The Other Side

Prologue

I decided to sit on a bench next to a cafe, I didn't bother to get the name of the place, looked nice though.  Today, had been a day of paperwork, re-coloring, basic instructions, and shots.  I never knew that to join the Royal Guard you had to have fifty shots and sign so many papers.  I laid my head back, looking into the sky.

I could take a nap here, so peaceful.

It wasn't long before I heard the flapping of wings come close to be before I heard somepony sit on the bench.

"Hey, Blade. So, did like, the sergeant yell at you?"

I opened my eyes and looked over to see my long time friend sitting next to me, A yellow pegasus called Hard Thunder.

"Thunder, that's not untill tomorrow. Then the staff sergeant will be yelling at me."

"Oh. Are you gonna' be a Solar or Lunar guard?"

"I don't know, they choose that for you after you finish basic."

Thunder nodded before looking down towards my torso.

"So, how does the armor feel?"

I looked down at my shiny gold armor with my new white coat showing through some parts the armor didn't cover.  "The armor fells light, and the re-colorization fells... weird, kinda' like paint."

Hard Thunder smirked before saying "Hey, If you pick up any mares with that armor on, you owe me at least one on em', cause, I gave you the idea and all."

I lightly punched him and smiled, Thunder was always a... 'player' as some of the colts back in high school called it. Sometimes it seemed we we're polar opposites in some aspects, but we've been friends since the third grade...

"I thought they only gave armor to you after finished training?"

I snapped back to reality as Thunder's voice brought me out of nostalgic thought, I lifted a hoof up to the armor and said, "Oh, this? It's fake. Made for parades and such, I'll get real armor when I finish training and get assigned to Lunar or Solar guard. I've heard they're thinking about changing it to avoid confusion soon."

Thunder nodded before turning his head upwards, looking at the descending sun, creating an orange-ish hue across the sky. Celestia did always do a good job.

"Well, It's getting late. I know I only had a few moments to talk to you but, I'll have to talk you again tomorrow before you have to start training, alright?"

"Alright Thunder, See-ya tomorrow."

He got off the bench and gave a little wave before flying off to- wherever he goes when it gets late.  I sighed as I looked back into the sunset.

Well, Blade, tomorrow's the day. The day you become a stallion, no more room for a colt.  The start of the next chapter of your life, the life of a Royal Guard.  Dad would have been proud, He always did want me to keep tradition going.

The orange hue in the sky was disappearing and the sky was becoming a starry dark blue slate.  Deciding it was time to head back to my apartment I pushed myself off the bench and started trotting towards the direction of my house.  I looked around to see ponies doing various things, such as closing shops, or going back to their homes.  I looked for ponies that I haven't seen since high school, but I had no luck. It seemed all the ponies out at this time we're a little older.

As I started getting closer to the apartment building, the sounds of signs of shops closing and ponies talking started to fade, leaving only the sounds of my metal boots hitting the hard stone of the road.  Some ponies liked the hustle and bustle of the day, but I liked the silent, peaceful, streets of the night.  It was like as if it we're frozen is ice.

I arrived at the old apartment building and went inside, I saw a white mare, the receptionist with her head on the desk snoring.  This is what she does most of the time, even when it's not night. How someone could be so tired all the time is beyond me.  Beside of the sleeping mare was a flickering candle, barely lighting up the whole room.  I trotted towards the stairs and started carefully making my way up, trying not to fall or miss-step from the darkness.

When I arrived at my room I rushed to my small bed and practically collapsed onto it.  The events earlier of today wore me out, and talking to an old friend didn't exactly help.  Not saying I don't enjoy his company though.  It wasn't long before I was drifted off into a deep and peaceful sleep, expecting to dream of something nice.

I was wrong.

I started hearing two voices, They sounded like males... fighting...

"Tu pro hoc ego nihil iniuriam tibi fecit monstra!"

"Tace, si te interfici sicut et ego non hujus scumbag tace!"

I heard the noise of something being dropped on wood and then silence, after a few seconds the sound of rumbling ended the silence, the rumbling was joined by the sound of multiple hoofs hitting dirt.  I tried to open my eyes to end this dream- nightmare- whatever it is. My efforts we're futile as the dream continued, after a few seconds I started to hear one of the weird voices again...

"Heus, solaris miles, surge!"

"Expergiscere."

"Vulgaris' excitare! "

All of the sudden, the voice started to morph itself.  It's pitch went up and down over and over, the words we're scrambled, making it sound alien like.  The words started to slowly morph into something I could... understand.  At first I could only understand 'wake,' it's message repeating over and over, wake ascendit... Wake ascendit... Wake... Up... Wake up?

"Wake up!"