Chapter 10
"After that we returned to Canterlot, where Captain Heavy Shield took me in as his apprentice. And that was the ten most brutal years of my life." said Moon Shadow
She looked around the room and at the sciene of amazed faces looking up at her. "Are you all alright?"
"That...was...amazing!" exclamed Pinky Pie in her high pitched voice
"That story had everything. It had action, adventure, mystery, and a sacry villan. I got to read about your other adventures." said Rainbow Dash
"Both Flutter Shy and I have her complete collection of adventures." informed Spike
"I'll have to borrow them from you guys some time." said Rainbow Dash
"What happened to Concilpony Quil?" asked Twilight Sparkle
"Well after the investigation he was found guilty of conspiracy against the princesses and was sentenced to exile in the dragon lands."
"Wow, talk about harsh." said Pinky Pie
"You got to remember, darlin', he did try to overthrow the princesses rule and put in Sinister as the new ruler." Apple Jack pointed out
"I supose you're right, but at least it had a happy ending. Just like Dashy said, it had evrything from a supper creepy villan to an unexpected hero."
"Not to mention a lovely romance between a knight and an angel of mercy." sighed Rarity
"Yeah, why'd you throw in all of that gushy stuff anyway?" asked Rainbow Dash
"I just thought it was kind of nice." spoke Flutter Shy
"I thought so too, Flutter Shy, but for a diffrent reason that you might be thinking. I thought that it would be nice to talk a little ablout someponies ancestors." Moon Shadow said
"Who's?" asked the group
Moon Shadow turned to the purple unicorn and said, "Yours, Twilight Sparkle."
"What?!" the group exclamed turning towards their friend
"What do you mean?" asked Twilight Sparkle
"Well it took most of my ten years of apprenticeship to convince Heavy Sheild to ask Clover to marry him, and from that started your family line and a long history with the princesses."
"Wow that's so cool Twilight, you're a hero just like your ancestor." said Rainbow Dash
"I'm not a hero, at least not like Heavy Sheild was."
"Don't sell yourself short, dear. You'd be surprised at what you could do." reassured Apple Jack
Flutter Shy peered out the window and gasped, "Oh my, it's already night outside."
"Realy? Oh my, I took up your whole afternoon. I'm sorry to have taken up all that time." Moon Shadow said
"Don't be rediculous, it's not like we had anything speacial planned today anyways. Or at least I didn't." Rarity said
The rest of the mane six agreed with their friend that they also didn't have anything planned for that day.
"So, Moon Shadow, do you have any place to stay at tonight" inquired Twilight Sparkle
"Out of habbit I just happen camp where ever I can most of the time."
"Hey, here's an idea, lets have a sleepover. It'll be so much fun for everypony." said an excited Pinky Pie
"I'm fine with that if the rest of you all want to." said Twilight Sparkle
A round of "yes" and "sounds fun" came from the group.
xxXxx
Within a couple of hours the mane six and Moon Shadow were in the down stares of the library talking and laughing. Spike went to bed minutes before, after making a bunch of snack, so he didn't have to hear all of the mare talk that was expected. He slept comfortably for hours till he got the strong feeling that he needed to wake up. Not knowing why, he looked down stares and saw six sleeping bodies. The one missing, he noticed looking out the window, was sitting on a hill looking up at the sky. He figured that it was okay for him to go outside and approach the lone pony.
As he drew closer, doing his best to keep quiet, she spoke without looking at him, "They're beautiful, aren't they Mr. Spike."
Looking up himself he replied, "Yes they are, Moon Shadow."
"When I was banished I saw them as lights of hope in a sea of darkness, shining against the dark forces of the world defying the odds." She then turned to look at the young dragon, "I still do, even now."
He sat next to her and looked at the star filled sky with her, and after a few minutes Spike asked, "Why did you chose 'Moon Shadow' as you're name?"
She smiled and said, "When facing ones mortality one ends up seeing memories that the other wise had been forgotten. One such memory was when my brother, Sinister, had returned from his banishment. He came back with his left eye replaced by that obsidian ball. He told us the tale as to how he had lost it, and it scared me.
"It was early into his banishment when there was no moon in a forest that made no sound that he encountered a strang creature. He said it was very strong, ripping through trees and moved faster than a hawks dive. He battled the creature for only a few moments, and he barrly got away from it. He called it a moon shadow.
"It was the only thing that my brother couldn't beat, till I came along. And durring the time that I fought him I never thought that I could defeat him. But durring our fight that creatures name kept popping up into my head. So I decided that before I died I should chose my own name, one that I knew that Sinister would never forget."
"Wow, I would love to be brave as you, Moon Shadow." an admiring Spike said
"Out of all the dragons that I've had the good fortune to meet, you're among the kindest." Moon Shadow said with a chuckle. Then in an amused voice she said, "I get the feeling that you want to be some heroic knight some day."
"Yeah, I'd love to be a hero like you going out into the world and saving ponies from monsters and villans. Oh how would I love to, but I don't think that I'm brave enough for all of that."
"Well the first thing you need, inorder to be a hero, is somepony that you want to defend from ham and danger, no matter what the cost."
Spike thought about her words for a moment and asked himself who he would wants to protect the most, and a certain white unicorn with a purple mane and tail poped into his head. "Rarity is the one that I want to protect." he said
"Very good." Moon Shadow said soothingly, "Now the most importaint thing that you need to remember when you're become a hero is the same thing that Heavy Shield said to me, 'Courage is not the strength to be without fear, but the strength to stand in the midst of fear and step forward'."
Spike smiled to himself and looked up at the stars, and the two enjoyed a comfortable silence together till the little dragon fell back into sleep.
End
A/N: And that's the end of this story. Not too shabby if I do say so. This wa my first fanfic story, and I wanted to test the waters with my one shots before publishing this. I don't mind writting another Moon Shadow story, but only if there's enough of you out there that want me to. If you do send me a pm and I'll get cracking on one. Sujestions are welcome, good ones.