Children of The Night

The Village

MAGPIE'S POV:

Searching every crevice in the brush, it was beginning to get harder and harder to see as Spirit took the only light source around away with him. Nothing seemed to be out there anyway, and Id looked long enough and couldn't anymore since the world around me began being engulfed in the night, or what I assumed would be the night. Turning around to head back to the village, I gave the woods one last look, almost definitely positive something was lurking beneath what I could see. Finally, Id decided Id end my investigation and return to my living quarters with Spirit and Gari. I could still see Spirits horn glowing faintly in the distance. "Spirit! Gari!" I called, as I forced all my energy within me to gallop towards them. "Wait for me!"

FLASH SENTRY

"Now, Shining?" I squinted to see the foals. "Yes, now. Men, stay here and stay hidden. Flash and I will return here if we need assistance. No one is to leave this exact spot unless we order to do so." Everypony nodded in obedience, and Shining gave me a glance of reassurance as I turned to follow him. He poked his head out every so slightly, and checked the surrounding area. Careful not to speak or make a sound, he motioned for me to follow him with his head. We crept out i the bushes, and into the open. For once, we'd finally found a good use for the darkness Luna's forced upon us. We trailed the foals, "Couldn't find anything?" Assuming he was addressing the grey filly searching the bushes, I listened closer. "No, I guess it was just a squirrel or something." She answered. "It could've been a monster," the last, what I thought to be the youngest, foal disagreed. The other two objected. "It wasn't a monster, Gari." "Yeah, Gari, those aren't real." At this I couldn't help but shake my head slightly. Though we were on a serious mission to find the Princess, the foals were still adorable. A few more minutes passed as we trailed closely behind the foals, and soon we could hear more children laughing and the light stomps they made when their hooves clattered against the ground. As we walked, more and more buildings came into view. They weren't much, definitely had to have just been built. But they were enough to shelter the Princess. I really believe she's here somewhere. We crept behind one of the small buildings and looked around the village, hoping to find Princess Luna as the foals went about their business, completely unaware of our presence so near to them. Scanning the crowd of children wasn't easy in the dark, and the little light that was there was just from the small lantern posts set around the camp. Shining nudged me, "Look!' He whispered. "What?" "It's her! It's the Princess!" I glared in the direction his eyes were laid upon. At first, I didn't see anything, but then I saw the quick shimmer of her crown. She was in the shadows, listening to the three goals we'd just followed talk about what they'd heard in the bushes. They were talking pretty loudly. "We couldn't find anything," one said. "Yeah, but there was definitely something out there," another followed up with. Princess Luna stepped into the light, her mane flowing with magic as it usually did, and her crown twinkling beneath the moon. Her eyes glanced here and there, across the wood line where the men stood and all around the village in search of the source of the strange noises the foals heard. Except we were the source. Watching her eyes closely, watching where she laid them, they met mine for a brief second, and I turned behind the building. "Shining! She saw me!" "She couldn't have. We're in the shadows, Flash, there's no way she coul-" and just then, Princess Luna came soaring over the shack-like structure and not the ground in front of us. I can only hope we don't have to use force against her.

PRINCESS LUNAS POV:

My sister had the nerve, the nerve to send the guards after me? "Flash Sentry, Shining Armour, what are you doing here?' I demanded. Shining Armour, the head of the royal guard, stepped towards me. "We've come to take you back to Canterlot. Princess Celestia would like to speak with you." "I'll not go," I began, "I'm perfectly happy with my children of the night here in this meadow. Now go, and tell my sister I do not wish to hear her name again." "I'm sorry Princess, that is not an option. If you do not go willingly, we are under orders to take you back by force." I was already about to fly off, wings up and everything, and suddenly they fell quickly in frustration. "Force?" I whipped myself back to face them and stepped a few feet closer to Shining so that my face was mere inches to his. "I'll not go. Force is not an option for you, my dear Shining. I am still one of royalty and I am still a Princess of Equestria, and you're mistaken if you believe I'll take such disrespect from you or anyone else in Equestria." I turned back around and outstretched my wings once more. "Goodnight to both of you. My best regards to my sister." And just as I ascended from the ground, I was thrown back to it on my side. I looked to my back, from which the bang had come, and there on top of me I saw Flash Sentry. "What in Equestria! Get off me Flash!" "I'm sorry Princess but you're coming with us and that is final." He said. Im fed up. No guard of my sisters will take me by force, I am the Princess of the night and no pony would treat me this way. "Get....OFF!" I demanded, as my eyes glowed white and my magic began to tingle in my horn, I threw him off of me and through the rickety walls of the tiny building. He lay there in pain, and began gathering himself back to his feet when I took a few steps towards him. "Such disrespect." I said in the royal voice, and used my magic once more to throw him through the next wall of the same building. He crashed through the wall, the children running and screaming in fright. Surely Id broken a few bones, since now he wasn't succeeding at climbing to his feet very easily. My magic tingled in my horn once more, as I was building power for the final blow. Suddenly, my magic was brought to a hault when I felt a searing pain in my left side. Shining Armour had struck me with powerful magic of his own, and continued striking me in that same spot and in my horn to hinder me from using my magic on anypony else. I began to feel dizzy and lightheaded, and was brought to my knees when he took the final strike. He'd struck my wings, horn, and side. Had I really just lost my power? As a slipped into unconsciousness the last thing I saw was Flash Sentry gathering himself once again, and Shining Armour walking towards me, his horn glowing. I felt myself being lifted off the ground, and I saw the children being rounded up by the other guards. As I slipped finally into unconsciousness, I heard Shining say, "She's only wounded. Bind her and let's get her back to Celestia before she wakes up again."