literature

A Night's Tale 1: Prelude

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      The year was 967, by Night's Reckoning of course. It was a calm, moonlit night in a compound just a few miles off the border to Equestria and a hazardous land we called "The Waste". That's when and where I, Azure Night, was born. My mother, Sweet Dreams, often told me that it was the happiest moment of her life. She said she would always remember the smell of the cedar logs burning in the fire place, the sounds of my first cry and the shining of the full moon.  She was a kind unicorn, always looking out for me and greeting everyone with a smile. My father, Nightwatch, was quite different. He was the Lead Stallion of our herd and so he was responsible for every pony in the compound. He was stern and tough most of the times as well as always distant. The only time as a foal I knew he was paying any attention to me was when ever I'd pick up a stick and pretend to be a Night. I know now that he thought the world of me, but he was never good at showing it. It was he who named me Azure, after the color the brightness of the full moon gave to the sky that night.

I remember as a foal playing in the courtyard of our compound and seeing the Nights, those of us who had been trained and accepted into our family's militia. Some came from other lands, many were descendants of the original exiles. They guarded the Equestrian border from any creatures that attempted to sneak in while never being able to cross the border itself. The Waste was a strange land after all, in places it's a desert, others a bog. Creatures that most ponies can barely imagine hunt in the Waste, meaning the Night's are the first line of defense. I'd often hear my father speak of the exile that occurred hundreds of years ago that brought us to where we were. He never told the story but he would make passing remarks about it, most often saying; "exiles don't have to be losers" whenever a recruit or even I would make a mistake. I would ask him what happened that caused us to be exiled but he would just respond;

"Azure, you're not a Night yet. Once you've been initiated then you may learn the tale."

But this was one of the few times my father and I ever actually did speak. He was always out either observing the training of recruits, out on patrol or in his study doing who knows what. My mother was always there though, she told me that my father did care but that he wasn't good at showing it. I always wondered as a foal how she and my father ever got married since they seemed so different. I never saw them fight or anything and when they were together they always looked like they thought the world was perfect. That was until of course on my seventh birthday when I overheard them talking about me.

"He's just a foal Nightwatch." my mother pleaded.

"He's old enough to take on the training." my father responded.

"But he could get hurt or worse."

"I know but it will make him stronger. That colt has a duty to this herd and his ancestors. His destiny hinges on him becoming a Night."

"Why can't you just let the past go? That was almost a thousand years ago, there's no need to hold those old grudges."

"This is not about that. You and I both know of the prophecy, the time is quickly approaching and we need to be ready."

"And what if it doesn't happen? What if all this preparation has been for nothing? What then?"

"We'll deal with it when the time comes. Better to be prepared than not."

"Alright." my mother conceded. The next thing I knew was my parents opening the door to see me listening in. My mother looked surprised at first to see me but then both she and my father gave me a look that told me what I already knew; I was to finally take on the training to become a Night.
I figured it was time to tell Azure's story but since doing just the images like a picture book would be annoying and take forever, this was the obvious choice. Also, as I just figured out how this thing works I might as well use it right? So we begin the tale of Azure as we'll track his adventures into becoming the stallion he is today.

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MarshmallowXSwirl's avatar
Woah 0,0 intense already. Can't wait for more