Chapter 1

Luna yawned softly, having just woken up to raise the moon and spread the night, she was still shaking the haze of sleep off. After all, it was no easy labor to bring the moon up, following it the stars and finally the dark blue blanket known as night, and even worse doing it just after she woke up. She was surprised she didn't mess it up. She was still getting used to the laborious task after one-thousand years of sleep.

Yawning again she wavered to the side, "Whoa! Hey there princess" A deep voice next to her jarred her awake immediately, "I know you can't keep your hooves off of me, but please, ponies can see us out here," the teasing male voice continued.

Luna laughed "Oh Midknight Blade! Thou are so funny!" She nudged her hip into Midknight's, completely oblivious to the insides of the stallion's ears turning red, the little red hearts bobbing around his head, and his wings uncurling slightly.

Midknight's tongue poked out of his mouth and his eyes fell into a teasing look, "Oh, you know me princess, always trying to make you smile," he said and nudged back softly, careful not to knock the smaller mare over.

"Thou are much more than just a good laugh! Thou protects us with thy life!" Luna turned at her guardian, studying the scars all over his face and forelegs, a guilty look passing over her face, "and thou refuses to let us fix thy wounds..." her eyes fell to the sword strapped onto his left flank. She looked passed the sheathed sword and she stared at the four angry, pink scars that ran all the way across his thigh, marring his left cutie mark forever. She sighed softly, guiltily.

"Hey now," The dark purple stallion put his hoof under his princess's chin and gently coaxed her into looking up at him. "We've been through this before Luna... I'm proud to wear these marks, they remind me, every day, of what I did to protect you, what I do to protect you." His murky golden eyes stared intently into Luna's teal ones. His intensity made tears jump into Luna's eyes.

"But thou-" The hoof under her chin moved to her mouth. Midknight shook his head and smiled softly.

"Please don't cry princess. It's my job to protect you, I will follow that promise to you until the day I die," He leaned forward and nudged Luna just under her horn with his nose.

"Midknight, we don't like to see our friend's in pain." Luna protested moving back from her guardian. "But thou are right... We made a promise to each other that day," she paused.

"Right, that promise says that I'm your guardian first, I'm your friend second... and unfortunately, I'm a captain third... ugh." A look of distaste passed over Midknight's face and he flapped his wings in annoyance.

Luna giggled softly and opened her mouth to say something when a bright yellow flash appeared in her peripherals. Instantly recognizing it as unicorn magic, Midknight stepped in front of her, his neck arced, ready to reach for his blade. "That was near the statue garden," he said quietly.

"That was Discord's aura!" Luna dashed out from behind Midknight and toward the area where the light came from.

"PRINCESS LUNA!" Midknight ran after her. Speeding up so he could get in front of her, he turned his body and stopped, grunting when Luna slammed into his side. "Princess Luna!" He sharply said, spreading his wings to stop her from thrashing.

"Midknight Blade!" Luna yelled "WE ORDER THOU TO LET US PASS!" She screamed at him rearing up to kick at his face to try and scare him away. Instead of flinching back, he leaned forward and allowed Luna to kick him in the face. Luna gasped sharply and pulled her hooves away. Midknight just stared down at her, his eyes not angry or pained, just calm.

"If your life is in possible danger, I do not have to listen to those orders. Please Luna, calm down, I understand your want to go down there and see if that monster escaped... but, remember princess, you don't wield the Elements anymore, you haven't for many years. You NEED protection, no matter how strong your magic is" Midknight's wings relaxed back to his sides and his stance became relaxed.

Luna nodded slightly, though she had a hint of annoyance at being told she needs protection on her face. "Okay Midknight Blade... lead the way." she said. Midknight nodded and turned back toward the gates of the garden and started toward the statue that everypony knew about, one that ponies either avoided like the plague or would adventurously go up and poke it on the tail or feet.

Once the statue came into view, Midknight stopped and analyzed the surrounding area. Nothing. Everything was peaceful. That didn't mean anything though. If anything, the silence just put the two ponies on edge even more than they were.

Luna nudged him in the hindquarters, telling him, silently, to go forward. He stepped forward lightly, his hooves not making a sound, something only a pegasus could accomplish. Finally the silhouette of the statue they were looking for came into view... the statue was... still there?

Midknight looked back at Luna with a raised brow line. "The statue is still there..." he said the obvious, not sure what else to say. Luna shot him a sarcastic look and stepped out from behind the taller pony, calmly walking toward the statue. Midknight followed closely, still ready to draw his blade if anything should happen.

Luna walked forward, her eyes locked onto the forever terrified face of one of her biggest enemies. The statue's arms were stretched out in a "stop" motion and its entire stance looked like it was trying to get away from something. "It's still here..." Luna muttered, giving a sidelong glance at her guardian, who had his head cocked at the statue. "What are thou looking at?" she asked.

"Discord's expression... He looks kinda scared don't ya think?" Midknight asked, dropping heavily onto his flanks, his wings lazily dropped next to his body, his head pointed up to look at the large statue of the draconequus. "I can honestly say I've never been near this statue before" He brought his hoof up to rub at the back of his neck.

"Oh really?" Luna asked, dropping onto her flanks next to Midknight also looking up at the mismatched face of the statue. "We always thought thou were an adventurous colt," She said

"Heh heh, adventurously, cowardly my dear." Midnight said and poked his tongue out and gave Luna a sarcastic look. Luna laughed, as she always did when Midknight made those kinds of jokes.

"We wonder where that flash came from..." Luna's eyes traveled down the draconequus's body studying the different body parts. Her eyes finally rested on the plaque at the base of the statue. "Discord- put to rest by The Elements of Harmony" it read.

"Honestly princess, I didn't see much of a flash... maybe you thought you saw it?" Midknight turned his head to look at Luna. He looked worried at the look that crossed her face. "Or maybe it was one of the other Night Guards?" he tried again.

Luna's head whipped around to glare at her companion. "We are not seeing things! We swear we saw Discord's power!" She snapped loudly.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Midknight brought his hooves up and waved them back and forth in front of his chest, "I didn't mean-" he was cut off by a cry.

Luna's ears shot up, flowed by the rest of her body "What the!" Midknight's wing fell over her in a calming manor. "Is... is that a foal?" she asked.

Midknight stepped around his princess, walking around the statue, his eyes looking low since the noise obviously came from a foal. His eyes widened "Uhm... Luna? You might want to take a look at this..." he said hesitantly.

Luna walked over to where her guard was standing. Her eyes followed down to where his eyes were glued. Her own eyes widened and her jaw dropped in a very unprincess-like manor. There at the base of the statue, under Discord's tail, rested a small light grey foal. But that was not the surprising part, the foal was not only abnormally small, but on her back rested a pair of mismatched wings, one bright blue, the other a deep lavender color. Luna leaned down to look at the foal more closely and she gasped softly at the small twisted blue horn protruding from the foal's forehead, it's shock of dark gray mane making it hard to tell how many notches were in it.

Luna reared back "A foal!" she shrieked. The foal's nose scrunched up and a wail left its mouth. "Oh! I'm sorry little one!" she said much more softly. She leaned back down to the little foal, "Where did you come from?" she asked, not actually expecting an answer. She looked around the statue garden but didn't see anypony around.

"Princess Luna," Luna looked up, turning her head toward Midknight, but his eyes were focused to his left. "Princess Celestia wishes to speak to you before she retires for bed..." Luna looked toward the Royal Guard pony that had spoken to her.

"Very well, we will go see our sister" Luna looked back down at the tiny foal, smiling at the tiny coo that came from it. "Tell her I'm bringing a guest"

"Yes'm" The guard pony turned and ran back to relay the message.

"Midknight Blade, help me get this foal onto my back" Luna said spreading her wings and laying down. Midknight's inner ears turned red at the request but helped regardless. He nudged the little foal into the middle of Luna's back. As soon as the foal was in place Luna folded her wings around the foal to keep it in place. "Let us go Midknight Blade," she said and started toward the palace.

Celestia paced in her room, her sister's moon light shining through the windows. She yawned heavily instantly snapping her mouth shut and looked around self contentiously. She sighed when she remembered she was in the safety of her room. She groaned softly and laid down onto her soft bed, the day's stresses catching up to her like it always did just after she retired to her rooms for the night.

Closing her eyes she got ready for a good night's sleep, just as she was on the verge of slumber, a bright yellow flash caused her eyes to snap open again. Shooting up and over to the window, she glared out into the statue garden where her enemy was housed, nothing changed.

"Steel Hooves!" She called out after a long pause, a white unicorn walked into the room, his gold armor glistening in the moonlight, "I need you to bring my sister to me please," she said in a kind voice that contrasted with the sharp look she was sending out the window.

"Yes'm" The guard saluted and walked out of the room.

It was a seventeen and a half minute wait before Celestia heard the familiar knock of her sister's guard at her door. "Come in sister," Luna's aura surrounded the handle of the large gold door. "Please wait outside Midknight Blade" Celestia said as she turned, the dark purple pegasus had started to follow her sister into the room.

"Oh! Forgive me your highness!... Luna, I'll be right outside" Midknight backed out of the room. Celestia smiled, it was quite obvious that Midknight Blade had much more than a crush on her sister. Too bad Luna was too oblivious to notice it. There could have been another royal wedding on the horizon.

"Sister!" Luna stepped forward "Lo-"

"Luna! I believe something is happening with Discord's statue" Celestia cut her sister off. In an exhausted rush she started spilling ideas, and theories, none of them making since and all of them comical coming from the leader of Equestria's mouth.

"'Tia, Listen to me" Luna interrupted a long rant about calling Twilight and her friends. "I found a foal," Luna turned and lowered her body opening her wings and letting the little foal slowly slide down her wings and down onto the floor in front of Celestia.

Celestia stared wide eyed down at the tiny little being at her feet. The little thing didn't even reach her fetlocks, but that's not what got to her. Like her sister, the coloring of the baby is what surprised her, its white tail and a red-brown on all four legs from the cannon down... its coloring...

"Discord!" Celestia's horn glowed with her light blue, almost clear aura. The foal was raised off of the ground and well above Celestia's head where she was held.

Luna blinked in awe "Sister! Are you crazy! Put the child down" She yelled at her sleep deprived sister. Her own horn glowed a darker blue ready to overpower Celestia to get the foal back.

"Luna, don't be fooled! It's Discord in disguise!" The foal, who had started crying as soon as its hooves had left the ground, was brought down to Celestia's eye level. The foal started crying harder when the intensity in the magical grip increased.

"'Tia. Please, you're scaring it!" Luna cried out, her ears flattened out against her head "I don't think that's Discord sister! His statue is still out there!" Celestia's door banged open and Midknight ran over to Luna "We are fine Midknight Blade!" She dismissed his concerned questioning.

"Discord's statue... is still outside? Where we put it?" Celestia lowered the wailing foal back into the rug "Are you sure?"

"Yes sister, his statue is still out there... now that I think about it... there is something different about it." Luna leaned down and nuzzled the foal until its cries were nothing more than little whimpers, "Like the magic is gone from it."

Celestia sighed, "I need to write to Twilight Sparkle. I want her and her friends here while we investigate this... just incase." She said and walked over to her desk, "After that I will sleep. Then we can go about this when I am clear headed. For now, go hand the foal off to one of the nurses for the night."

Luna nodded, "Come Midknight Blade, we have rounds to finish," Midknight helped scoot the foal back onto Luna's back.

When they walked out and after reassuring her guards that she was fine, she closed and bolted her door. Then, she sat and wrote to her student

"My dearest student

My sister and I need you and your friends to be on your way to the palace immediately after the sun raises. Something urgent has come up and we may need The Elements of Harmony once again. All will be explained when you get here.

Princess Celestia"

She sent the note and sighed a slight ache was starting just beneath the base of her horn, stress getting to her like it always does at the end of the day. Setting her quill down she finally turned toward her bed. She laid down and let herself slip into a fitful sleep, the whole situation on her mind, but one thing cried above that... she had almost harmed a child.