Loyal to the Night

(This story is dedicated to @WarriorCourtney, so I suggest you go read her books "MLP Luna Diaries:1,000 Years" and "Bow To The Moon")

From the very beginning I was a Night Dreamer. I was born within the kingdom and raised by my mother and father to follow Queen Luna's laws and desires. I aspired to be like her, while I was young. All the fillies in the Kingdom did. They all wished to be a princess, and to be whisked away by a knight in shining armour. For a while it was a nice fantasy, to draw our attention away from the conflict between the Lunar Empire and Equestria, but it dawned on me sooner than most. My mother was part of the military, and was ambushed and murdered by a Day Prancer. It was up to my father to raise me, but he couldn't handle the pain or stress, and dissapeared one day when I was five. I grew up on my own, for the most part, having a few caretakers here and there, but not really having anyone to rely on, as my trust has slipped away when my father abandoned me.

So from a very young age, my dream to become a princess halted to a stop, and instead my desire was to join the military and avenge my mother's death. The other fillies would sometimes mock me, but their words inflicted no pain, as this desire became a passion, and soon enough, when I wasn't at school or helping around the kingdom, I would follow around members of the military and pester them with questions, or beg them to let me train with them, or ask them if they needed any help. I was not at all keen on the idea that I had to 'be of age' to join, but the law was the law, and I would not try to disobey what I wanted to reinforce.

As I grew older, and hit my teenage years, I would gain some slander for being an alicorn. While not too common, we were shunned by few for having having both wings and a horn, when only the Queen herself should be allowed those gifts. The hate died down as I grew, and more alicorn entered the kingdom. Roughly, at that time, 22% of the population were alicorns, and 65% carried the genetics, and had the potential to be alicorns. While inducing a pony to me an alicorn was frowned upon, it did not stop some colts and mares attempting the procedure. Some succeeded, but most failed, often carrying negative side effects that would be with those ponies for the rest of their lives. This was one thing the Empire as a whole decided to keep quiet about and never tell Queen Luna.

By the time I was of age, I was one of the first to sign up for the military. There, I met General Samuel's son Andurvïïn who was a little older than myself, but we got along alright. My focus was not on making friends, however. I still wanted to exact revenge for my mother's death, and whilst others said it was a foolish wish, my intent did not falter. By this time, the new Prince DarkMoon, had risen to the throne, and every rank in the military got to meet him. While I did not converse with him for long, I could see he was very friendly and caring. He would make a fine ruler until Queen Luna's return, I thought to myself.

Not much later, and I met Queen Luna herself in one of my dreams. I remember it like yesterday. I was fighting off the Day Prancers, being cocky and showing off skills to no one in particular when she appeared. Never in my life had I been so happy. The weight of my mother's death had been lifted periodically, and I conversed with her, and also shared the rumour that she fancied someone. It seemed as if she did, because she grew flustered and seemed quite nervous. It was an amusing sight, but nonetheless the experience will never leave me, in life or death. She bid me farewell and went on her way, letting me get back to the unconscious dreamland she interrupted.

Then, over the years I rose in the ranks, along with Andurvïïn, and we got quite close. So close, in fact, that soon enough we had gotten together. We had a young colt named Night Light, who we loved and cherished more than the kingdom itself. Although I wanted to exact revenge, I instead took it upon myself to make sure my son got the best life he possibly could. But the world is a cruel place, and I lost my poor Night Light to his curiosity. He left the safety of the Empire, and was killed by a Day Prancer. Never had my heart ached more than that moment. But time went by, and we lost Prince DarkMoon. It was a very upsetting time for the Empire, but seeing as his daughter CottonStar was not of age to rule, I was left in charge of the kingdom until young CottonStar could take over. It was a challenge at first, as I only knew how to protect the kingdom, not rule it, but the royal court helped me until I could manage it on my own. I did struggle greatly though, but I managed. For CottonStar.

But time again passed by, and it was up to the Princess to rule the Empire. So I stood down, with the greatest wishes for her rule of the throne. Every now and again, I'd help her if she needed it, but against the protests of the current General (sadly Samuel had passed away many moons beforehand), I rejoined the army. The military loved that I was devoted to fight, but I was an old mare, and although I was an alicorn I was not immortal, which meant my time would be up sooner or later. As we still are unsure how long non-royal alicorns live for, we didn't know how much more time I had. So I fought a few more battles, then retired and lived a life of antagonising peace. The thrill of battle was no more, and I was just an old mare who once served her Kingdom. A few more months passed on before my inevitable death. I don't remember seeing much, as the Mares in the Sky whisked me away before I could watch anyone mourn for me, or before I could witness my own funeral. Both relief and disappointment flooded me, but in the end I was reunited with my mother and my son. We didn't know where my father was, but although I was awash with sadness, I felt that I was better off without him.

And so, that is where my story ends, and a new one begins. One where I someday will be reborn. But not before myself and the others aid in the escape of Queen Luna. Not before we bring her back from the Moon.

Not before we end her one thousand years of suffering.