Well, this is the first time I’ve done something like this.
What with Lopoddity posting all these little sneak-peeks into Moondancer’s storyline recently, I’ve found myself contemplating how this plot is actually gonna end up progressing. And, well… one thing led to another aaaannnnddddd… my drawing pencil got away from me
Now, normally, I would have loved to make full-blown finished illustrations of these, but there was just TOO MUCH! So instead, have a bunch of half-assed sketchy things that I never plan to finish.
I’m sure Miss Dity has her own plans for the completion of the Moondancer Arc, and I look forward to seeing it, but for now I will have funsies.
Oh! And here’s a story to go along with it.
Scene 1 - Sometime after the events of
Charity Case and
Passing Strangers, Moony and Vogue somehow figure out that they are the half siblings. Vogue wants to learn more about her older brother so she invites him out for lunch at a Canterlot Cafe. She explains how she got into her current predicament and Moony bitterly comments on how their sire had failed them both. They leave with Moony feeling more than a little
envious on how Blue Blood chose to still be a part of Vogue’s life, but outright rejected him.
Scene 2 - An incredibly angsty Moondancer returns home and, in his distraught state,
falls prey to the evil magic of Sombra’s severed horn (which he got from Maud when he was just a colt).
Scene 3 - With his newfound power, Moondancer, of course, immediately challenges Pandora to a duel, and very thoroughly thrashes her! Thrilled by finally achieving victory, Moondancer tries to strike the final blow against a prone Pandora, but Cupcake intervenes, knocking Moondancer to the side just at the last second.
(On a side note; this, right here, is my least favourite of the sketches. It’s just-ung-ah! So much wrong!)
Scene 4 - A pissed off Moondancer lashes out at Cupcake for her interference and injures her badly. Pandora, of course, takes offence to this, and goes at Moony no-holds-barred, forcing him to retreat.
Scene 5 - Following the battle, Moony’s friends and family gather to try and figure out what the hell has happened to him. Even the Princesses are called in, since clearly there was some kind of connection to King Sombra there as well. Cupcake explains to the Princesses that whatever has happened to him, it was most likely self-caused through his insistent desire to try try and live up to his ancestor Starswirl’s legacy.
( I imagine that at this point the Princesses take a moment to inform everyone what Starswirl was REALLY like!)
(Not Drawn) - Meanwhile, Moondancer decides that he was probably a bit too rash in going in to face Pandora without first testing his powers. So, he goes into hiding and spends some time
practicing with his new magic in order to gain better control of it. (WARNING: The picture in the link is grimdark and contains mild body horror.)
Scene 6 - Time passes and Moony starts gaining some semblance of control over his new power (or so he thinks), so he goes to rub his “success” in his father’s face. Things go… uhhh… whelp, by the end Blue Blood is imprisoned in a crystal.
(I don’t know why, but I imagine that he got that crystal by pulling out one of the many crystal “tumours” that grew from his own body)
Scene 7 - Moondancer goes to visit Trixie and explains to her about how he got his new power from that “fancy rock Mama Maud gave me”. He shows off his “prize” to his mother and she understandably freaks out and tries pleading with him to stop whatever he is doing. She says something along the lines of “What’s happened to you? This is not that happy little colt I gave birth to.”. Moony gets pissed at this and lashes out with the most ice-cold line you can think of
(Ooo, I do so love that line! )
(Not Drawn) - At this point Moondancer tells his plan to his mother. He still needs more power, so he’s going to go to the Crystal Empire to use the Crystal Heart to gain it (I don’t know how he came up with this plan, but I’m assuming Sombra’s horn is having some kind of influence on him)! His mother is visibly terrified by his plan and tries to persuade him once again to stop, but he’s angry at her now. When she calls him by his name he snaps at her, saying that’s not his name anymore, and calls himself “Blood Moon”. He tries to imprison her too at this point, but that’s the time when the cavalry arrives and he’s forced to retreat again.
Scene 8 - Now that everyone knows exactly what’s wrong with Moony and what he’s planning now, the team heads up to the Crystal Empire to prepare for him. Starlight and Sunburst team up again to create a spell which they hope will fix things.
Scene 9 - “Blood Moon” finally arrives at the Crystal Empire and the team heads out to face him. Moony’s power has grown though, and most of them go down with minimal effort.
(I wanted to focus on Reformed!Sombra and Skyla in this pic because a) I have this image of these two being last line of defence, b) with Skyla’s friggin superiority-complex I figured she’d be naive enough to think she could actually take him, and c) I think Sombra would feel somewhat personally responsible for what was happening and want to be right in the thick of it to help. Maybe he’d even try to convince Moondancer of the dangers of the powers he was using, but ultimately fail to do so)
Scene 10 - With everyone else out for the count, Pandora finally enters the fray. But she and Moony are almost evenly matched now, so she can’t get the upper hand this time. However, she does manage to distract Moony long enough for Starlight and Sunburst to activate the Magical Mystery McGuffin!
(As a side note, I cannot claim credit for that magic circle. Props go to the original artist)
Scene 11 - Turns out the McGuffin, through either design or fluke (I have no idea) sends Moondancer back in time to meet Starswirl. The REAL Starswirl (and Pandora accidentally gets taken along for the ride)! After getting past the initial shock that Starswirl is a mare, Moondancer tries to explain to her why he’s doing what he’s doing. So that he can achieve her level of greatness and power. This, of course, is her response, and it fully disillusions Moondancer! After a bit more of a talking to with Starswirl, she sends him back to the future.
(And before any of you mention it, yes I am aware that this picture is very similar to Lopoddity’s piece “Charity Case”. That was done on purpose; It’s supposed to be symbolic!)
Scene 12 - After the whole event, Moondancer finds himself in the hospital disillusioned, regretful, begging for forgiveness and, to top it all off, missing a leg as payment for his sins.
(Aaaauuuuggg! Maudie! Wut did I do to you?!)