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Organised by
RogerDodger
Word limit
400–750
Evening Moon
Princess Luna looked up at the moon as it approached its peak in the night sky. How she could never tire of the sight continued to amaze her. Regardless of how many picturesque moonlit nights she’d seen in her lifetime, she always felt the same spark from that first night.
Luna closed her eyes. The beauty of the night could not overshadow how taxing it had been. The dreams of her subjects had become more than concerning. Such had been the case for many nights in a row now. This was her first break in dispelling night terrors all evening.
And it seemed that break would have to be cut short. Luna lifted her head as she sensed more turbulence in the Dreamscape. Not all nightmares required her intervention. Indeed, sometimes a pony could only grow by confronting the nightmare themselves. In such instances, Luna saw herself more as a guide than a guardian.
This, however, was a different kind of nightmare. This required her immediate action.
Luna stumbled a bit as she stood up and spread her wings wide. As tired as she was, she could not allow this nightmare to continue. She took a breath and drew strength from the words she’d told herself many years ago, the words that held off her descent for as long as they could.
If my subjects must sleep through the night, then they should at least be able to sleep peacefully.
A soft blue light enveloped her horn as she closed her eyes.
Tirek roared as he blasted another scar through the landscape. He towered over the small village and laughed at the ponies cowering beneath him. His chest swelled as he absorbed their magic and added to his already monstrous size.
“Tirek!”
Tirek turned at the sound of his name and saw Luna glaring up at him.
“Ah, Princess Luna,” Tirek said with a sneer. “Have you come to surrender your magic?”
“I have come to stop you.” She took an unsteady step forward.
Tirek barked out a laugh. “You? Alone?” A stomp from his hoof shook the ground, causing Luna to stumble. “And in such a sorry state. How do you expect to stand against me when you can barely stand as it is?”
“No matter how weak I may seem to you,” Luna said, pushing herself back onto her hooves, “I shall always be strong enough to defend my loyal subjects.”
Tirek held up a clenched first. “Hollow words.” A burning sphere of magical energy formed between his horns and released a violent blast straight at her.
Luna matched the blast with a ray from her horn and they collided in midair. Tirek roared and poured more power into his attack, but Luna calmly closed her eyes. The beam from her horn gradually overtook Tirek’s blast and pushed it back.
“What?!” Tirek screamed. “Impossible!”
Luna strained, focusing her magical beam until it collided with Tirek. His final roar of defiance rang in her ears, and then there was silence. She slowly opened her eyes and saw smoke rising from where Tirek once stood.
The light faded from her horn as Luna opened her eyes. She fell backwards and took slow, shaky breaths. Her gaze was drawn up to the moon above her. It was such a beautiful night. The moon and stars looked absolutely gorgeous, but Luna could sense more tremors in the Dreamscape.
Even with his defeat by Twilight and her friends, Tirek had struck fear into the hearts of so many ponies. Images of his attacks continued to haunt them in their dreams whenever they closed their eyes.
These were not a mere insecurities that needed to be confronted. These were monsters that needed to be stopped.
It was an epidemic.
How many more times would Luna need to dispel the same nightmare? A hundred? A thousand? How many more times in this night alone?
Luna steeled herself and slowly rose to her hooves. She couldn’t stop now. There were too many ponies who feared going to sleep. Too many children who screamed themselves awake in the face of their nightmares. Her subjects needed her.
Luna stole one more glance at the moon. A soft blue light enveloped her horn as she closed her eyes.
Luna closed her eyes. The beauty of the night could not overshadow how taxing it had been. The dreams of her subjects had become more than concerning. Such had been the case for many nights in a row now. This was her first break in dispelling night terrors all evening.
And it seemed that break would have to be cut short. Luna lifted her head as she sensed more turbulence in the Dreamscape. Not all nightmares required her intervention. Indeed, sometimes a pony could only grow by confronting the nightmare themselves. In such instances, Luna saw herself more as a guide than a guardian.
This, however, was a different kind of nightmare. This required her immediate action.
Luna stumbled a bit as she stood up and spread her wings wide. As tired as she was, she could not allow this nightmare to continue. She took a breath and drew strength from the words she’d told herself many years ago, the words that held off her descent for as long as they could.
If my subjects must sleep through the night, then they should at least be able to sleep peacefully.
A soft blue light enveloped her horn as she closed her eyes.
Tirek roared as he blasted another scar through the landscape. He towered over the small village and laughed at the ponies cowering beneath him. His chest swelled as he absorbed their magic and added to his already monstrous size.
“Tirek!”
Tirek turned at the sound of his name and saw Luna glaring up at him.
“Ah, Princess Luna,” Tirek said with a sneer. “Have you come to surrender your magic?”
“I have come to stop you.” She took an unsteady step forward.
Tirek barked out a laugh. “You? Alone?” A stomp from his hoof shook the ground, causing Luna to stumble. “And in such a sorry state. How do you expect to stand against me when you can barely stand as it is?”
“No matter how weak I may seem to you,” Luna said, pushing herself back onto her hooves, “I shall always be strong enough to defend my loyal subjects.”
Tirek held up a clenched first. “Hollow words.” A burning sphere of magical energy formed between his horns and released a violent blast straight at her.
Luna matched the blast with a ray from her horn and they collided in midair. Tirek roared and poured more power into his attack, but Luna calmly closed her eyes. The beam from her horn gradually overtook Tirek’s blast and pushed it back.
“What?!” Tirek screamed. “Impossible!”
Luna strained, focusing her magical beam until it collided with Tirek. His final roar of defiance rang in her ears, and then there was silence. She slowly opened her eyes and saw smoke rising from where Tirek once stood.
The light faded from her horn as Luna opened her eyes. She fell backwards and took slow, shaky breaths. Her gaze was drawn up to the moon above her. It was such a beautiful night. The moon and stars looked absolutely gorgeous, but Luna could sense more tremors in the Dreamscape.
Even with his defeat by Twilight and her friends, Tirek had struck fear into the hearts of so many ponies. Images of his attacks continued to haunt them in their dreams whenever they closed their eyes.
These were not a mere insecurities that needed to be confronted. These were monsters that needed to be stopped.
It was an epidemic.
How many more times would Luna need to dispel the same nightmare? A hundred? A thousand? How many more times in this night alone?
Luna steeled herself and slowly rose to her hooves. She couldn’t stop now. There were too many ponies who feared going to sleep. Too many children who screamed themselves awake in the face of their nightmares. Her subjects needed her.
Luna stole one more glance at the moon. A soft blue light enveloped her horn as she closed her eyes.