cast the spell.” The princess exclaimed. Moonlight simply nodded and took off into the air and then down into the city.

Nightmare Moon was parading through the streets as the common people woke from their homes to darkness. Moonlight Gleam flew straight down as fast as she could and crashed into Nightmare Moon, Pegasus and Alicorn alike tumbling to the ground.

“You Impudent Traitor!” screamed the enraged Mare of Darkness as she charged the agile Pegasus, but Moonlight was too quick and she took to the air once again; goading the former princess to come after her in the air. Nightmare moon spread her great black wings and took off into the air to face her pegasi aggressor. Moonlight was a trained warrior and an expert in flying combat, but the Alicorn had size and magic on her side. Moonlight darted directly at the dark mare, tears streaming down her face as she tackled her lost friend to the balcony where Princess Celestia waited.

The dark mare recovered to her hooves first this time and fired a dark beam of magic at Moonlight, but the winger warrior was too quick and she rolled to the side. Jumping to her feet she charged at nightmare moon, dodging bolts of magic as she closed the gap between them. When she got close enough, she reared back and kicked with her front hooves, landing a direct blow to the chest of the dark mare and knocking her back. But the Alicorn would not be beaten so easily.

Nightmare moon recovered quickly and retaliated by using her dark powers to swirl her dark mane into a storm and conjure lightning strikes. Moonlight Gleam was struck directly on her breast plate; it absorbed the blast, but broke in half and fell to the ground. She was saved by the insulating fabric of her armor underlay. Moonlight Gleam rose to her hooves and flew directly at Nightmare Moon. Spinning around her as fast as possible, Moonlight had trapped Nightmare moon inside a miniature tornado, or so she thought.

Even at her amazing speed, Nightmare Moon was able to fire a blast and strike her stomach. Thankfully there was armor there to protect her, but due to the sheer magical force, it cracked right down the middle. Moonlight flew backwards from the force of the blast and landed on her face. She staggered to her hooves, barely able to stand after taking that last hit, but somehow she managed it. She looked to the remaining princess, but she was still concentration the spell, she would need more time.

Nightmare moon saw what Moonlight had looked at; and found out that princess Celestia was concentrating on some magic spell. Nightmare Moon called upon her dark magic to transform into a tornado and charge at the princess. Moonlight flew right at the tornado and spun as she struck with a mighty kick. The Colliding force of the attacks threw both of them backwards, nightmare moon returned to her regular form. Moonlight’s boot on the hoof she kicked with was totally destroyed halfway up her leg, and she had burns on her hoof.

She staggered to her hooves, barely able to stand while still holding up her burned hoof. Nightmare Moon had already recovered and fired a huge bolt of magic at Celestia. Moonlight used the last of her strength to use her wings to throw herself forward and block the bolt with her still armored front hooves. The blast threw her all the way back against the tower wall. She knew she couldn’t give up now.

Using her wings, the only uninjured part left of her; Moonlight Gleam was able to get up and stand once more in the way of Nightmare Moon getting to Celestia. Then there was suddenly a Bright flash from Celestia, and chains of silver light descended from the moon itself and wrapped around Nightmare Moon. Once the chains were wrapped tight, they began pulling the Dark mare to the moon.

“AAAAHHGG” The wicked mare screamed “I shall return! I curse the one who stood in my way! I curse you and all your line! You will never rest peacefully again!” she screamed as the chains; unhindered by her struggles, pulled her all the way to the moon.

Moonlight Gleam collapsed once Nightmare moon was gone. The glow faded and Celestia collapsed nearby, but still crawled over to Moonlight. As moonlight lay there, she looked at the moon and saw that slight silhouette had appeared on the moon in the shape of Nightmare Moon herself.

“Are you alright Moonlight Gleam?” she asked

“I don’t think so, I’m wounded pretty badly. What Kind of spell did you cast on her?” Moonlight choked out. Her breaths were getting shorter.

“It was a spell to seal away any evil for a thousand years. I would have not chosen such a long imprisonment, but I did not make the spell.” The princess said somberly.

“Don’t you worry about me Princess; you’ve got a moon to set, and a sun to rise.” Moonlight Gleam said, in between short breaths.

“Yes, You are correct, Moonlight Gleam.” The princess said, tears beginning to run down her face. The princess stepped forward and began the magic.

Moonlight Gleam crawled over to the edge of the balcony and watched as the moon set in the west, and she watched as the sun rose once again. She slowly closed her eyes for the last time as she watched the last bit of the moon fade into the horizon.

The princess Landed on her hooves back on the balcony; tears running down her face and her neck, all the way to her hooves as she looked down to the Heroic Pony who saved them all. The princess stepped forward onto the edge of the balcony and called out to her people.

“Ponies of Equestria, Hear your princess! For I have a declaration to make!” Her voice booming across the city. “Today is a Day for Celebration! For we have been saved from Eternal Night! The Pegasus, Moonlight Gleam, is a hero! She gave her life so that we all may have the sun each day! To commemorate her heroic deeds, I declare that this will be the longest day of the Year, so that we may never forget that it was through her heroism that the sun has risen at all! This will be a day for celebration and Happiness, as she would have wished it to be!” The Princess’s declaration rang throughout the city.

“May this Heroic Pony’s deeds never be forgotten!”

After these events, a great statue was erected in every city square across Equestria, of the brave Pegasus Moonlight Gleam, standing firm against evil; even unto her last breath. Who defended all of Equestria from the darkness of an everlasting night.

Her son Comet Flare grew up and became Leader of the Equestrian Defense Force. He then became a Hero in his own right by Leading his forces against an attack from a rouge griffon faction and defeating them. He had a daughter by the name of Crescent Shine and the line continued for 1000 years. Today, the only descendent of the great Moonlight Gleam is known as Midnight Star; and that is where we continue this story.

Chapter 4: The Return

Midnight Star slowly opened his eyes to the light of the sun, fading on the west horizon. The window behind his headboard let the sun in at sunset, so that he would wake up and get ready for work. He lived in a home shaped from clouds, a modest abode but it served its purpose. It was located south of Sugarcube Corner, a favorite treat shop of the entire town. Being a Pegasus, and living on a cloud; the majority of Ponyville could not come even to his front door, as only Pegasi can walk on clouds.

His neighbors included Ponyville Hospital, and Ponyville Retirement Home. But down the street a short ways lived Hawk, a genius when it came to crazy mechanisms. Midnight Start didn’t have many friends, and most days were simply the routine. Wake up, eat, work, eat, and sleep. His coat was Midnight Blue and his mane was Cyan with a white stripe down the center and his tail was the same.

It was the night of the Summer Sun celebration. Though it was not a celebration for him, because everyone else had forgotten the origins of the celebration after 1000 years. But he still remembered; he still knew that it was his ancestor, Moonlight Gleam who paid the greatest price so that the sun would rise again. Even the princess herself had forgotten them. Midnight Star didn’t have work today, so he decided that he was going to go see Serenity, one of his only friends.

He walked over to the edge of his cloud and jumped straight off the edge, flying downward in a nosedive he waited until the last moment then he opened his wings and pulled up; putting the momentum of the fall directly into his speed, leaving a trail of White and Cyan behind him as he flew through town.

He lived on the southwest side of town, and the cottage where Serenity lived was on the south-east end of town. It was a rural community out where she lived, everyone living in similarly designed cottages, but with their own variations. He zoomed east, flying past Carousel Boutique; just past there was the start of Cottage street. He landed at Serenity’s house and knocked on the door. The lights were still on, so she should still be home.

Serenity opened the door “Why, Hello Midnight” she said cheerfully with a smile “I was just about to head over to the Library for this big party Pinkie is hosting, did you want to come?” She meant Pinkie Pie, the craziest pony in the whole town. Midnight and Pinkie weren’t really friends, though she would tell you different.

“No thanks, I don’t really know anypony, and I’m not the partying sort.” Midnight said, hoping she would insist.

“Well, if you say so. But you’re always welcome to come. Everyone is invited at a Pinkie Pie Party.” She said with a smile as she stepped out the door. “I guess I’ll see you around, maybe we’ll run into each other during the morning festivities” she said as she walked away.

He meant what he said, he really wasn’t the partying sort of pony, but he was hoping Serenity would want him to go with her. He stated walking down the street in the opposite direction, wondering what he should do until the morning sunrise at town hall. He took off, straight up into the air; up above the clouds. He laid back in the clouds, looking up at the moon. He closed his eyes and dozed off.

He woke up to somepony nudging him. “Wake up, it’s time for the sunrise, you don’t want to miss it” It was Flitter; she was probably clearing the clouds when she found him napping up there.

“All right all right. I’m going.” Midnight replied, and dove backwards out of the clouds, without even getting up. He slowed down to a gentle landing in front of town hall. He stepping inside to a crowd of ponies, so he decided he would watch from the air, where it was less crowded. He flew up to the rafters and landed quietly on one, he decided he would watch from above, as was his habit.

More ponies streamed inside, packing town hall to the brim. He noticed Pinkie Pie walking in with some Unicorn he hadn’t seen around before. The bird chorus began a regal tune as the mayor stepped forward into a spotlight.

“Fillies and Gentlecolts, as mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!” the mayor announced “In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise and celebrate this; the longest day of the year!” she continued after a brief pause. “and now it is my great honor, the ruler of our land; the very pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day. The good, the Wise; the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria, Princess Celestia!” the mayor announced as the spotlight moved upward and the curtain on the balcony was pulled back and the chorus began another tune. Shock filled the room, for their princess was nowhere in sight.

Midnight Star scanned the room, but there were no signs of anything having gone wrong.

“Remain calm everypony, there must be a reasonable explanation” the mayor said, barely holding her calm. He could hear Pinkie Pie saying something, but he paid her no mind.

“She’s Gone!” a white unicorn announced from the balcony. It was then that purple smoke began to form on the balcony where the princess was supposed to be. The smoke grew in size until it formed into a pitch-black Alicorn whose mane and tail were the very smoke she had formed from.

“Oh my beloved subjects, it’s been so long since I’ve seen your precious little sun-loving faces.” she spoke coldly.

“What did you do with our princess?” The Pegasus called Rainbow Dash shouted at her, with only another pony holding on to her tail stopping her from attacking the Dark Alicorn. He knew Rainbow Dash from the meetings held between weather pony captains. He was captain of the night weather team, she was captain of the day.

The dark Alicorn laughed “Why? Am I not Royal enough for you? Don’t you know who I am?” There was some more chatter from Pinkie Pie, but once again he ignored her. “Does my crown no longer count now that I have been imprisoned for a thousand years? Did you not recall the legend? Did you not see the signs?” she boasted

“I did! And I know who you are!” interjected the unicorn that entered with Pinkie Pie. “You’re the Mare in the Moon, Nightmare Moon!” Gasps filled the crowd but only Midnight truly knew what this meant. It was his ancestor who gave her life that this evil might never return to Equestria.

“Well well well, somepony who remembers me. Then you also know why I am here.” The dark Alicorn boasted from the balcony. She bellowed a dark laugh then continued. “Remember this day little ponies, for it was your last. From this moment forth, the night will last forever!” she bellowed and began a dark, sinister laugh as her smoky mane and tail swirled together into the ceiling and calling forth bolts of lightning. Midnight Star was knocked backwards and out of the window.

He recovered just in time to see the smoke flying away towards the everfree forest. He took to the skies but quickly saw that the smoke was much faster than him so he gave up on following it for now. He turned to look for the unicorn that knew Nightmare Moon and saw her running out of town hall. He decided to follow her discreetly for now; he couldn’t get them any more involved than they already were. They were no fighters, and would stand no chance against Nightmare Moon if it came to that.

He followed her back to the Library and landed quietly on one of the windows in the main room. He saw the unicorn instead and cracked the window slightly so he could hear what she was saying. She was saying something about the “Elements of Harmony” He knew what those were, they were what Princess Celestia used to seal Nightmare Moon away a thousand years ago. She was poring through books, trying to find something specific when Rainbow Dash burst inside and started questioning her. She was quickly retrained by the earth pony from before however, and the unicorn was allowed to continue.

“I read all about the prediction of Nightmare Moon, some mysterious things known as the elements of harmony are the only things that can stop her. But I don’t know what they are; where to find them, I don’t even know what they do!” the unicorn explained.

“The elements of harmony: A reference guide” chimed Pinkie Pie in the corner, the unicorn pushed her out of the way to look at the book.

“How did you find that?!” the unicorn asked

Pinkie Pie pronked around the room, and chimed “It was under Eeeeeeeee”

“Oh.” The unicorn said, exasperated.

The unicorn removed the book from the shelf and began to read “There are 6 elements of Harmony, but only 5 are known. Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty, and Loyalty. The 6th is a complete mystery. It is said the last known location of the 5 elements, was in the ancient castle of the royal pony sisters. It is located in what is now the Everfree Forest.”

He should have known, that explains where Nightmare Moon was headed in such a hurry. He had to get there first, before these ponies got themselves hurt.

Chapter 5: The Living Forest

Nightmare Moon would not know that he knew as well. She would only be expecting these ponies to try and stop her. He had the element of surprise. He quietly took off and headed towards the everfree forest as fast as he could. He began scanning the forest, searching for the ruins; but the forest was massive, magical, and dense. He began to think that even if he found Nightmare Moon in time, he wouldn’t be able to defeat her without at least some armor.

He decided to fly back to Ponyville and retrieve the armor he was issued as Captain of the night weather squad. It was for emergency use, in case of a monster attack, and this was close enough. But even his ancestor’s armor didn’t stand much of a chance against Nightmare Moon, and it was made for fighting. He banked around and decided it was still better than nothing to wear his armor.

Vines shot upward from the forest, wrapping around all four of his legs and his wings, dragging him down into the trees. He bit one and tried to tear through it, but it was no normal vine. They continued to drag him down until he hung a few inches from the ground, suspended on the magical vines. He wondered if this was trap set by Nightmare, or just the forest not liking that he could avoid it by flying over it.

He tried to tear through the same vine again but he couldn’t even scratch it. He heard hoof beats heading towards him, he searched the forest blackness around him, but he couldn’t penetrate it. He braced himself to fight back as much as he could, still being held by the vines.

“This is a fine mess you’ve gotten yourself into this time, Midnight.” Scoffed a familiar voice

“Mystic Heart, Is that you? I could really use a hand!” He called out

“Yes it’s me. I saw you head into the forest, and I was watching from a tree when I saw you get grabbed. Where are you?” she called out

“I’m over here” he called out to her. “The vines that grabbed me won’t break, I can’t bite through them!” he called out again.

“I’m coming, hold on a moment” she called out to him, closer this time.

A moment later a Purple mare with a black and red mane and tail stepped out into the moonlight.

“There you are. I’m not even sure how to get you out of this.” She said, sounding puzzled.

“Follow the vines and try kicking the tree, it might let me go.” Midnight instructed her.

Just as he said, she followed the vines that held his wings and bucked the tree as hard as she could. Just as midnight predicted, the trees vines released their grip. The trees were definitely magic.

The vines recovered however, but midnight had already out powered the other vines with his wingpower and darted over to Mystic Heart and picked her up and flew back to Ponyville as fast as he could. He landed beneath his house, setting Mystic Heart down.

“Are you crazy? The forest is dangerous!” Midnight Lectured her “Don’t get me wrong, I am glad you were there, but you should be more careful.”

“I know, but I had no idea what was going on, and I thought you might have some idea, heading off into the forest like that. I figured you must know what’s going on.” She retorted

“It’s alright, you’re not hurt, are you?” he said, concerned

“No, I’m fine” she replied

“That’s a relief. I need you to do me a favor. Find Serenity and get somewhere safe. Nightmare Moon is very dangerous and I don’t know if we can stop her.” He said as seriously as possible, trying to get his point across. They were the closest thing Midnight had to friends.

“I hear ya. I’ll keep her safe for ya.” She said with a wink as she turned and walked away.

“Thank you!” he called out to her.

He flew up to his home and headed straight to his armoire, where he kept his armor and weapon. He opened the armoire in his bedroom to find, not his armor; but that of a fine warrior. His armor had been taken and replaced by a fine set of shining steel on a dark cloth under layer and his standard issue bit-sword was replaced by a magnificent blade that looked as though it was made from the stars themselves. The chest plate had a black eight-pointed star emblazoned across the center. The same shape as his Cutie Mark. He lifted the helmet and found a note underneath.

Midnight Star,

You may not believe me, but I still remember what your ancestor, Moonlight Gleam did for all of us. I certainly know you have not forgotten. I have foreseen Nightmare Moon’s return and had this prepared for you. It is enchanted to hold strong against the dark magic Nightmare Moon wields. The Bit-blade was named Star Fang. It was Moonlight Gleam’s personal weapon, forged to defend Equestria from evil. She had left it in her home the night that Nightmare Moon rose.

I have also sent my faithful student Twilight Sparkle to stop Nightmare Moon, though I hope I was not mistaken in believing that she holds the key to stopping her. If I am wrong however, I know that you have the power within you to stop Nightmare Moon once and for all. I would use the elements against her again, had I not lost my connection to them after I sealed Nightmare Moon away all those years ago. But I have faith in my student, and I have faith in you.

Princess Celestia

Midnight could feel a small tear run down his cheek as he finished reading the letter. He thought the princess had forgotten Moonlight Gleam. He donned his new armor and placed Star Fang in it’s sheathe and strapped it around his waist. He stepped forth from his home a Shining Steel Warrior. The armor would slow him down a little, but not much, as he was a strong flyer already.

He took off and headed back towards the Everfree Forest. He flew as fast as he could, scanning the forest below for signs of the ruins spoken of in the book. He continued mainly south, deeper into the forest. After the few minutes he spotted something in the distance and flew closer. It appeared to be the ruins of a castle. He thought to himself “This must be the place” and he flew down into what was left of the main hall.

He stepped forward into the ruined building, before him stood a statue display with 6 display arms but only 5 objects. Each was a round stone sphere emblazoned with a different shape. He stepped forward and looked upon the Elements of Harmony. Just then, Nightmare Moon arrived at the castle, stepping in behind him.

“Hmmmm? Who might this be?” she mused at him

He turned around and shouted to her “I am Midnight Star, Descendent of Moonlight Gleam! I am here to stop you!”

“Ah, the one who interfered before. That wretched traitor just couldn’t step out of the way. I should have known her descendants would stand in my way once again when I returned.” She said, sounding aggravated

Midnight Star would have no more words with this monster. He leapt forward using his wings to propel him forward, and tackled Nightmare Moon to the ground. She quickly recovered however, and began firing bolts of magic and lightning. Midnight Star gracefully dodged around the attacks, using his wings to keep his body moving. He whipped Star fang from its sheathe and used it to slice right through one of Nightmare Moon’s attacks.

He continued to close the distance between them, one he got close enough, he lifted into the air and performed a mid-air spin kick that struck against Nightmare Moon’s chest. He then touched down with his left hoof and flapped his wings as hard as he could and kicked up at the same time, flipping backwards and kicking Nightmare Moon in the jaw.

Nightmare Moon howled in anger; Midnight was coming around for another attack but Nightmare Moon turned into a swirling cloud of purple smoke and vanished. He figured he would lie in wait near the elements; she had to be after them. He sheathed Star fang and headed over to the elements. He went around to the far side of the massive display and concealed himself among the rubble.

Chapter 6: Sunrise

Midnight Star waited in the rubble behind the elements for a short time, but it was not Nightmare Moon that showed. It was the Unicorn from earlier, as well as Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash and a few ponies he did not know. He could head them chattering, but he couldn’t make out the words from his hiding place. He dare not leave it either, lest Nightmare Moon be waiting for that very moment. He could hear the elements being moved, the stone orbs lifted from their small platforms and coming to rest closer to the door.

They must be gathering them for that Unicorn; she must be Princess Celestia’s student, Twilight Sparkle. He could hear their hooves as five of the ponies left. He could also hear the exasperated breathing of the remaining pony, this Twilight Sparkle must be attempting some spell on; or with; the Elements of Harmony. He felt the wind pick up in the ruined castle, there was a great flash of light from the other side of the pedestal. But by the time he looked, Twilight Sparkle was gone.

He flew up and out of the broken roof of the castle, he could see shimmering coming from a building that was probably once the throne room. He flew over top of the building and found a good spot to see what happened without revealing himself. There was Twilight Sparkle, standing on one side of the room, closest to the stairs. On the other side was Nightmare Moon, with all 5 of the elements floating in her smoky mane.

Twilight scraped her hoof on the ground, challenging the Alicorn. Nightmare Moon set the elements down and began to charge, as did Twilight. “What is that crazy pony doing?” he asked himself, but he looked closer and saw her horn was glowing brightly with Magic, and if there was one thing Midnight Star knew nothing about, it was magic.

They charged directly at each other, but just before the collided Twilight disappeared with a great flash. She reappeared on the far side of the room, standing with the elements. She lowered her horn to them, probably attempting to cast some spell. Nightmare Moon swirled into a tornado once again and he readied himself to intervene.

But Twilight had apparently done something, as she was shot backwards from the elements. Nightmare Moon reformed above the elements, and with an evil laugh, she stomped once, and they shattered. Midnight moved to behind Nightmare Moon, still up on top of the walls, preparing to attack. Twilight looked back to the stairway as the other 5 ponies arrived.

Twilight began talking about something, but he couldn’t hear her clearly through all the wind where he was at. As she talked, the shards of the elements began to hover around each of the ponies; one by one they began forming into necklaces for each of the 5 ponies. Until suddenly there was a bright flash, and a 6th element descended from nowhere at all. It hovered down slowly until it was above Twilight’s head and then became a beautiful golden tiara.

What happened next was so shocking, Midnight Star barely kept from falling. The 6 ponies began floating as a group and Twilight’s eyes began to glow. She closed them as if to focus, and a bright glow enveloped all of them. Nightmare Moon attempted to shade herself with her giant dark wings. A wide ribbon of Rainbow colored energy shot forth from the 6 ponies and began enveloping Nightmare Moon. When she opened her eyes, the glow intensified to the brightest you can imagine and then some. The rainbow Tornado of energy exploded in a rainbow of colors, and all that was left of Nightmare Moon was some pieces of armor, and a small Alicorn with a blue coat and lighter blue mane and tail.

All of the ponies in the room were passed out, but Twilight and the other 5 ponies began to rise. It was then that the sun rose in the distance, and Princess Celestia flew into the Chamber. Once again due to the wind, he couldn’t hear what they were saying. But with princess Celestia here now, and Nightmare Moon destroyed; He figured his work was done here. That’s the way he liked to do things. Nobody needed to know that he was there at all. When you do things right, people will hardly notice you’ve done anything at all. Princess Celestia and the other Alicorn had a teary reunion; he gathered that she must be Princess Luna.

He watched from above for a while longer, in case anything else happened. Princess Celestia sent the 6 ponies on their way, back to Ponyville.

“Midnight Star, I know you are up there. Won’t you come down here?” the princess called up to him.

Now he felt embarrassed for not just coming down sooner. But he felt he would be intruding if they knew he was up there. He floated down gracefully on his wings, landing quietly.

“Yes, your highness. I was watching over the events and I was about to intervene when the Elements showed their power.” Midnight star kneeled before his Princess.

“It’s quite alright Midnight Star, I know you would let no harm befall the 6 ponies who now wield the Elements of Harmony” the princess said in a calming voice. “I also know you battled valiantly against Nightmare Moon in order to defend the Elements. Won’t you allow me to reward your Bravery and skill?”

“My apologies your highness, but I must refuse; attention does not suit me well. I wish no medals or titles for my acts, only that Equestria is safe another day.” He replied

Princess Celestia smiled “As you wish Midnight Star, but at least keep that armor as a gift from your princess. As well as Star fang, it is rightfully yours anyway.”

Midnight Star kneeled “As you wish my Princess, but I must now take my leave. I wish to see to the safety of your Student and relieve the townsfolk of any fears they may have.”

“Allow me to say a few words before you leave, Valiant Knight” said Princess Luna

Midnight kneeled once again “Now that you have been returned to us, your wish is my command, your highness.”

“Stand, Midnight Star. For I deserve no loyalty after the acts I have committed.” Princess Luna said, tears streaming down her face.

Chapter 7: Starlight Tears

“Princess?” Midnight Star asked, questioning what she meant.

“Sister, please leave us for now. I wish to speak with him alone” Princess Luna asked of her elder sister.

“Of course sister, I will be waiting by the entrance when you are finished” Princess Celestia stated as she walked across the room and down the stairs, heading back towards the entrance of the castle.

“Midnight Star….” The princess said through her streaming tears “I do not remember all of my heinous acts as Nightmare Moon, but I know I caused misery to many, but none so much as I caused your family all those years ago.” She began crying heavily, but she composed herself “I took the life of your ancestor, Moonlight Gleam. My sister informed me of what happened once I was purified and the others had left.” The tears of the Princess would not stop streaming.

“She was my only friend, and my most faithful guardian. Yet ultimately it was I who took her life, in my petty quest for power.” She continued crying “I took her life, and left her child to grow without a mother.” Princess Luna stepped closer to him. Her tears streaming and her head lowered. “I offer this to you now, as recompense for the crimes I have committed. Take my Life, and let that end this sad tale.”

Midnight Star was shocked at what he heard. He shut his eyes tight but the tears still rolled down his cheeks. He was infuriated by this. He drew his blade, Star Fang; and raised it high. He plunged the tip down, into the ground in front of the princess and let go of it. He wasn’t angry that she killed his ancestor, he already knew that. He was angry that she believed her death would solve anything.

“Taking your life won’t solve anything; it will only bring more sadness.” Midnight star said through the tears streaming down his face. The princess lifted her head bolt upright with a completely shocked expression. She stepped forward, tears running down her face and landing on the blade placed in the stones beneath her feet, shimmering like starlight as they rolled down the blade.

“If you want to make amends for your past crimes then live. Dedicate your life to helping people and bringing happiness.” Midnight Star said as he reclaimed his blade and returned it to it’s sheathe. He began to walk towards the entrance but was interrupted

“Midnight Star; if you will not accept my life, please accept a small token of my appreciation to you for helping me see that death is not the answer.” She stepped towards him “Please close your eyes and turn towards me” He did as she asked.

He felt something touch his lips; he opened his eyes to the princess of the night giving him a kiss. He was so shocked he fell backwards. Princess Luna began walking away very dignified with a smile on her face.

“You are a good stallion, Midnight Star. And I thank you for showing me the light” The princess said as she left the room, going to meet her sister.

Midnight Star took off, flying back to Ponyville through the morning sky. He wanted to find Serenity and Mystic Heart first. He told Mystic Heart to go somewhere safe, so they probably headed to Mystic Heart’s house on the North West side of town. He flew back to his house first to remove the armor and put Star Fang away. Then he took off and headed north. He landed at her house a few minutes later. Mystic Heart and Serenity came rushing out the door and tackled him to the ground.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened? Is everything okay? Is Nightmare gone?” they began asking questions.

“I’m fine, just a little tired. A Unicorn named Twilight Sparkle was able to use these things called the Elements of harmony against Nightmare Moon. They removed the darkness from her heart and returned Princess Luna to her true self.” He explained “We should let the townsfolk know that its safe.”

“Alright, let’s get to it. I’ll start spreading the word; you do the same, okay Serenity?” Mystic heart asked

“Sure” She replied and they each went in a different direction. Before noon arrived, the entire town knew the gist of what happened. A celebration was held for the return of Princess Luna. As per his request, the Princesses told nopony of his involvement. Not even the 6 ponies credited with the defeat of Nightmare Moon.

Princess Celestia commissioned a giant stained-glass window for the throne room in Canterlot; depicting the 6 ponies wielding the Elements of harmony against Nightmare Moon. Midnight Star got the satisfaction of seeing Equestria safe again. That was enough for him. He returned to his home around noon and laid down for a good long rest. He still had to work tonight after all.

He woke up at sundown and went to the Ponyville Weather center as was usual. He checked in at the desk and went to the weather board. It was scheduled to be a calm, clear night. An easy task considering there weren’t many clouds tonight anyway.

He quickly cleared the clouds around town and reported that the job was done. He checked out and stepped outside. He wasn’t sure what he would do with the rest of the night. If he went to sleep now, it would throw off his entire sleep schedule.

He decided to head over to his favorite watering hole in town; The Salty Trough. It was a nice enough place to sit back and relax. He took his usual seat in the shaded corner. It was the same as it always was; dirty and in shambles. It was the favorite place of the gruffer crowd throughout Ponyville.

Chapter 8: Reputation

Only one of the serving mares would serve him, the others were too afraid of the dark Pegasus in the shadowed corner. She was cream colored with flaming red mane and tail. She knew he wasn’t to be feared. Because she knew he was only here to relax; and to keep an eye on the troublemakers who gather here. Many would call him crazy for just sitting there in the dirty ramshackle tavern with the less reputable citizens of the town. This was what Midnight Star did when he finished work early, which was often. He came to the ramshackle tavern, sat down in the dark corner; had a few glasses of juice, and watched the crowd for signs of trouble.

“You know, nopony else dares sit here because their all afraid of you?” said the serving mare

“Ruby Breeze, It’s good to see you too. I’ll have the usual.” Midnight Star replied

“Comin’ right up, one glass of fresh squeezed grape juice. Anything else?” she asked

“Yeah, the kitchen still open? If so I’ll have some hay fries” he said, realizing he was hungry

“Comin’ right up.” Ruby Breeze replied and went off to the kitchen to turn in his order.

Ponyville was over all a fairly peaceful town, but the occasional fight is bound to happen anywhere you go. The Salty Trough happened to have a higher than average number of fights take place there compared to any other establishment in all of Ponyville due to the nature of the majority of it’s patrons.

Midnight Star was no troublemaker, but he wasn’t afraid of a fight either. He didn’t cause trouble, he just went there knowing a fight might break out. There was something about fighting that felt natural to him. It was in his instincts, probably from several generations of battle-hardened Heroes and Guards up the family tree. He enjoyed a good fight.

Midnight Star leaned back and closed his eyes for a few moments. Ruby Breeze returned with his drink a moment later and he took a small sip then sat back and closed his eyes again. When his fries arrived he set 5 bits on the table for Ruby Breeze. 2 bits for the drink and fries, 3 for her tip. He had just begun slowly eating on them when a particularly gruff character walked over.

“Hey, you tryin’ to make the rest of us look bad or somthin’?” said a muscular Earth pony with a five o’clock shadow and a thick accent.

“Only if I’m making you look bad by giving better tips” Midnight replied, not even looking directly at him and grabbing another fry. Midnight reached for his drink, but the muscular pony slapped it from his hand. Now Midnight looked directly at him, slightly aggravated that his drink had been wasted.

Midnight slid his chair backwards and stood up on his hind legs, as did half of the patrons in the room. It was natural for ponies to walk using all four legs, but when they fought they usually stood on their hind legs to allow the front legs to fight. The muscular pony pulled back to punch, but Midnight was faster. He performed the same maneuver he used on Nightmare Moon, He flapped his wings and backflip kicked his target. The muscular pony fell back, instantly knocked out.

Most of the patrons who had stood up now returned to their seats, but some of the more unsavory characters decided they wanted to try. Midnight used his superior agility and fighting instincts to outmaneuver attackers, rather than directly overpower them. The first attacker rushed him with a few direct punches, but Midnight ducked below and swept his legs out from under him. The next two came together, charging him on all fours. He took to the limited airspace in the closed room, but it was enough to allow him to get behind them. They stopped their charge and tried to attack him, but Midnight grabbed the first and threw him over his shoulder into the wall; the second he gave a black eye with a one legged buck.

All but one patron of the bar sat down. A black feathered Griffon stared him down from across the room. Griffons loved to fight, they were born into it. The griffon roared at him and started towards him, using his wings to propel him. Midnight Star did the same, but the room was not large and it did not take long for them to get into striking range. The griffon swatted at him with one of his claws, but Midnight was smart. He spun horizontally, kicking the griffon’s claw back with a hind leg and landing a direct punch in the griffons face with his right front hoof. The griffon knew he was beaten and felt so ashamed he left without another word.

“Geez, you’re making a reputation for yourself around here.” Said Ruby Breeze, who had been on break and only returned in time to see the griffon get beaten.

“I would have figured I already had one, this happens almost every week. I just come here for a drink. They should have the reputation for starting fights.” He replied. Midnight hadn’t been tipping so much to make the others look bad; he tipped Ruby so high because she was the only one who would serve him.

“I should have known you’d be here getting into more trouble” Midnight heard from the door. It was Mystic Heart with a stern look on her face. “I’ve been looking all over town for you; the guards are looking for you. You aren’t in any trouble; they just want you for something.” She said as she made her way across the room. She grabbed his tail and dragged him out the door.

“I already paid, you know.” He said to her “You can let me go too; I don’t need to be dragged”

“Just making sure I got you out of there without another fight.” She replied

“Those guys didn’t stand a chance, even the griffon ran away after just one hit” he said with a laugh.

“Come on; the guards are waiting at my house, I told them I would find you for them.” She said with a chuckle.

Chapter 9: A Request

They arrived at Mystic Heart’s house after a short while; he was too tired to fly them both all the way back so they just walked. Two pegasi guards were awaiting him in shining gold armor.

“Here he is, good sirs.” She said to the guards

“We have a message for the Pegasus Midnight Star. It comes directly from Princess Luna.” They said as they held forth a sealed envelope. Midnight star reached forward and took the envelope, he opened it and read:

Dear Midnight Star,

I have a favor to ask of you, please come to my temporary home in Cloudsdale. This must be done in person. Please come prepared for combat.

Princess Luna

“She wants me to go see her in person” he said aloud

“Well then get going, she’s waiting for you.” Mystic Heart chimed in.

“We can escort you there directly sir” one of the guards interjected

“I need to visit my home first, to gather a few things.” Midnight replied; the guards simply nodded. “I’ll see you later then” he said to Mystic Heart

“Yeah yeah, get going” she replied

Midnight Star launched into the sky; not as fast as he could have but not slowly either. The guards easily kept pace with him. It took them about twenty minutes to reach his house. He told the guards to just wait outside as he stepped in. He went over the armoire and began strapping his armor on, it didn’t take long because it was designed the same as his previous armor, so he knew how it went together. He strapped his Bit-Blade Star Fang around his waist and stepped outside once again. He took off in the direction of Cloudsdale, the guards’ just keeping pace for the moment.

It took a few hours to get all the way to Cloudsdale; it was quite a far way from Ponyville. By the time they arrived, the night was half over; the guards led him from the outskirts of Cloudsdale to a small patch of clouds on the north side of the floating city. There was a small home carved into the clouds here, the guards escorted him to the door and instructed him to enter. He opened the door and passed the threshold into the tiny cloud made house. All of the lanterns were out, so it was pitch black inside the house. He could feel from the air that he room was empty of furniture. The way the wind moved gave it away.

“Welcome Midnight Star, We have been waiting for you.” Spoke a heavy male voice. Suddenly, several lanterns lit around the room and lit up the room he was in. He was surrounded by at least five guards in the small space of the room. There was a hallway with at least one more room, he could see from where he stood in the center of the room.

“What is going on here?” He asked

“Attack” the heavy voice said from out of sight

All five of the guards in the room rushed him at once, with no room to fly, but the floor was as much cloud as the rest of the room; so he tucked his hooves and dove out through the floor. The guards followed him down and began flying aggressively around him. He Flew straight up in the air, then tucked his wings and fell into a straight nosedive, directly into two of the incoming guards. He knocked them out and they fell into a patch of thick clouds below.

He opened his wings and pulled up, flying across a wide swath of clouds below. Three of the guards still pursued him. He flew as fast as he could, forcing them to push themselves to keep up. He had gained some distance on them because they were not as fast as him, so he turned about and began flying in a tight circle as fast as possible; creating a mini-tornado. He then banked as he spun, dragging the tornado with him. It wasn’t very powerful because it was only him creating it, but it was powerful enough to grab ahold of the three guards and send them flying into the clouds. He brought his wings to a half-close and rode the tornado current for a moment, then used the momentum to launch himself in the direction of the building where he was ambushed.

The two guards that he arrived with were still guarding the door, apparently unaware that he had escaped through the floor. They flew towards him at top speed, but they weren’t as skilled as he was. He began a horizontal spin maneuver, one of his signature moves. He hit both guards at the same time, direct hits in the face. They both fell and were caught by the clouds below. He landed and bucked the door open.

“Where are you? What is the meaning of this?!” he shouted into the building

“Relax, Midnight Star; that was merely a test of your abilities.” Said the heavy voice as the one who carried it stepped from the dark hallway. He wore the shining armor of the captain of the Cloudsdale Guards.

“For what purpose?!” he shouted at the stallion

“To prove to him that I was correct, and you are worthy” Spoke a familiar voice. Stepping from the room behind the guard, was Princess Luna. “I hope you are not hurt, but he simply would not believe me when I spoke of your ability in combat” the princess explained

“It’s quite alright Princess, but why would I need to prove myself?” Midnight asked

“Because, I have returned to Equestria after a thousand years; I no longer have any guards to protect me should I fall under attack by monsters, or worse. I would like you to become the Captain of my personal guard; just as your ancestor was before you.” Spoke the princess

“But I am no warrior; surely there are others more skilled than I to protect you.” Midnight said

“It takes a certain kind of strength to protect someone, even from themself. Also, easily defeating seven guards without the use of your weapon shows that you are indeed very capable. I have chosen to ask you to become the leader of my personal guard, the Lunar Guard. Will you accept this honor?” The princess asked him.

“Of course, If that is what you wish then I gladly accept” Midnight said as he kneeled before her.

“I will be constructing an estate in Ponyville, due to the fact that my previous estate has been destroyed after a thousand years. I will need a place to rest my head during the day until then; and what safer place could there be then the home of my Loyal Guard Captain?” She asked rhetorically with a smile

“Y-y-your highness? Are you sure? My home is not large and is not suitable for a Princess.” he attempted to persuade her out of it.

“Do not worry Midnight Star, I have Royal Duties to attend to most nights, and I will be asleep during most of the day, I won’t be a burden on you.” She said, still smiling at him

“If that is what my princess wishes, I accept the honor of hosting you at my home until construction of your estate is complete.” Midnight said with a bow. “For some reason this makes me feel uneasy” he thought to himself.