Shadows in the Past

Chapters

Prologue: Night and Day
Chapter 1: Conditioning
Chapter 2: Travel Plans

Prologue: Night and Day

Prologue
Night and Day

The Princess of the Night was silent, simply watching from beside the door to the Throne Room of Canterlot Castle as her elder sister, Princess Celestia, spoke with a young unicorn mare, her tone serious, authoritative...clearly trying to convey something important, the unicorn listening intently, but nervously as well.

“But Twilight...in the end, it must be you – and you alone – who ultimately assists Princess Cadance and Shining Armor in doing what needs to be done to protect the Empire. Do you understand?” the Princess of the Sun asked the unicorn, who seemed to take the responsibility in her stride to some degree, standing tall at the trust her Princess and mentor was placing in her, mumbling a wordless assent.

The unicorn, Twilight Sparkle, was being tasked by the Princess with investigating the return of the ancient and mysterious Crystal Empire. The Empire had vanished suddenly one thousand years ago, immediately after its tyrannical ruler, a dark unicorn known as King Sombra, had been defeated by the Royal Pony Sisters of Equestria, namely Princesses Celestia and Luna. But now, a thousand years later, the Empire has suddenly and inexplicably returned to the frozen tundra deep within Equestria's Frozen North, and Princess Celestia was sending Twilight Sparkle to help investigate and protect the Empire, in case it's return heralded the resurrection of King Sombra.

“Then go,” Princess Celestia urged, in the gentle tone she often carried...though there was a hint of a command to it, an impatience that suggested that Celestia was taking this situation with an unusual level of seriousness. “There is no time to lose.” With those words, she stepped back into the Throne Room, Luna stepping back silently with her, just as the Sun Princess' horn flared to life, her unicorn magic manifesting itself in a golden glow around her horn, which soon spread to the tall, ornate doors to the Throne Room, shutting them with a loud thump, leaving the royal sisters alone in the room.

With Twilight Sparkle out of the picture once again, Princess Luna turned to her older sister, frowning, intent on picking up an earlier conversation from before Twilight had arrived at the castle. “I do not see why you do not wish for me to join them, sister,” she said, her voice direct, if quiet...all-but demanding her sister to explain her decisions. “With the importance being placed on this endeavour, we need every every hoof, wing, and horn available.”

Princess Celestia had specifically requested that Princess Luna remain behind for this, and had earlier been assuring her that their distant niece, Princess Cadance, and her husband of several months, former Captain of the Royal Guard, now Prince Shining Armor, were both capable of defending the Empire, especially once Twilight Sparkle, and her five friends joined them.

But the Princess of the Night was keen to lend her assistance...showing an unusual interest in this matter, something the elder Sun Princess had noticed, if her reluctance was anything to go by. Neither were speaking it aloud, but both knew that Luna had her own, additional reasons for wanting to go to the Crystal Empire, reasons that clearly worried Celestia.

“Sister, we both know that your reasons for wishing to join Twilight have little to do with protecting the Empire,” Celestia said softly, getting a glare from her younger sibling. “I know what you would say, but there is too much chance of your personal feelings betraying your common sense on this matter, sister...just as there is with my own,” she added with a soft sigh.

Luna, however, still seemed rather insulted. “And what do you mean by that?” she demanded softly. “You no longer believe we have control over our emotions, sister?”

Princess Celestia shook her head. “Embracing your feelings is not a bad thing, sister. I did not mean to give you that impression. But sometimes, they can tempt you to make poor decisions, that are hard to resist...decisions that your better judgement would not allow,” she said softly, sighing and giving her little sister a pointed look.

Princess Luna once more gave her sister a hard look, reading right through the subtleties her sister was layering into her words. “This is about more than just the Crystal Empire,” she observed, no question in her voice. “You still disapprove of my courtship of my student,” she said plainly, seemingly exasperated.

Celestia, however, shook her head. “No, Luna. I am happy that you have found companionship and love in another pony. My worry is that you may not have thought your relationship with Starfall through...”

Luna's eyes suddenly flashed dangerously...a sign that her sister was aggravating her short temper. “Choose your words carefully, sister,” she practically growled, a clear warning in her voice. “You may be my sibling, but that will not excuse any thoughtless slight against Starfall.”

Despite the fact that Princess Luna's relationship with a young pegasus stallion named Starfall was relatively young, having started dating roughly three months ago, the alicorn's feelings for him were strong. The fact that the stallion was also her student, studying the most advanced and secretive aspects of astronomy under her only compounded her affection for him.
But from the moment the two of them have entered into a secret relationship...not long after Starfall was nearly killed in an incident that almost saw Equestria plunged into a terrible age of darkness and misery, the younger Princess had known that her sister was quietly uncertain about the relationship. She was not exactly disapproving of it, Luna knowing that Celestia was at least somewhat happy that she had found somepony who could slip underneath her hard shell to find the caring, somewhat lonely pony underneath.

But Luna still knew that there was something about the depth of their love that bothered Celestia...did she think they were moving too fast? Luna quickly passed the notion off as preposterous. Even after three months, physical displays of affection were a little awkward for her. It had taken them over a month before they had found the courage to share their first kiss, and in the two months since, their kisses were a savoured rarity.

But that just left Luna wondering what it was her sister was so worried about. So after a few tense moments of heavy, awkward silence, Luna finally spoke up. “Ever since we started...dating...Starfall,” she said, still feeling a little weird with the casual, modern term for their relationship. Even after a year in the modern world, after being imprisoned on the moon for a thousand years...by her elder sister, no less...the younger Princess was still adjusting to modern society. “You have been acting distant towards Starfall. I know that there is something about us being together that troubles you.”

The younger alicorn gave her sister another deep, piercing look. Luna was done skirting around this issue...she wanted to know what her sister was worried about, so she could quash those fears and finally get her sister to accept her relationship with Starfall completely. “So...exactly what is it that you believe we have not thought through to your satisfaction, sister?”

Princess Celestia, however, seemed reluctant to divulge that information, sighing softly as she turned away from Luna, walking slowly down the long throne room, looking up at the numerous stained-glass windows lining the walls, depicting key moments in Equestria's history...from the founding of the united pony nation, to the defeat of the Changeling horde through the love of Princess Cadance and Shining Armor. As she walked, the elder alicorn seemed to gaze up at the murals, her mind heavy with the history she had witnessed in her immortal lifespan, making Luna wonder what she was up to, the younger sibling chasing after Celestia, refusing to let this matter go until she got some answers.

But the younger Princess stopped as Celestia reach one last window, going still as she saw the image depicted there. At the top of the window was a large, stylised white orb, a trail behind it stretching out beyond the edges of the image...a comet. A rainbow beam of sorts was striking the comet from underneath, appearing to push it away, the beam coming from a team of six ponies, one of which was recognisable as a stylised version of Twilight Sparkle. They were the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, mysterious and ancient treasures that were a source of immensely powerful magic, powered the bonds of friendship between their bearers. It was this amazing magic that was deflecting the comet, stopping it from destroying Canterlot, and plunging Equestria into an age of darkness never before witnessed.

But what had caught Luna's attention, as it did every time she looked at this window, were the two figures that stood protectively in front of the six mares, the mural forever depicting the looks of determination on their faces. Luna could easily recognise herself on the left, her midnight blue fur and shimmering, sparkling blue mane and tail iconic all on their own, even without the distinctive, expansive wings and slightly elongated horn her alicorn race possessed. The figure on the right was the one that had captured her attention, however...a pegasus stallion, his yellow coat depicted immaculately, his wings raised, black and white striped mane and tail both billowing in an unseen wind, his brilliant blue eyes narrow, shimmering with an intense, fierce determination that belied the real equivalent's gentle disposition. It was Starfall, Luna's student, friend...and love.

It was a rather embellished version of the night...the reality had been much less heroic and...romantic, really. Luna's memory of the night made her cringe...the window failed to depict the way she had succumbed to a darkness within her she had kept at bay for some time...or how Starfall had been horrifically injured, and nearly killed, the memory making the normally-unflappable Princess' breath hitch ever so slightly.

It was a subtle emotional response that Princess Celestia seemed to be waiting for, sighing as she heard it. “That, my sister...that is what concerns me so,” she said softly, her voice heavy, reluctant. This was a conversation she did not want to have.

Luna just blinked at her sister, confused, and clearly wishing for Celestia to continue, the white alicorn complying after another soft, but heavy sigh. “My sister, I understand your affection for Starfall...he truly is a noble, kind pony, with a courage and passion for justice and fairness I don't believe even he is aware of.” Here, the Princess paused...her next words were ones Luna was not going to like hearing, clearly. “But...for all his heart and soul, Luna...he is still a pegasus...”

Luna gave Celestia a harsh look at that comment, disbelief mingling with an offended expression. “Sister, you are many things...but you have never believed in racial supremacy, be it for unicorns, pegasi, or even alicorns,” she pointed out bluntly. “I do not believe your words for a moment.”

The elder Princess shook her head softly in response. “You misunderstand, little sister...I meant no slight on Starfall's ancestry,” she said, her words sincere enough to placate the Princess of the Night...for now, at least. “My fear, dear Luna, is not for the present, but for the future.”

The last comment seemed to give Luna pause, tilting her head in a puzzled, uncomprehending expression. Celestia took this as confirmation of her fears, and pushed on, hoping to protect her little sister. “Think about it, my sister. Even if this romance succeeds...even if you and Starfall take your relationship to the greatest heights of love and devotion, and all that you hope for is realised...you will still have to suffer the bitter, painful despair of mortality.”

Luna's eyes widened slightly, finally comprehending where Celestia's worry was coming from. Her older sister was worried about the vastly differing lifespans between herself and Starfall. As an alicorn, Princess Luna was effectively immortal...she, like her sister, had already lived for over a thousand years, and had countless more millennia to witness. Starfall, on the other hoof, was a pegasus like any other. He would grow old, wither away, and eventually die, all within the next several decades.

Before Luna could speak up in response to this, however, her sister continued on, having appeared to have found her stride at last. “Whether through accident, illness, or the endless march of time itself, Luna...Starfall will, one day, die,” she said, her voice dull, flat...lifeless. Clearly hating every word that passed her lips, but also determined to warn her sister of this tragedy that lay in her current future. “But you, my sister...you will live on, long after Starfall is laid to rest, his remains turned to dust, long after his memory had faded from the minds of the ponies we watch over, and long after his deeds have faded from the history books.”

As Celestia spoke of this, Luna briefly averted her gaze, trying not to let the painful images her sister was throwing up break her composure. The knowledge that Starfall would age and die was a cold, hard fact Luna was aware of, and had been aware of for some time. But to have it laid down in front of her so bluntly...almost coldly...by her own sister, hurt almost as much as the actual thoughts themselves did. “Why, sister?” Luna finally asked. “Why are you saying all this?”

“Because you're my sister, Luna,” Celestia said heavily. “I am telling you this because I love you, and I don't want to see you hurt so needlessly, and so deeply.” The elder Princess stepped forward, gently placing a hoof on Luna's shoulder, making the Night Princess look back up at the white alicorn. “I'm just trying to look out for you, my sister. Please let me help you...”

Luna gave her sister a sudden hard look, shoving the hoof on her shoulder away roughly. “And what makes you think I need your help, or your protection, sister?” she demanded, suddenly sounding angry. Celestia took a step back, her expression giving away her realisation that she had said the wrong thing. Luna ignored it, though, getting straight back into her tirade. “You believe me to be a careless little foal, even after all these years, my sister? I am not a helpless, immature foal any more! I have given my feelings for Starfall...and the consequences of our love much thought, far more than you have considered, clearly.”

But Princess Celestia was not quite done, seeming to make one last attempt to dissuade her sister while she paused to regain her breath. “Luna, please. If you go through with this, death and despair will fill your future, and not even I will be able to keep it at bay...”

“Who said we wanted you to interfere in our life?!” Luna suddenly snapped, interrupting her sister. “Am I supposed to hide away in my quarters, forever sheltered from the world, because you wish to be so protective? You, of all ponies, should know that I will never, ever agree to that. I might survive without any risk or danger, Celestia...but I need to to do more than merely survive. I need to live, to experience more of the world I have been kept from these past thousand years, and I will not let you keep me from it.”

Luna once more paused, taking a few deep breaths, shooting her sister another sharp look to stop her from attempting to argue with her any further. It was clear that the younger Princess had decided a long time ago, and would not be swayed from her choices. “Sister...Starfall is a unique pony. I would much rather take the highs and lows of our love, even if for a fleeting time, than live an empty shell of a life.”

Sighing heavily, the younger Princess turned back to the stained-glass image of the Coronation Ball, her expression softening as she gaze at the immortalised image of Starfall. “I will not change my mind on this, sister. It took me too long to open my heart to him...I will not cast aside that love so carelessly.”

Beside her, Luna heard her older sister give a long, slow breath, seeming to finally give in. “Very well, sister...you have made your choice. I just hope it does not come back to haunt you in the coming years,” she said softly, turning away and walking off, leaving the Throne Room, pausing briefly at the door. “A thousand years ago, sister...a pony you knew and cared for made a terrible mistake. I don't want to see you hurt like that again...”

“Starfall is not that pony, my sister,” Luna snapped coldly, not even bothering to turn to face Celestia. “Do not suggest to me that he would tread down that path...I am insulted that you would even consider it.” Luna's voice was sharp, biting...but slightly shaky. Both furious and devastated that her sister could think such a thing of her student and love.

Celestia quickly saw her mistake, realising that she had pushed her sister just a little too far this time, and wisely decided to retreat before this argument got truly ugly. “I'll leave you to your thoughts,” she said simply, before leaving, a burst of golden magic shutting the door behind her, leaving Luna alone.

Sighing, Luna glanced back towards the door, before staring up at the window once more. She knew her sister meant well, that she was only trying to do her duty as a big sister and look out for her. But she tended to overdo it sometimes, attempting to protect her to the point of smothering all the joy and fun out of life. Cutting all romantic ties with Starfall because his death would bring her pain was one of those times.

Luna was wise enough to understand that with the good times come the bad. She was well aware that as her relationship with the young pegasus deepened, his eventual death would become that much more painful. That was why she intended to make the most of what time she did have with him, so that when he passed on, she would have plenty of good memories to help her through the inevitable grief. She had survived everything thrown at her, including her corruption to darkness and thousand-year exile sealed in the moon, she was sure she could handle the death of a loved one.

Besides, my dear sister... she thought to herself, looking over at the ornate marble throne sitting at the end of the room...Princess Celestia's seat of power. More specifically, she looked at a small pedestal beside the throne, where she could see a small, dark-covered, spiral-bound notebook, the old, faded cover having an image of two stars, settled within a swirling spiral pattern on it. You are not the only alicorn who can give the fates of ponies around you a little nudge from time to time...

Author's Note

Well, here it is! The sequel to Magic in the Stars is here!

In all honesty, I don't have too much to say right now, except a huge thank you to all those who answered my call for OCs...I already have several which will appear at various points throughout the story, so thank you for that!

Also, did anyone reading this Prologue catch the slight reference I made to Lord of the Rings hidden in there? It's not very obvious, but hopefully someone spots it.

For now, I just hoped you enjoyed the Prologue, and hold on tight, because we've got another big tale coming up!

Chapter 1: Conditioning

Chapter 1
Conditioning

“Starfall!”

The sharp, barking voice snapped the stallion out of his daze, looking up in time to see a shimmering steel blade streaking towards his nose! His eyes widened as the sight sent a surge of adrenaline through his slim, tall frame, the stallion immediately jumped back from the onrushing blade...the tip missing his nose by mere inches as it swung by, the follow-through on the swing giving him some time to gather his wits and remember where he was.

Before he could fully collect himself, though, the sword that had nearly struck him not a second ago was back, swinging his way again, the pony wielding it – at present little more than a white and gold blur – having stepped forward to get more reach, realising the stallion was trying to back up and get more space, and refusing to give him any.

This time, however, the stallion was now aware of it coming from the start, raising his head in a seemingly defiant gesture. A loud, metallic clang reverberated through the area as the attacker's sword connected with the identical one the stallion had grasped in his teeth, recoiling slightly as the impact vibrated through his teeth and jaw, jarring and unpleasant.

He was forced to ignore the growing ache, however, as his opponent just pressed the attack, forcing him to fend off blow after blow, never once finding an opening to launch an attack of his own. He was completely outclassed by his opponent, and he knew it. It was only a matter of how long he could hold out before he was overpowered, disarmed, and defeated.
Despite this hopelessness, he kept fighting, blocking every incoming strike desperately, trying to keep the fight going on as long as possible, a small part of him praying for some miracle...that his opponent made same mistake that would allow him to make at least one, all-or-nothing attack.

But in the end the mistake was from himself, his mane falling into his face as he lowered his head to block a downward-angled strike, the black and white streaks of hair blocking and hampering his vision, leaving him briefly blind. Miraculously, he still managed to block the attack...but his blindness meant he was off-balance, staggering badly from the recoil of the impact, the mane now clinging to his face, sticky with sweat and refusing to move aside.

Knowing that with his vision severely hampered, his attacker would be coming in for another hard strike while he was impaired, the stallion made one last desperately ploy, jumping backward, spreading his wings and attempting to fly backwards to get even more distance...at least enough to wipe his mane back so he could see properly again.

But that turned out to be his undoing...instead of flying back, he just twisted and staggered badly, his right half attempting to move back while his left went nowhere, becoming dead weight. As he stumbled, he caught sight of the steel blade once more heading for his now-exposed left side, and could nothing to stop it.
But when it impacted, a white magical field suddenly erupted around the blade, stopping it from slicing him in half. It did not stop the force of the blow, however, which was enough to send him sprawling, landing roughly on his right side on the ground, the tip of the same sword pointing at his neck a second later...the fight over, the stallion defeated...again.

Groaning, he looked up at the stallion pointing the blade at him, seeing those familiar amber eyes glaring at him, conveying their disappointment in the stallion lying prone before him, as always. His muscular white frame had yet to even break into a sweat, even weighed down by the golden armour of the Canterlot Royal Guard. It looked like he even managed to avoid getting a single hair in his bright blue mane and tail from falling out of place...though the stallion would not care one way or another.

The stallion on the ground, however, couldn't be more different. His lean, yellow-furred frame, also covered in armour, was slick with sweat, his mane, striped in alternating black and white, sticking to his head, still partially stuck in his brilliant blue eyes. He was breathing heavily, all-but gasping for air, exhausted even by this short sparring session. His right wing lay splayed out by his side, hanging limp in his exhaustion.

His left wing, however, was different...one of the stallion's most defining features these days, and the source of a lot of stares. The wing simply was not there, a small, but ragged scar marring the fur on his left side, exactly where the wing should join to his body. He had lost his left wing almost four months ago, in an incident that had nearly claimed his life. This was the source of his undoing earlier. When he had attempted to fly backwards, forgetting about his missing wing in his desperation, he only had his right wing to call upon, the imbalanced force of the resultant flap nearly spinning him around.

The thought made the stallion deflate, even without the intimidating presence of the Royal Guard above him. It had been four months since the young pegasus stallion had been rendered flightless, and even though he had moved on from it for the most part, every now and then he would have days like this, where the loss still hurt. His inability to fly meant he was more of less exiled from general pegasus society...mostly because he could no longer fly to the cloud cities and towns most pegasi called home.

The stallion was pulled from his depressing train of thought as the Royal Guard above him snorted condescendingly. “This is about what I expected from you, Starfall,” he growled, his tone sharp, scolding. He finally removed the sword from Starfall's neck and stepped back to let him up, though did not offer a hoof to help him, leaving the yellow stallion to wearily get back to his own hooves, almost falling back over in the process.

The guard continued his belittling tirade even as Starfall struggled to find his balance. “For almost a month, I have had to put up with your lazy rump, and what have you got to show for it, huh?” he demanded, turning back to Starfall. “Nothing!” he spat, making Starfall move back half a step, keeping his head down and simply taking the verbal lashing as it came.

The young stallion had indeed been training under the Royal Guard before him, a highly-ranked guard named Precision Strike, for about a month now. Several months before, the young stallion's passion for astronomy, and keen, almost instinctive knowledge of the night sky, had seen him become the exclusive student of the Princess of the Night, Luna. At first, the relationship between student and mentor had been icy, the Princess wary and mistrustful of Starfall. The situation had only worsened after Starfall had developed a crush on the mysterious Princess. Somehow, their tentative friendship had survived that bombshell, and over the intervening months, the Princess had slowly, piece by piece, opened her heart to him as well. It was now almost four months since they had officially, and in secret, started a tentative romantic relationship.

As their relationship grew, along with Starfall's studies, Luna had suggested to Starfall one evening that it would be in his best interests to apply for some basic Royal Guard training...a logic Starfall could find no fault in. Given that he spent most evenings with the Princess, along with the odd day, too, he was in her presence a lot, and as such subjected to the same risks all royalty were subconsciously wary of every day. Gaining some simple training in the ways of the Royal Guards would allow him to defend both himself, and the Princess if anything should happen one day.

It had seemed like a good idea at the time... Starfall could not help but think bitterly as he stood wearily before Precision Strike. The Guard had been training him ever since he had started a month ago...and had shown an immediate dislike of the young, lean stallion he was ordered to teach. From the very beginning, he had criticised everything about Starfall...from his physicality to his attitude.

While Starfall was a relatively tall pegasus stallion...slightly taller than average, he was thin, a lifestyle devoted to studying the stars and reading up on constellations meaning he had never spent much time flying through the clouds or galloping through the streets. This left him with a slim physique that, while healthy, would not have allowed him entry to any of Equestria's security forces...ponies such as Precision believing that Royal Guards needed to be made of stronger stuff.

And now, only a few weeks into his training, Starfall understood why. Every time he came to the training grounds, Precision had him don an old set of Royal Guard armour, which was crushingly heavy to Starfall. Not only that, but Starfall was expect to go through all his training drills in full gear, drills which normally involved Precision sparring with him directly.

It was brutal for the young stallion, who was often left exhausted to the point of collapse within the first half-hour, and no matter how hard he pushed himself, his body would unfailingly give out on him long before the first hour was up. He was not built for the hard, brutal style Precision was forcing on him...but Starfall could never bring himself to argue or complain. Precision Strike was the teacher, and he was the student. Starfall knew Precision would not tolerate any sort of disobedience or back chat from him, and so did what he often considered as one of his better talents, astronomy aside...staying quiet and taking the verbal lashings as best he could, weathering the storm until Precision calmed down.

This time, however, the Guard seemed to be in a particularly foul mood. “I would have thought that, after four weeks of kicking your sorry rump up and down this yard, that I would have knocked some kind of ability or discipline into you, by now. But you aren't even capable of that much, obviously!” he yelled, Starfall able to hear his voice and his hoofsteps circling him as he ranted, playing up his intimidating presence. Starfall could only keep his head bowed, and do his best to ignore the gestures.

“Just answer me this, Rookie,” Precision growled. “What the hay were you doing, daydreaming in the middle of a fight?!” he demanded, the sudden increase in volume and intensity in his voice nearly making Starfall jump. He was only able to keep still because he had expected the sudden screaming to a certain degree. Despite knowing it was coming, it did not make him feel any less humiliated, knowing that by now several other Royal Guards, and probably other, official trainees were watching the routine spectacle.

But Precision's point could not be denied...in the middle of that fight, Starfall had completely zoned out, his mind going totally blank in the middle of the fight, nearly giving Precision a free hit on his nose. Only the Guard calling his name had snapped him out of it in time.

But what really scared Starfall was that, he had no idea what had happened. With the stress, tension, and sheer adrenaline of the sparring matches, he should not have even been able to zone out and go blank like that. Yet he had...almost as if something in his brain had hit a reset switch, causing his senses to all just shut off for a brief moment.

It was not the first time it had happened, either...though this was the first time it had happened in such an unusual situation. Starfall, like any other pony, could sometimes just zone out and get lost in other worlds. He had noticed that it had been happening more often in the past couple of months, especially when he was stargazing. He had initially dismissed them...until they had started growing more and more common. But the source of the problem had been easy to spot...the trend had started in the weeks after he had lost his wing saving Princess Luna, along with one of his best friends, a unicorn named Twilight Sparkle, and her group of close friends. He figured that, in his attempts to adjust to a flightless life, he was subconsciously getting lost in his thoughts, wishing to fly independently again.

But this time, it had happened in the middle of a harrowing situation, which was most unusual...and Starfall had no answer or explanation to offer Precision Strike. “I...I don't know, sir,” he answered softly. “I have no idea what happened, I just sort of...blanked out for a moment.” It was a lame excuse, and Starfall knew it...but it was the truth, and the young stallion knew better than to attempt to lie to appease his trainer. That only ever made things worse in the end.

Precision, however, seemed to only become even more infuriated by Starfall's explanation...or lack of one. “Just when I thought you could not become even more useless!” he declared. “Weak, disobedient, unfocused...and now a liar, too!” he snapped, stepping forward, all-but spitting in Starfall's face now, making the young pegasus back off a little.

A small part of Starfall's psyche wanted so badly to retaliate...to snap back at Precision, to call him out on his horrible treatment of him, and to ground every one of his complaints to dust with references to how hard he was trying, how much he struggled even when it all seemed pointless...to remind this Royal Guard that he had very nearly given his life for his Princess, and for Equestria, something most Guards had never been faced with in this time of relative peace and harmony for the pony nation.

But he kept quiet. Whether it was years of conditioning against speaking out in protest of his superiors, or the humiliation of how public this verbal bashing was, or the admittedly intimidating presence Precision Strike cut, Starfall could not find the confidence and courage to speak out in his own defence. Not long after he had lost his wing, he had somehow found the courage to speak up during an awards ceremony honouring those who had stood tall in the face of mortal danger on the night of the Coronation Ball...the night he had lost his flight, and almost his life. But then, he had spoken out in defence of Princess Luna...a pony he held more dear to him than even himself. Even now, nearly four months on, he still struggled to figure out exactly what had given him the courage to stand up in front of all those ponies. Now, with the loss of the wing, and his resultant social ostracising by the majority of pegasi out there, his confidence was nowhere near what it had been then...certainly not enough to give this Royal Guard a piece of mind.

Starfall's silence instead just allowed Precision's rage to continue on unchecked. “Ever since you were sent to me, you have failed to meet even the most basic of goals I have set for you. You just fall flat on your lazy rump and complain about how hard it all is, that it's not fair. Well I've got news for you, you pathetic little foal; life isn't fair!” he suddenly roared, making Starfall jump slightly...the young stallion having not expected the sudden outburst this time.

“You think you're so special, spending your evenings with the Princess of the Night, learning pointless facts about the night sky above us? There is one thing you need to learn, foal, and fast. No matter your wealth, class, or status, you are a pony like the rest of us...and when somepony attacks you with a blade or arrow, you will be just as dead as anypony else would be unless you listen to what I am trying to ram into that thick skull of yours!”

Starfall cringed, his ears flattening back against his skull as Precision just kept his rant going. He knew that the Guard did not like him much, and criticised him at every opportunity...but this was a vicious tirade, even by those standards. It seemed like, after a month, he had finally had enough.

Sure enough, Precision confirmed those gloomy thoughts mere moments later. “You know what, why do I even bother? I should never have agreed to this in the first...a mistake that is easy enough to correct,” he snarled, now flashing Starfall something of a triumphant smirk. “I want you out of that armour, and out of this Camp!” he yelled. “I do not want to see your sorry rump in this place ever again, do you hear me?!”

To stunned, and admittedly scared, to even muster up a vocal response, all Starfall could do was nod feebly, drawing nothing but a derisive snort from Precision. “Then pack up your stuff, and get the hay out of my sight!” he spat, Starfall hurrying to comply, refusing to look directly at any of the other Guards still watching the spectacle as he walked off with as much poise and dignity as he could muster...which was not much.

As he went to the armoury to pack up the golden armour he was wearing for the final time, Starfall could not help but feel a mix of dread and relief. He was relieved that it was all over, that after a month of what amounted to verbal and physical torture at the hooves of Precision Strike. He had feared from the start that he was not cut out to be anything like a Royal Guard...even an unofficial, under-trained one, and now he had the proof, along with many witnesses, as much as the thought shamed and humiliated him.

But he could not help but dread the conversation he faced tonight, during his astronomy lesson. It was Princess Luna who had wanted him to undergo this training in the first, who had seemed really eager to show him that he could amount to something in this way. Now it would be up to him to break it to her that he was not cut out for it...as much as he knew Princess Luna loved and cared for him, he doubted she would be too happy with this news.

Author's Note

And here is Chapter 1! May I just say, the response this story has received in only its first week since being uploaded has been astounding! To all my readers, reviewers, and watchers, I think you all. It always fills me with a strange sense of joy and pride to see and hear so many people enjoying what I write.

There will be a question/poll coming soon in my blog that I am kind of curious to know the answer to. It is not directly related to Magic or Shadows, but anyone who has ready any of my work is welcome to submit an answer when it arrives.

Until then, and until my next chapter, read on, my friends!

Edit: Since I seem to be a total idiot today, I forgot the most important part of my notes! A huge thank you must go to Onyx Lining for providing the design and name for the OC "Precision Strike". His OC became the first request to be included into the story. I just hope you don't mind me making him a complete and utter jerk! Thanks again!

Chapter 2: Travel Plans

Chapter 2
Travel Plans

As the sun drew closer to the western horizon...just an hour or two before Starfall was due to head to Canterlot Castle for his astronomy lesson, the young stallion found himself in what had more or less become his home since he had first met Princess Luna, looking over some old tokens of a life that seemed like it belonged to somepony else now.
The tower that he lived in, in the rather spacious and high-class Garden District of the city, had actually once belonged to the long-time student of Princess Luna's older sister, generally regarded as the High Princess of Equestria...though it was an unofficial title. This student of Princess Celestia's was actually a friend of Starfall's, having met her at the same time he had been taken under Princess Luna's wing. When it became apparent that Starfall had nowhere to stay, Twilight had offered up this place to him, since she now lived in Ponyville, a small, sleepy little town a moderate flight to the south of Canterlot.
Despite the fact that it was a couple of years since Twilight Sparkle had moved out of the tower, some signs of the place being hers originally remained. The two-story upper section of the tower his 'house' took up was decorated with a blue colour scheme, for the most part, much of the furniture having that subtle feminine touch...enough to remind Starfall that this place had once been Twilight's, but not enough to make him uncomfortable living in it. The entire upstairs area was essentially a massive library and observatory...a mark of Twilight's intense study habits and thirst for knowledge.
Starfall had never been able to bring himself to redecorate the place. Despite numerous assurances from Twilight that the tower was more or less his now, some part of him still felt like he was merely borrowing it from her while his studies in advanced astronomy continued. As such, he tried to keep everything in place as much as he possibly could, almost as if he was keeping it ready in case she decided to come back one day.
Despite this, the young stallion had left his own mark on the small home. The upstairs library had been expanded upon and rearranged, improving the observatory equipment and adding a few more up to date books on astronomy, along with a few star charts, to help fuel his passion. Any evening he had off, he tended to spend up there, quietly stargazing while letting his mind wander. It was something he could often spend hours doing.
This afternoon, however, Starfall was downstairs, in the small, cozy bedroom, looking through a small drawer he had set off to one corner. There were only a couple of items of clothing in it...and they were not fit to wear any more. Part of him was not sure why he kept them...a sense of pride, perhaps? Even so, pulling the tattered remains out left him with a heavy heart...the clothing having a lot of unpleasant memories associated with them.
The clothes were the charred, frayed, and half-destroyed remains of a custom-made suit he had only worn once...to the last Coronation Ball. That night, a former friend of his, Cosmo, had attacked him, and all of Equestria, in a twisted revenge attack for the destruction of the town of Stratos Crossing four years prior. Cosmo's young sister had been tragically killed when a meteor shower struck the town, and it had only been Starfall's intervention that had saved a large portion of the town's population from annihilation.
The thought made Starfall sigh shakily, looking over his shoulder, down to his flank, where his cutie mark rested, clearly defined against his yellow fur; a silver five-point star, cradled by two brown autumn leaves, their stems crossed underneath the star, the tips curling around the sides of the star. To most ponies, it was simply a tribute to his name, and his talent and seemingly insatiable passion for the stars and the night sky.
Very few ponies knew of the true significance of the leaves in his cutie mark...of the secret burden that was his true talent. Starfall had slowly come to learn the true nature of his talent under Princess Luna, and even now, exactly how it worked, and why he specifically could wield it, remained a mystery. Starfall appeared to have a strange sensitivity and connection to cosmic magic, despite the fact that he was classed as a pure-blooded pegasus, with no apparent unicorn or earth pony blood in his ancestry at all. From the magic the Princesses had secretly hidden within the stars, to the ancient, mysterious, and powerful magic of the wider cosmos, Starfall had an uncanny ability to sense its presence on pure instinct, and seemed to be sensitive to it in some respects.
This sensitivity manifested itself most prominently in a twisted, dark way...by giving him the ability to vaguely foresee extraterrestrial disasters in the weeks, or even months before they occurred. Repetitive nightmares were the first sign, but they were always too vague to interpret properly. But in the final hours before the disaster struck, he usually received a very clear vision, his consciousness stripped away from him as some cosmic power desperately sought to give him one last warning.
Such visions had only happened three times in his life...and each one had been more life-changing than the last. The first had been the only vision without a negative experience associated with it, back when he was a young colt, still growing up in the distant land of Oatstralia. It was the event that had resulted in his cutie mark...an event he had kept a memento of, though he never shared that keepsake with anypony...not even Princess Luna had seen it of yet.
The meteor shower that had destroyed Stratos Crossing had been the second of these events...and had torn his life apart. Despite his best efforts to warn the town of the impending crisis, his pleas had fallen on deaf ears until it was too late, resulting in the deaths of so many ponies...deaths that still gave Starfall nightmares to this day, though they had eased in the last few months.
Cosmo's little sister had been among the dead, and was the loss that weighed most on Starfall's mind. Cosmo had blamed Starfall for the disaster, destroying their friendship. With his family also blaming him, Starfall, barely an adult at the time, was left to fend for himself, barely surviving from one day to the next. Tormented by his perceived failure, and the faces of all those who had died, some of whom he had known.
But it was the third and most recent event that the ruined suit reminded Starfall, for it had happened on the night he had worn the suit, as Princess Luna's esteemed guest at the prestigious Coronation Ball. Cosmo, still seeking some form of retribution four years on, and corrupted by dark, evil magic, had crashed the party in a sequence of events that had nearly brought a passing comet down upon Canterlot...a feat which would surely have killed thousands of ponies, including Princess Celestia, and thrown Equestria into an age of darkness not seen since the reign of Discord, the mad spirit of chaos and disharmony.
In the end, if had been up to Starfall to help stop Cosmo. He had assisted Twilight and her friends, only learning after the event that the six young mares were the current wielders of the mythical Elements of Harmony...but as they were preparing to unleash their powerful magic to stop the comet, Cosmo had made one last effort to stop them, firing a spell that Starfall deliberately jumped in the path of, protecting not only the Elements, but Princess Luna as well. The spell had destroyed his left wing, leaving him with the scar that currently rested in its place...and were it not for Princess Luna intervening at huge risk to her own health, he would have surely died from his wounds that night.
Starfall knew that he should be grateful...he was incredibly lucky to be alive, and luckier still to be coherent and mostly intact, both physically and psychologically. But even so, his missing wing still pained him, even after all this time. He was doing a lot better than he bad been even a couple of months ago, slowly learning to accept and adjust his new disability. Deep down, however, Starfall knew the pain of the loss would never truly leave him...and days like this were always going to hurt him.
Sighing again, Starfall tried to focus on the positive memories the ruined suit was supposed to provide. The Coronation Ball had been the one and only time he had ever danced with Princess Luna. The memory brought a small smile to his face...the mare of his dreams in his hooves as they slowly spun around the dance floor. They had not professed their love to each other until later that night, meaning the dance had been chaste. Close, without being intimate, a sign of the deep friendship they had at the time. He wished that it had not been interrupted...that maybe, sometime in the future, he would get a chance to finish that dance, without any interruptions from possessed stallions intent on overthrowing Equestria's current golden age.
Starfall was so lost in his thoughts, that a rapping on the front door nearly made him jump out of his fur. He had not been expecting any visitors today, so was puzzled as to who it could be at the door now. He quickly checked the clock, but it just confirmed that he still had time before his lesson with Luna, so it couldn't be her wondering why he was late. Puzzled, the young stallion returned the tattered, burnt suit to the drawer, shutting it softly before heading to the front door, grabbing a dark cloak as he went.
The cloak was a simple, but fine creation...a Hearts and Hooves present from Luna a couple of months ago. It was made of a soft, but warm material, coloured in a deep, dark blue...almost black, like a midnight sky. The edges were trimmed in silver, and the cloak itself was covered in hollow stars of various shapes and sizes, outlined with more silver thread...a solid silver moon resting on the back of the hood to complete the design.
Starfall recognised it as the work of Rarity, an aspiring fashionista in Ponyville...and one of Twilight's best friends, the bearer of the Element of Generosity. Luna, on top of commissioning Rarity to create Starfall's suit...which she had made a replacement of after the Coronation Ball...had asked the young mare to make this cloak as a present for Starfall. He already owned a cloak, a battered, frayed one that he had owned for years. While Starfall had no intentions to throw away his old cloak, he had to admit it was starting to fall apart...the black material faded to a dull, deep grey now. It was also a few sizes too small, so the replacement had been received with much appreciation by Starfall, and only token protests.
Despite the fact that it was relatively warm outside, being midsummer at the present time, Starfall tended to wear the cloak whenever he was in public nowadays. It helped hide his identity, which was gaining a reputation thanks to his association with the Princess of the Night. But more importatntly to Starfall, the cloak hid his disfigurement from the world, which helped keep the stares to a minimum when he was out in public. Even here, within this home, Starfall tended to wear it when he had visitors...especially if he did not know who was visiting, like now.
But when he carefully opened the door to the tower, peering around it to see who was visiting, he paused, opening the door fully as his surprise became apparent...the lavender unicorn smiling back at him was the last pony he expected. “Twilight?” he asked, though there was no doubting the unicorn's identity. “I...what are you doing here?” he finally blurted out, his voice managing to convey the kind sincerity in his tone; as much as she had surprised him, he was happy to see her.
Twilight gave a light chuckle at Starfall's greeting...or lack thereof. “It's nice to see you, too, Star,” she replied, though there was no venom or hurt in her tone, just playing with him a little. The reminder still managed to draw a sheepish smile from Starfall as he stepped aside, letting his friend into the room and shutting the door behind her. “Sorry for dropping in unannounced like this, but I'm visiting Princess Celestia and thought I would drop by on the way,” the unicorn explained as she looked around, seemingly comparing the current condition of the house to how she remembered it being when she had lived within its walls. “How have you been? I haven't seen you since...well...” she trailed off, Starfall realising with a grimace that she had noticed his pained look.
The last time he had seen Twilight was when she, her friends, and he himself had been awarded for their actions at the Coronation Ball in stopping Cosmo. In a way, it made Twilight yet another reminder of everything he had lost, though he would never say that aloud. It was not her fault in any way, and he did not hold it against her.
Seeking to keep the subject away from that darker time, he answered her original question. “I've had better days, honestly,” he admitted softly, his voice a little bitter at the reminder of Precision Strike's refusal to continue training him...and the knowledge that he had to explain as much to Luna tonight.
The lavender unicorn gave him a sympathetic look. “I heard about the Royal Guard training,” she said gently. “I'm sure it's tough, Star...but it's for the best, and it'll get easier once you get used to it, I'm sure,” she encouraged, every word only making Starfall cringe further, the last part even making him shake his head sadly.
“No, Twilight...it's not that,” he muttered, drawing a curious look from Twilight, making him sigh...he knew that she could be insatiably curious, meaning he basically had no choice but to admit to her what happened. “Precision Strike lost patience with me today...kicked me out. My training's already over,” he said, his voice getting quieter with each word. “I have no idea how I'm gonna tell Luna...”
But Twilight did not seem to be focused on him once he had explained what had happened, her thoughts seemingly heading somewhere else. “Precision Strike...where do I know that name?” she muttered, almost to herself.
Starfall shrugged, looking back up at her. “Your brother led the Royal Guard until recently, Twi. He's probably mentioned the name at some point,” he suggested dismissively, getting up. “I'm sorry to cut this kinda short, but I should probably be heading to my lesson,” he added, heading for the front door, too timid and concerned for Twilight's feeling to admit that he just was not in the mood for conversation with her right now.
“Wait!” Twilight called, making Starfall pause at the door, turned back to see her hoof raised in his direction, as if about to reach out and grab him. “Before you go, Star...you're sure the Guard training you was Precision Strike?” she asked, her tone clearly suggesting that she knew something he did not. That alone was enough to draw the pegasus stallion back into the conversation...maybe she could help him with his current predicament?
“Yeah, definitely,” Starfall muttered. There was absolutely no way he was going to forget that Royal Guard's name in a hurry. “But...Twilight...what has that got to do with any-” his dejected query was suddenly cut off from a loud gasp by Twilight, the unicorn's entire face seeming to light as some thought or idea clearly.
“Starfall, I just had the best idea! You could totally come along!” she cried, leaving Starfall puzzled as she ran away with her idea, only seeming to voice half of it aloud as she went. “I mean...we'd have to run it by the Princess, of course. But you both need a break...and the Empire is meant to be so beautiful at this time of the year...”
“Twilight, slow down!” Starfall pleaded, calling over her rapid-fire muttering to get her to stop her a moment, the unicorn giving him a sheepish giggle and apologetic look as he gathered his thoughts. “Now, what's this idea you've got? And how does it help me and my Royal Guard training?” he asked, having to stop himself from groaning as Twilight's expression lit up again. It was time for one of her Equestria-famous lectures.
All he could do was sit back down, listen to what she had to say...and hope that it would placate his mare-friend once she learned that Precision had refused to continue teaching him. The unicorn's opening statement definitely ensured his attention on her was total.
“So...how much do you know about the Crystal Empire?”

Author's Note

Here it is at long last!

I'm sorry for the delay even after the blog post, but my internet chose the day after I posted that to shut down on me...it only just came back yesterday, and our provider still hasn't provided us with any sort of explanation.

In any case, here's the latest chapter. I've only glanced over it in terms of beta-reading, thanks to being drained from work and desperation to get this out to you after so long waiting. I haven't made a start on the next chapter yet, and can offer no clue as to when I'll get around to it, honestly.

In any case, thank you to all those who are still here for your patience!