New Moon (My Little Pony)

05 (2/2) Dawning Moon

A few hours passed as the sun lit her room. After Lazuli returned to school, Bud began to feel anxious again. Despite the bravado she displayed internally, she hoped that Lazuli would've kept her company along with her foals. But she understood that Lazuli has her own class to run as well.

The staff gave Bud and her foals time to rest in the patient room. Doctor Dime was the last to go after checking the two IVs punctured to her forehoof. She must've lost a lot of blood because her body looked far thinner than it was yesterday. She hoped that didn't mean she would miss her cousin's wedding at Ponyville.

The colt had cuddled close to Bud and started gnawing on her mane. Bud was fine with this, for moments later the colt as fast asleep for her to remove from his mouth. Though now he was chewing on his hospital gown. Bud contemplated if he is always biting, then she may have a rather uncomfortable time when she breastfeeds him.

She hoped to Celestia that the filly is not the same. Those fangs would likely pop her teats like a balloon.

Remarkably, the filly was still asleep through all the events that transpired. You would think a bath would at least be enough to wake her or even the cries of her brother Bud heard he was making while Bud was in the emergency room. She's definitely as a tough sleeper, that's for sure.

Bud gazes out through a window on her left. She was plenty of floors high, so hse couldn't see any pedestrians walking by. If she'd recall correctly, there should be a small cafe somewhere on this street of the hospital. Maybe when they discharge her, she can get two cups of Veronda blends to reinvigorate herself.

A sudden moan attracted her attention back to the room. She notices her filly shuffling awake as its eyes opened. The slitted teal eyes of the filly gazed back to Bud, astonishing her mother even more of her filly's exotic features.

"Luna," the filly breathed.

"---" Bud froze when she heard her newborn filly speak. Bud must have imagined that, right? Never has she heard of foals speaking. Especially moments after birth. "Um," was all she could utter, not nearly convinced of her reasoning.

Her voice stiffened the eyes of the filly, that livened with unknown animosity. Bud flinched, shocked that a foal could give such a look. Her eyes peered intensely like a predator keen on its prey.

Bud's growing fear came to pass when the filly suddenly pounced atop her mother. "You," the filly's ironically cute voice spoke to Bud. "Why do you appear before me again?"

Bud had no way of processing what she was seeing. In what way could she justify this as normal? "I...what?" Bud couldn't find the right words to respond.

"Do not feign ignorance with me," the filly sneered with her adorable voice. "You have committed two great sins. You have altered my body and turned me into some feeble creature and most importantly, I do not sense Luna with me. Explain yourself now or suffer far more grim fate I have planned for you."

"---"

"Speak filly," the filly ironically ordered. "Do you not understand who stands before you. I am the embodiment of the beloved Princess Luna's will. The being destined to smite the accursed fiend of the sun. I am Nightmare Moon!"

Did Bud hear that right? Was this filly speaking the truth? No, that would be even crazier than her foal speaking in the first place...Yet, despite all the outlandish things the filly was doing, she doesn't sene the filly lying to her. Bud grimaced at her relent. "But, you can't. SHe's just a foal's tale."

"Foal's tale!" the filly shouted. "I was merely entertaining the idea. You mean to tell me that harpy brought that to fruition!?"

"Mmm," Bud noted the colt now shuffling on her side.

"Please don't be so loud," Bud warned the angry filly. "You'll wake him."

"Don't you dare give me orders peasant," the filly snapped. "You forget you are speaking to--Luna!" The filly shouted again when she traced the sound of the colt. The filly jumped off from her mother where she can rub her snout to the colt. "What happened to you?" The filly turned her sights to Bud with refounded ire. "You sickening monster. It was you, wasn't it? I'll tear you to sunder for this!"

The filly bore her fangs as she pounced atop Bud again. Before the filly could pierce Bud's hoof that she placed between them, the filly let out a wide yawn. Her body then collapsed atop Bud as the filly's eyes lidded down.

"No," the filly's voice was tired, but also desperate. "Stop. Don't put me to sleep. I don't want to die."

"Wh-what," Bud was completely caught off-guard by the filly yet again. Why was she suddenly terrified after threatening her life?...Should she console her?

"I don't want to die. Don't do it, please. Don't do it," the imposing filly was now begging with a pair strand of tears now dripping from her eyes. The filly gazed heavily at Bud as her eyes slowly lidded shut. "I won't...forgive you." The filly's eyes were finally shut and she resigned back to her slumber.

Bud only stared at the filly, hoping to Celestia that she didn't wake up again. The light from the window beamed her attention and her mind was again thinking of the future.

The light felt like a terrible omen to her, proof that this was her reality now. That the creature that frightened her last night was most likely the filly that was now sleeping atop her. And she'll have to raise it as her daughter; if she manages to live long enough...Could she really make this work?

"..."