Year 942 AD Summer 3 Day 4
Today is the day I inspect the new recruits for the royal guard academy. It gives them a chance to see me and me a chance to see them. This is something I do every year and this year is no different.
I assemble the unicorn recruits and have each of them, one at a time, explain their life experiences, abilities and why they want to join the royal guard. It is nice to hear the life stories of all these ponies, it took my mind off of the routines that I would go through daily. Once I finish with the unicorns, I get the earth ponies together. There are never many earth ponies that join the royal guard academy. Even less stay long enough to actually become royal guards. I like talking to them more because of this and try to encourage them to push themselves as much as they could. The earth ponies are always so nice. The time I spend with them always goes by so quickly. I had the earth ponies leave and all the new pegasi recruits gather together.
Immediately I notice a familiar face. A brown pony with a rainbow mane and tail. I had not seen this pony in a very long time, but despite his much older appearance, I knew it was Rainbow Dashing.
I look at him and say, "I will talk to you after." Usually, I would have all the ponies gather together as I talk to them and they share their stories, but this one pony I want to talk to privately.
After talking with the other pegasi for a time and having them depart, I walk over to Rainbow Dashing. "And what brings you here?", I say to Dashing with a pleasant smile on my face.
He replies, "Princess Celestia, I never forgot the day you came to my house and gave me my father's lance, I still have it." He turns around and grabs a bag that is behind him with his mouth. The lance he mentioned is sticking out of the bag.
He picks the lance up out of the bag and nestles it under his wing. He turns his body to face the right and readies himself. In a second, he is gone running across the field, the lance still being held in his right wing and his left wing is flapping to increase his speed. Planting his right hoof into the ground, he spins around and begins running back. Right before getting to me he stops. It was quite an impressive maneuver, especially for someone his age.
Dashing says, "Ever since you gave me that lance I've been practicing with it."
I notice his cutie mark, "Dashing you have a lance cutie mark!"
"Yeah, my mom was furious when she found out saying that she didn't want me to end up like dad."
"It looks a lot like your lance."
"I know, isn't that cool. My mom seemed to think that you had something to do with me getting this cutie mark, but she said that she wouldn't hold me back from what I was meant to be."
"It must have been hard for her to watch you leave knowing you're coming here to learn to be a guard."
"I thought that too, but she seemed okay. I remember her saying that you made a promise to her. She didn't say what it was, though."
Yes, I did make a promise all those years ago, and I intend to keep it. "So Dashing, why do you want to be a guard?"
His voice became more somber, "Princess, I never met my father. I don't know anything about him, except that he was a royal guard. I think, if I become a royal guard, I would be able to know him a little better."
"I think that's a wonderful reason. Also, you can call me Celestia."
"Okay, prince-… Celestia."
I smile at him for a moment and say, "I'm afraid that we have run out of time. I look forward to seeing you again Rainbow Dashing."
I begin walking away, but I hear Dashing yelling as I leave. "I look forward to seeing you again too princess… oh, I mean Celestia."
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Year 947 AD Fall 1 Day 13 – Night
Something wakes me up in the middle of the night. I turn my head to see what is there. It is Rainbow Dashing.
It has been years since he first joined the Royal Guard. He had moved up the ranks and now was one of my personal guards.
"Princess Celestia…" He still doesn't call me Celestia, He always has to say Princess first. He continues, "It is time for your night watch." This is the first time Dashing is going to be on a watch with me, and this watch is going to be just me and him.
"I'm sure we can wait a few more minutes."
Dashing replies, "But, Princess Celestia, I have heard that those strange events, ponies have been talking about, only happen when the Moon is high in the sky. If we wait too long we may miss our opening." Yes, that's right. There have been reports of ponies seeing strange creatures hiding in the shadows, but only when the Moon is higher than normal. Some ponies even report seeing the moon move in the sky on its own. I am sure this is all just rumors, but… I am the only pony in Equestria that can raise the moon. If this is real, the only explanation I can think of is Knightmare Moon.
"Very well Dashing, let us go." I get up and follow Dashing through the castle to the front entrance.
Dashing says "I prepared a path for us to go down. It passes several sighting locations."
"Okay Dashing, so where to first?" I reply.
"This way." He says, then raises one of his hooves and points with it down the road.
We begin walking through the dark streets of Canterlot. After walking some ways, I notice that Dashing was being very quiet. It is strange for him to be so quiet. He must be taking this very seriously. I decide to start a conversation. "Dashing, do you have any idea what may have caused these reports?"
"Princess Celestia, to be honest, I don't even know if they are true. But if they are, I fear that it might be Knightmare Moon's doing."
"What makes you say that?"
"Princess Celestia, some reports mentioned the moon being high in the sky. I don't think this is a coincidence, I think Knightmare Moon may be planning her escape."
That's impossible, Knightmare Moon still won't return for 50 years, ... right? "I think you're reading those old books too much."
"But Princess Celestia, someone has to think about these things. If I don't, who will?" Dashing stops walking and looks up. "Look at the moon Princess Celestia. You can see the face of the Mare in the Moon." Yes, details of the Mare in the moon is a story I wrote to warn ponies about Knightmare Moon's return. Dashing continues, "Almost everypony I know thinks the story is just an old mare's tale you wrote to scare little fillies. But I believe you. I believe Knightmare Moon will return and when she does everlasting night will be cast over Equestria."
"Yes Dashing, Knightmare Moon will return, but not for a very long time." After I say this, a rock flies past us.
Dashing sees it out of the corner of his eye and in an instant readies his lance and charges towards the direction the rock came from. He stops in front of a dark alley. He looks into the alley and sees three little ponies standing in it. They appear to be kicking rocks around as some sort of game. They all pause when they see Dashing standing at the alley opening.
He turns to me and quickly says, "Nothing serious Princess Celestia." Then he turns to the fillies and says, "You three shouldn't be out here this late. Now go back home, before your parents find out." The three fillies leave the alley and headed down the main road.
Dashing and I continue our walk. I ask "Dashing, have you ever thought of having kids?"
Dashing responds, "Why would you ask?"
"It's just that you have been with the royal guard for five years. In all that time, I've never seen you with a mare. Now that I mention it, I never heard you mention a special somepony either."
"I suppose I've been so busy with the royal guard stuff that I haven't had time for a relationship… But…"
"But?…"
"But, there is one mare that I really like, Cloud Runner."
I recognize the name, but it takes me a few seconds to remember who that name belonged to. "Yes, Cloud Runner, the weather pony. If I remember correctly, she works with the night weather. You have been working a lot of nights recently too."
"Yeah, I've seen her almost every night the past two weeks."
"Have you said anything to her."
"Nothing more than 'Hi.', I've been working every time I have seen her and didn't have time to…"
Suddenly a spot of rain pours over Dashing's head for a second, then stops. His mane usually stands straight up out of his helmet but now it is sagging down in front of his face. I giggle and cover my mouth with a hoof to hide my laughter. I look up to see where this sudden rain came from.
To my surprise, it was Cloud Runner, the pony we were just talking about. She is a light blue colour and her mane is white. Her cutie mark was a cloud with a lightning bolt. She is flying overhead and had a dark storm cloud next to her.
"Sorry!" She yells down to us, then turns to the cloud and says "Stupid cloud." She raises one of her back hooves and kicks the cloud with it. More rain pours out of the cloud and rains down onto Dashing's Head. I laugh again. Dashing removes his helmet and shakes his head to get the water off. Then puts his helmet back on. "Sorry again." Cloud continues, "I am in a bit of a rush and this cloud isn't cooperating."
"That is quite alright," I reply.
"Princess Celestia! " she says, shocked to see me, "I hope I didn't get you wet."
"No, I am fine but Dashing did get quite wet." I point at Dashing with my hoof.
"Oh, Dashing, nice to see you again. Sorry, I got you all wet."
Dashing says, "That's fine." Then he says sarcastically, "I needed a shower anyway." We all laugh.
"Sorry, I can't stay, this cloud needs to be at the Canterlot garden soon."
Dashing replies "No worries, nice seeing you again"
"Goodbye!" She says, then in an instant flew away with the cloud that is with her.
"You should follow her," I say to Dashing.
He responds "Princess Celestia, I think we should finish…"
"Dashing, we have been walking around Canterlot for over an hour and have seen nothing suspicious at all. Besides, when are you going to get an opportunity like this again. Now, go on."
"But Princess Celestia…"
"Dashing there is more to life than just work. You should spend more time with other ponies, besides you deserve a break. Just make sure to be here for the night watch tomorrow"
Dashing looks down for a moment, then raises his head and says, "Okay, Princess Celestia." He turns to face the way Cloud Runner had gone and spreads his wings.
"Thank you, Celestia." Dashing jumps into the air and begins pursuing Cloud Runner.
I watch as the two of them begin flying together into the distance. It was lovely watching two pegasi flying into the night sky with the light of the Moon... above... them… Something's wrong. I have raised the moon every night since Knightmare Moon was banished. I know where the Moon is supposed to be. I look straight up into the night sky and see the moon directly overhead. And that is not where it's supposed to be. It appears those rumors were true. Someone is moving the moon at night. Could this be caused by Knightmare Moon? I can't be sure, but if that is correct, then Knightmare Moon will be returning sooner than I expected. Either way, this is a bad omen.
I will try something. I raise my horn to the sky and magic energy begins emanating from it. A faint golden glow covers the surface of the moon and the moon begins to move. If I put the moon back in the right place, then maybe the culprit of this will move it again and I'll be able to see their magical aura around the moon. If this works I can get a clue as to who is causing this. I finish moving the Moon and the golden glow from my horn fades. The colour of the moon returns to normal. I watch it intently, waiting for an aura to envelop the moon, but no aura appears. I continue watching and eventually the moon begins to move again. This time, though, there is no aura, no glow, it almost felt like the moon is moving by itself. This isn't Knightmare Moon, her aura is dark blue. This is something else but I have no idea what. I hear something behind me. I turn to see what it is, but when I turn there is no one there. Nothing but a note on the ground. I lift the paper with my magic and read what is on it.
"Three years tonight. The time has been set."
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Year 950 Fall 1 Day 12
So much has happened in the last three years. The books I wrote have been removed from schools due to the stories in them making a lot of little ponies afraid of the moon. This fear has caused some ponies to start celebrating a new holiday called Knightmare Night. I don't think it will last, but I do like the idea. It is nice to see that ponies are celebrating a holiday for my sister, even if it is for the bad half of her. Rainbow Dashing has started celebrating this as well.
He got married to Cloud Runner about two years ago, And the two of them now have a baby colt. Dashing insisted the baby keep the name that his mother had given him, in honour of his father. So they named the colt Rainbow Dashing Junior.
Yes, these last 3 years have gone by so quickly, even for me. I have been counting down the days ever since I received that ... warning. I'm scared. There are few things in Equestria I am afraid of, But this ... I don't even know what to think. I have never seen a pony with the power to hide their magic aura. I'm not even sure if this was caused by a pony. Whoever did this, they knew I would notice the moon being out of place. Waiting for me to correct it, and then they set their date for the same day that I tried. The worst part is that ever since that day there have been no reports of the moon moving in the sky and I have not noticed it out of place since. I would have ignored the note, if not for this one truth. I haven't told anypony about this, not even Dashing. How could I? I wouldn't want them to worry about this like I am. I don't know if I will be able to sleep tonight, knowing that this is the same night, that I was warned about three years ago, and something... anything... could happen.