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Nightlight Nourish
on July 26, 2024
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School of Night, Book One: Night Students
☆.・.・:★.・.・:☆~~☆★☆~~☆.・.・:★.・.・:☆
Chapter One: Good Night
Inside an old rustic cottage, Nightlight was pacing back and forth at the front door. Her grey coat glistened under the light, and her heterochromia bright green and blue eyes flickered with a mix of anxiety and determination. Her bat ears and wings twitched at every creak of the floorboards, and her tail swished restlessly behind her. The young filly was a bat pony, waiting for her father to return from his work as one of the captains of the night guard who worked for the one and only princess of the night. Nightlight admired her father deeply, cherishing every moment they spent together. His tales of bravery and loyalty to the princess filled her with pride and a longing to follow in his hoofsteps. Despite her anxiety, she knew he would return safely, just as he always did, and they would share another story with her mother. Nightlight stops pacing and sighs while looking at the front door.
"Come on, Father. You promised." She stands still, her anticipation building with each passing moment.
Finally, she hears the door unlock and open as an old stallion with tired yellow eyes, a grey coat and dark blue hair walks through the door, wearing Lunar Guard armor but holding his helmet in one hoof. His cutie mark was a black stone with bat wings.
"Am I late again?" The stallion asked in a harsh but soft voice.
"Only by a minute, but I'll let it slide this time."
"Oh good, I wouldn't want my daughter to be angry at me."
Nightlight giggled and quickly trotted over to the open kitchen of the cottage while her father closed the door behind him after putting away his armor and made his way to the dining table. She walked toward the dining table, balancing two warm bowls of warm fruit-filled oatmeal on her head and back. Nightlight placed the bowls on the table and then trotted over to get two wooden spoons.
"How was tonight's work, Father? Did you see any of the princesses?" Nightlight started to shoot questions at the old stallion as she gave him one of the spoons.
"Afraid not this evening, Sweetie."
"That's okay, maybe you'll get to see one of them soon."
"Don't start on those other questions now. You already know the answers to them."
"Yes, Father." Nightlight says, starting to eat her food.
Soon, Nightlight and her father were outside, enjoying the moonlight of the moon on the outskirts of Hollow Shades. She skipped around her father in circles as they kept walking.
"Are you going to tell Mother about your night, Father?"
Her father chuckled, saying. "I was hoping you would tell us both about your night."
"But all I did tonight was do my chores around the house, do my homeschool work, and read my books that I always read every night."
"You didn't go on one of your adventures with Pumpkin or Ghost?"
"No, those two fruit bats were so lazy after I fed them their nightly breakfast." Nightlight says just as two fruit bats, a bright orange one and a pure white one swoop down and around the filly before one lands on her head and the other lands on her back.
Nightlight sighed softly, feeling a twinge of disappointment. "Sometimes I wish my nights were more exciting, like yours, Father," she admitted, glancing up at him with hopeful eyes. "But I know my time will come someday."
"Speaking of those two, it looks like they want to join us in visiting your mother." Her father smiles, looking at his daughter and her pets. "Oh, come on, kiddo. Your mother is waiting for us over the hill anyway."
With that being said, Nightlight canters quickly as her father follows behind her. Pumpkin and Ghost take off into the air, flying ahead of the two. Once at the top of the hill, a cemetery sat on the other side of it. It's an old rusty iron fence surrounding the tombstones and crypts that were inside its grounds. Nightlight spreads her wings, flapping them a little and gliding down the hill to the entrance of the cemetery, she comes to a stop to see her father flying over her head and landing near a headstone that read 'Moon-Twirl Nourish, Beloved Wife and Mother'.
"Mother! We're back!" Nightlight shouts loudly, galloping over and hugging the headstone like it was another pony. Her father sits down in the grass, smiling.
"You won't believe what father told me about what he did tonight! He said that he had to show some recruits how to defend and protect themselves from enemies then -" Nightlight spoke towards the headstone. She talked about everything that had happened and what her father had told her on their way there, even adding in Pumpkin and Ghost's visit. Soon, her father yawned softly, showing his fangs. It was almost sunrise when Nightlight fell asleep next to her mother's headstone while talking.
Dark Stone stood up, gently picking up her daughter to put on his back, and then he looked at the headstone with a sad smile. "I wish you were still here with us, Moon-Twirl. Nightlight had been more active during the night ever since that magic accident with her right eye." He pauses for a moment. "To be honest, I got in contact with the princess of the night who is willing to help our daughter with her eye. Our little Nightlight will be one of the few who have been chosen to attend Princess Luna's School of Night. They'll help her with the basic and advanced abilities of what has yet to come, Moon-Twirl. I hope she'll fit in, being homeschooled and all"
"Princess Luna's School of Night is renowned for training the most gifted nocturnal creatures in mastering their unique abilities. It's an honor and a rare opportunity for Nightlight to be accepted, as the curriculum is tailored to harness the magical potential of each student. This could be the key to helping her control and understand the magic within her right eye, giving her a chance to thrive and fulfill her potential." He continues to speak. "It's a chance for Nightlight to prove her worth and take her place among the ranks of Luna's Elite. I'm sure she'll be determined to make the most of what this chance has and use it to her advantage."
Dark Stone sighs lightly before taking a hold of Nightlight's tail to make the little filly hang upside down. Her wings were wrapped around her like a blanket. He spreads open his own wings and shoots up into the air, starting to fly home. The rising sunlight slowly creeps in from the east on Hollow Shades.
-x End of Chapter One x-
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