Lunar Apprehension 2 -TEMP-

     Tsyreim felt much happier through the next few days. Knowing Luna was back to her old self finally seemed to put him at ease. Though it didn't quite satiate his dislike of Cockatrices, which continued to wander ever closer to his cave.

     He sat outside all night the night she took over setting the night sky again. She was a bit rusty at it of course, and he watched the stars slowly blot across the sky as she clearly took her time.

     Being that he often used the stars as a guide, Tsyreim watched and saw how correctly Luna did it. She apparently hadn't forgotten where to place what.

     He was distracted from his stupor suddenly as Gem called out to him. "Tsyreim. Heads up, they're coming closer."

     He stood up and looked out to the woods, hearing the rustling, he scanned the bushes. Without a word, he lifted the headband and covered his eyes, leaping silently off into the trees toward the trespassers.


- - - - - - -


     Twilight Sparkle looked up as she heard a knock at the door. "Spike." She called out. "Could you get that please?"

     "Sure thing Twilight." Spike replied, running over to the door to see who was there. "Oh hey Rainbow." He stepped aside, Rainbow Dash trotting inside.

     "Hey Twilight. What you up to?" She inquired, peeking over Twilight's shoulder at her book. "More of those old Pony's tales? Come on."

     Twilight rolled her eyes, looking back at Dash. "Well if I didn't study them, we wouldn't have known about Nightmare Moon would we?"

     Dash pawed at the floor awkwardly. "Well, yeah... But still, you should get out more." She said, poking a stack of books and jumping back as it fell. "All these old stories are gonna make you really bored."

     "Nonsense Dash." Twilight replied, restacking the books. "I enjoy studying these old tales. And you could learn a bit from them yourself."

     "Yeah... Well I'm not really interested. All I need to know is if there are clouds needing clearing, then I'm your pony." She struck a heroic pose. "But I guess since you're studying, how about you look into that black pony Celestia took off after when we defeated Nightmare Moon."

     Twilight chuckled. "Oh please... These are OLD tales, Dash. That pony wouldn't be that old."

     "Oh really?" Dash grinned. "Hey Spike, could you find that Elements of Harmony  book again?"

     He nodded and went upstairs, the thumping of books followed, and shortly afterward he hopped down the stairs, handing the book to Rainbow Dash. "Here you go."

     Twilight raised an eye at Dash as she flipped through the pages. "What are you doing Dash?"

     "Aha!" Dash slapped the book on the desk in front of Twilight. "See? Right there." She pointed her hoof to a vague picture of Tsyreim.

     "Wh-What? How did you know that was there?" Twilight stuttered, looking through it.

     "I saw it when Pinkie Pie was flipping through the pages. And it reminded me of the pony I saw on the roof the night just before the Summer Sun Celebration." She poked Twilight. "And I KNEW it was the same pony when I saw them again at the ruins in the Everfree Forest."

     "But... Who are they?" Twilight mused, reading through the snippet of info. "This says they were spotted on the night of Nightmare Moon's banishment... But, that was over a thousand years ago."

     "And it looks like Celestia wanted to find them then too." Dash poked her head over Twilight's shoulder again. "Apparently she sent out news for anypony to report sightings of them afterward."

     "That's strange..." Twilight muttered. "Did you ever tell Celestia that you saw him in Ponyville?"

     "Well, no... I kinda forgot in the craziness of the celebration and stuff."

     "Oh, well don't sweat it." Twilight smiles. "I'll just let Celestia know in my next letter. If she wants to know more, she'll ask."

     "Oh, well that's cool I guess." Dash shrugs. "Anyway, you can keep 'studying'. I'M going to be outside having FUN. Later."

     She shoots outside and into the sky, leaving Twilight to shake her head at the slowly vanishing rainbow trail behind her. She looks over the entry about Tsyreim for a bit before bookmarking and setting it off to the side, returning to her regular studies.


- - - - - - -


     A Cockatrice thuds to the ground and skids a ways, sitting up dazed as Tsyreim flips out of a bush, swinging his right leg out, smacking it right into the face of another one, stopping it cold.

     He pauses, listening silently. Then suddenly flips back into the air, carrying a swing around below which catches the Cockatrice that just leapt at him, sending it flying much faster than it had planned.

     Tsyreim lands roughly the same time as the Cockatrice thuds into a tree further into the woods. Concentrating his magic, he senses the rest of the unconscious Cockatrices all over the ground around him. Slowly turning his head, he points at one that slowly gets back up, freezing as it sees him walking toward it.

     It begins to shiver and cowers in front of him, as he directs his blindfolded gaze toward them. "I guard this forest you reside within, and have for a thousand years. I keep it safe as best as I can." He says menacingly. "The least YOU can do is to show some respect for my own home. Now GO. Go home, and leave this cave alone."

     He gathers the rest of the Cockatrices and uses his magic, carrying them back with him to the Cockatrice nests. "Tell them the same when they awake. I protect those within the forest, but I WILL take measures to defend my own home if encroached upon. Remember this well."

     Tsyreim turns and gallops off, leaving them to recuperate back at their home.

     "How did it go?" Gem inquires as Tsyreim walks back inside. "I think they took a hint. I don't imagine they will be bothering us again for quite some time." He grins. "I gave em my special treatment."

     "Well as long as you didn't kill any of them." Gem adds.

     "I wouldn't be much of a protector if I was killing the residents of the forest I am to protect." Tsyreim chuckles. "They were simply juvenile Cockatrice. Most likely didn't know what they were getting into."

     "Most likely." Gem emphasizes. "So, do anything else interesting today?"

     "Not really. Not a lot to actually do that stays interesting around here." Tsyreim shrugs, patting down his bed. "I should note I've kinda been getting an itch to visit the pony settlements after this whole Nightmare Moon thing."

     "Oh really?" Gem giggles. "Getting lonely are we?"

     "Irrelevant." Tsyreim rolls his eyes, laying down. "More just to see how their society works. I've never actually seen what a regular pony's life entails in a day. And it's got me curious now."

     "Well if you do go, then take care. You know the word is out for ponies to keep an eye out for you."

     "Worry not mother, I'm well-versed in staying hidden." He sighs.

     "Well you never kno-" Gem begins again. "...MOM. I am going, to bed. Goodnight." Tsyreim huffs, rolling over.

     Gem couldn't resist a giggle. "Well then, sweet dreams son."


- - - - - - -


     Luna walked out onto her balcony, the time was coming, and Celestia had begun lowering the sun. Luna closed her eyes and concentrated, raising her head slowly, a glow appearing on the horizon.

     She worked slow and steady, the moon rising up, bathing Equestria in a soft bluish hue. Opening her eyes, she saw it floating in the sky. She smiles slightly, and began to concentrate on the sky, her horn glowing softly while she blotted clusters of stars around the moon. She looked at them carefully, making sure to painstakingly arrange them correctly.

     Luna finally finishes, looking over the sky to make sure she got it all right. Then smiling to herself, seeing her work done. She trots forward to the railing, looking down into the distance at the pony villages and towns scattered across the landscape. The lights slowly faded in them, till she could barely see where the towns were anymore.

     "I'm sure they saw it." She smiled to herself, hopping up onto the railing. She jumped off, falling through the air and spreading her wings. She listened to the wind whip past her as she flew through the air gracefully.

     She flew around the mountain, always keeping an eye on the horizon in case she saw more lights. She sighed, not seeing any. "They're probably all just sleeping. They've had a long day after all."

     Luna landed on the mountain opposite to the palace and sat down, just enjoying the night sky and air. She felt more comfortable during the night, but it saddened her that others did not as well. She wished they would enjoy it too, especially since many times she would put extra effort into making the night more beautiful.

     She shrugged and flew around for hours, till it was nearly time for morning. She set down on her balcony once more and turned to the sky. Hearing the clopping sound of hoofsteps behind her, she turned and saw Celestia walking up. "It's almost time sister."

     "Yeah..." Luna replied, looking back at the sky. "I guess I'll take them down now." She began to slowly take down all the stars, and finally the moon, almost taking her time intentionally.

     "Ok, it's ready..." She said, walking past Celestia back inside. laying down quietly to rest, Luna would sleep during the day most of the time. She kept an eye open, watching Celestia raise the sun again. And she sighed silently, knowing now ponies everywhere were coming out to enjoy the day.


- - - - - - -


     Rainbow Dash trotted into Sugarcube Corner, she took a deep breath of the baked goods currently in the oven. "Well good morning miss Dash." A friendly voice declared. Mr. Cake stood up from behind the counter. "What brings you to the shop so early?"

     "Oh I was looking for Pinkie Pie." Rainbow Dash replies, looking over the assortment of sweets arrayed on the counter. "Is she awake yet?"

     "Dearie, I have yet to see that girl ever sleep." Mrs. Cake giggled, trotting into the room. "She's upstairs right now."

     "Ok, thanks." Rainbow Dash headed up the stairs, poking her head into Pinkie Pie's room. "Piiinkiiieeee...."

     POW A balloon suddenly exploded next to Dash's face and she shrieked, jumping into the air. "SURPRISE!" Pinkie Pie jumped out of the corner.

     Rainbow Dash stood in the same spot and twitched before shaking her head. "Darn! You got me good that time. What were you doing? Waiting there all night for me?"

     "Nah." Pinkie Pie hopped around Dash. "I just heard you downstairs so I woke up and grabbed a balloon cause I KNEW you were going to come upstairs to see me and I KNEW it was April Fool's day today and I couldn't possibly let you get the first trick sooooooo...." She stopped in front of Dash. "...Were you surprised?"

     Dash sighed and glared at Pinkie. "What do you think?"

     They both stared at each other for several seconds, then Pinkie Pie tugged a string and a bucket of confetti dumped right onto Rainbow Dash. "GOTCHA AGAIN!" Pinkie Pie giggled uncontrollably, leaping out the door and galloping outside, with Rainbow Dash hot on her heels. "OOOHH YOU ARE TOAST PINKIE!"


- - - - - - -


     Tsyreim yawned wide, slumping out over his bed. "Urghh..." His eyes drifted upwards as Gem greeted him. "Good morning son, sleep well?"

     "Perfectly fine mother, perfectly fine." He replied, stepping off of his bed and arching his back, stretching out. "I don't suppose you sensed those Cockatrice again did you?"

     "They stayed far away. It seems your 'negotiations' worked well."

     "Negotiations indeed..." Tsyreim chuckled, walking outside. He took a deep breath of the morning air and then turned back toward the cave. "So what's on the agenda for today?"

     "Nothing at the moment." Gem replied. "Looks like another free day for you."

     Tsyreim groaned. He hated having nothing to do at all, and Gem knew it. "But you know Tsy... I guess you could go visit the Pony settlements if you're so bored."

     "Excuse me? During the daytime?" He chuckled sarcastically. "You know I like to stay hidden."

     "Oh, well I must be mistaken." Gem said nonchalantly. "I thought for a moment that I was talking to the pony 'well-versed in staying hidden'. Or was I mistaken?"

     "Don't challenge me... You know I can't resist a good challenge..." Tsyreim grinned.

     "Go have fun Tsy, and stay safe." Gem said.

     Tsyreim looked back and grinned. "You know me too well mother. I'll be back, don't worry." He trotted off away from the cave, and Gem felt his presence fade as he left.

     "It's about time you made some friends son... It's not good to stay alone for so long..."


- - - - - - -


     In the meantime, Rainbow Dash had gotten over her Pinkie Pie's pranking antics, and the two had instead joined forces. And were planning pranks the likes of which Ponyville had never seen.

     "So how are we coming along on your side there Pinkie?" Rainbow Dash asked, putting the finishing touches on her own side of the prank.

     "Oh it's so amazing!" Pinkie Pie bounded up and down. "When someone picks up this particular apple, it pulls this string which runs along these pulleys and starts a chain reaction that makes popcorn and confetti comes shooting out of all the shop vendor's carts to the sound of kazoos!"

     Rainbow Dash blinked. "Umm, Pinkie. I know how it works. I helped you design it, remember?"

     "I know." Pinkie trots by Dash. "I was just saying it in case anyone was reading this story so they'd know what's going to happen."

     Rainbow Dash stared blankly into space as she tried to comprehend what Pinkie Pie was talking about. "Read WHAT story?" She turned back around, following Pinkie Pie. "We didn't WRITE anything!"

     Twilight Sparkle walked outside and smiled at the clear skies. "Perfect weather for studying." She started walking out when Spike stopped her.

     "Twilight, wait!" He came running out holding the Elements of Harmony book. "Are you forgetting this one? I noticed you had a bookmark in it."

     Twilight thought for a moment then nodded. "I actually hadn't planned on taking it, but I might as well." She walked back over, placing the book in her bags. "Anyway, I'm off. If you need me, you know where I'll be."

     Spike saluted and headed back inside. "Have fun. Don't study TOO much."

     Twilight walked through Ponyville on her way to her favorite studying spot, but stopped as her stomach growled. "I guess I should probably eat something..." She looked over, seeing Applejack finishing the setup of her apple stand. "Hey Applejack."

     AJ made a muffled greeting as she bit on a rope, pulling the knot tight. "Oh hrey thurr Twghlit... Gnrgh!" She walked back behind her stand. "I'd reckon by that look in your eyes that yer feelin' kinda hungry."

     "You read me like a book." Twilight grinned, walking over to AJ's stand.

     "And yet ah still don't read ya as much as YOU read books." Applejack laughs. "Go ahead, take yer pick. These are fresh offa the trees."

     Tsyreim crouched in the bushes, watching what went on during a normal Ponyville day. For no other reason than the fact he had never actually taken the time to observe how 'normal' ponies lived their lives.

     He tilted his head as the purple pony pulled out some golden tokens, giving them to the Orange pony with the funny hat. The orange one however, apparently named Applejack from what he overheard seemed to NOT want the tokens. And she kept insisting that the, 'Twilight' one should just take the apple. Something about 'it's on her'. But the only thing he saw 'on her' was that funny hat.

     Twilight finally agreed to just take one, and thanked Applejack as she pulled one of them. "What's this?" She looked at the bottom, a string pulling from the bottom of the apple.

     Suddenly kazoos started going off, and popcorn and confetti began spewing from the vendor's carts one by one. Applejack jumped back, staring in bewilderment. "WHAT IN TARNATION?!"

     Tsyreim watched the scene with growing confusion. "Is THIS how a normal day goes for them? How bizarre." He was distracted however by loud laughing, and saw the pink pony from the encounter with Nightmare Moon hopped out of hiding, accompanied by that same Rainbow one again. They clearly were having the time of their lives.

     "You guys should see the looks on your faces!" Ranbow Dash exclaimed, barely able to contain herself. Pinkie Pie however held up a mirror, "Here, now you can see your faces!" The two fell over laughing, holding their sides. Tsyreim gathered from their antics that he had just witnessed a prank. "Thank goodness that's not how they all live their regular lives..."

     One of the vendors gasped and yelled something, then bowing to the ground, followed by all the other ponies, except for Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, who were still trying to recover from their laughing fit.

     Tsyreim looked up where the others had looked and gasped, hiding lower in the bushes. Celestia flew right down in the center and landed just behind Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, who had slowly stopped laughing as they saw how serious everyone had become.

     "W-What's the hold up?" Rainbow Dash gasped, wiping a tear from her eyes. "That was great!" She turned around slowly, and the smile melted from her face as she saw Celestia looking down at her, quickly bowing. "P-PINKIE! CELESTIA!" She bumped Pinkie with her hoof.

     Pinkie Pie turned around and her face lit up again. "Oh! Hi Princess!" She began to bound around. Celestia simply shook her head and chuckled. "I see you two haven't spared Ponyville your antics this year either."

     Rainbow Dash looked down bashfully. "S-Sorry, we kinda made the place a mess."

     "Oh don't worry about it Dashie." Pinkie Pie stopped bouncing finally. "We'll just clean it all up afterward. It's all in good fun anyway."

     "Indeed it is. I nearly forgot it was April Fools today as well." Celestia said, looking mischievously at Dash and Pinkie. "Anyway, I came here cause I heard you know a little something about a mysterious pony I'm interested in." She said, looking at Dash.

     "M-Me? Mysterious pon-OH! Yeah, that." She stood up quickly. "Well, I only saw them once. Except for back at the ruins in the forest. That was the second time." Rainbow Dash stuttered, trying to regain her composure in the presence of Celestia.

     "You don't have to be so nervous, 'dashie'." Celestia smiled. "Just tell me what you know and saw."

     Tsyreim listened carefully, he KNEW they were talking about him now as Dash continued. "Well I had just left the surprise welcome party for Twilight on the night of the Summer Sun Celebration, when I saw a shadow on top of a roof." She points to a house near the library. "I thought it was odd, since I never see any ponies just sitting on roofs often. So I went up and sat down next to him and asked him what he was doing up there."

     "What did he do then?" Celestia inquired, listening carefully.

     "Well he just stared at me really weird, like it was an accomplishment that I had found him or something. Then he muttered something and disappeared, the cheating pony. At least give a REAL chase." She sat down, crossing her front legs.

     "Is that all?" Celestia said, Rainbow Dash nodding promptly. "That's the last I saw of them till we defeated Nightmare Moon."

     "Is there a criminal on the loose?" One of the vendors stepped forward.

     Celestia shook her head. "There haven't been any reports of thefts recently, so whoever they are, they're not stealing. But I've seen them before..."

     Twilight spoke up. "It was when you had to umm... Banish Luna wasn't it...?"

     Celestia stopped and looked at her. "How did you know?" She was promptly met with the page from the Elements of Harmony book showing Tsyreim. "...Ahh yes. I forgot how much you studied."

     "But that was like a thousand years ago though." Dash said, brushing some of the confetti out of her mane.

     "...That's part of the reason I want to find them. The very few times they've been spotted, it's always been in relation to my sister, or Nightmare Moon." Celestia said. "So if any of you see him. You are to inform me immediately." She looks back at the palace. "I had to rush here to ask you Dash. But I am rather busy today. I'm sorry I cannot stay longer."

     "No sweat Princess. And uhh... Sorry about the mess." Dash grinned unconvincingly.

     "It's fine, I will see you all another time." Celestia spoke, leaping into the air and soaring back toward the palace.

     It was silent for a few seconds afterward, till Applejack broke the silence. "So... Yer tellin' me that this pony we saw is over a thousand years old and never changed?"

     "It would seem so." Twilight shrugged. "But if Celestia came clear over here on a busy day to ask such a simple question, then it must be important."

     Tsyreim gathered that it was probably a good time for him to get out of there before someone saw him. And he teleported away, heading back to the cave. Though on the way back, he noted how hungry he felt after seeing all the fruit and goodies at the stands.

     And that's when he stopped. Clearly they used those golden tokens as their currency. That was pretty easy to see. But since he didn't want to steal, and he didn't have any of their currency, what if he could perhaps create it out of the gold he found?

     He turned back around and headed back for the town. He'd have to try and find a token one of the ponies may have dropped.

     Nightfall came and a shadow crept from the woods, slinking around the closed vendors. "Aha..." Tsyreim whispered, finding one that had rolled behind a cart's wheel. "Now to see how to recreate these things."

     He arrived back home and greeted Gem. "Good evening mother."

     "Well you're back rather late, what have you been up to?" She replied. "And what's that you're carrying?"

     "Some token, the ponies in town use it as a currency exchange for their different goods."

     "We just called them coins." Gem giggled. "I guess I never told you much about the outside world did I?"

     Tsyreim shook his head. "And how could you mother? You WERE blind."

     "That is true, but I... What are you doing?"" Gem began to inquire as she observed Tsyreim rooting out some of the gold ore and nuggets he had found in his further exploring of the inner cave's depths.

     "Their food looked quite delectable." He replied, beginning to form crystals, looking from the coin to the crystal and back. "So I wanted to try it. But thieving is not my way, so I will give them something in return."

     "You're... Forging, your own coins?" Gem said blankly.

     "They are gold are they not?" He continued, placing the gold ore in a formed crystal hole, and forcing the crystal to emanate extreme heat, eventually smelting the gold ore from the stone bits and pieces. "I will simply take what I need, and leave them the payment. Then, it is not stealing."

     "...I would advise just asking them. But I know how you like to stay hidden." Gem sighed.

     Tsyreim stopped and looked up. "Especially after today." He looked back down at his work as he kept talking. "Celestia took time out of her busy schedule, just to drop by the town and ask that 'Rainbow Dash' about her seeing me on a roof for a grand total of maybe... Twenty seconds."

     "Oh dear..." Gem mused. "She's THAT interested in finding you?"

     "Well she did make a good point, being that the only times she saw me, were times related to her sister and Nightmare Moon." Tsyreim suddenly freezes. "Wait... You don't suppose she thinks 'I' have something to do with her sister going mad and becoming Nightmare Moon does she?"

     "I would certainly hope not..." Gem replied. "But if this is in fact the case, then  you are going to have to find a way to prove you are not. Otherwise it will be an eternity of you hiding, and her searching for you."

     "That doesn't exactly sound appealing..." Tsyreim says blankly, concentrating more on pouring the molten gold into the crystalline coin molds. "Anyway, I've been up most of the night. So we'll see how these 'coins' turn out tomorrow."

     "Well I guess I better stop talking then." Gem giggles.

     "Sure, that'd be great." Tsyreim smiles, fluffing up his bed again. "Goodnight mother."

     "Sleep tight. Don't let the Celestia's bite..." Gem adds.

     "Oh ha ha. Aren't you the clever one." Tsyreim closes his eyes, chuckling.