“I’ll have to find a way to get this open somehow, but for now I’ll just stash it in my pack.” I took the book and placed it within my pack, it was rather unexpected how heavy it was. Just as I finished placing it sung within my pack beside the trinket my mother gave me many years ago. Just as I closed and zipped my pack shut, the door opened revealing the one known as Night Strife. “Oh, hi!” I called out to the blue stallion. He simply looked to me, and the room grew deathly quiet.

The agonizing silence deafened my ears as my eyes gazed around the room until they set upon the quiet stallion. My gaze rested upon his lips and they parted as he spoke. Though as he spoke, my hearing needed to be keen, for as he spoke, it was nothing but a whisper.

“Follow me.” There were no more words spoken as he turned and began his journey down the echoing hallways. I followed his instructions to the letter and began parading down the hall after Night Strife.

I managed to catch up with the sapphire coated stallion and followed in step. We continued walking through the silent halls, the small tapping of my feet and steady clopping of his hooves being the only welcoming sound within the dim lit corridor. In effort to calm my senses, I turned to him and asked,“So, How did you meet my dad?” The sudden question seemed to startle the guardian beside me.

He turned to me with a bright smile and a light chuckle, he spoke,“Well, if my memory serves me correctly, I met your father the way any ordinary stallion would. I found your father passed out sleeping on the ledge of a fountain. I simply found him sleeping there, and I was curious more than anything. I slowly and quietly tiptoed my way over to his side and lightly tapped his shoulder. He didn’t react immediately, so I tapped his shoulder a few more times. After a good minute of trying to waken the sleeping beast before me, the poor guy shot back and fell into the water. He was drenched from head to toe.” A loud and hearty chuckle escaped his lips. “Ah. Those were some good times back then. And even though this happened many years ago, I still remember it clear as day.”

“And What happened after that?” I asked, curious myself how these ponies, and dragons alike would become my father’s most important guild commanders.

“Well, you may know that I have an unending love for the stars above, and this constant thirst for the lights in the sky have been with me all my life. I was more of a quiet, and collected stallion before I met your father, and after the fountain incident, I wound up tagging along side your father and the others to retrieve a relic that belonged to your grandfather. After Dark had left from the fountain and was making his way towards the local bar, I made my way back to my home to retrieve some things that I might have needed for our adventure into the unknown. I quickly packed and made sure to bring my trusted telescope so that I may see the night sky in all its glory. As I made my way towards Tolsa’s Tavern, I was quite pleased with myself. I was going on an adventure to do Celestia knows. If you knew me while I was young, I wasn’t quite the active talkative stallion like Pyro or Axton, so I didn’t really have.. friends. But this was a turning point for me at the time, I was going to be off discovering new things and rediscovering a lost ruin. It would be just me and your father... and then the most unexpected happened.”

“What happened? Don’t leave me hanging here.”

“I arrived at the tavern, expecting to find Dark ready and packed, but unfortunately for me, he didn’t tell me something. He didn’t tell me that he would be bringing others along for the journey.” He smiled as he reflected on the past. “This was not unwelcomed though, if it had happened any other way, I might not be the stallion I am today. And this I thank your father for.”

“That’s awesome, I wish I could have been... wait a second. Do you know the time?” I asked. Night Strife quickly turned his gaze to his trusty watch and returned his gaze back at me.

“It’s two thirty, why?” He questioned, but as he spoke my eyes shot open and I quickly gave him a bow to take my leave.

“I’m sorry but I have to be in the training grounds in about five minutes, so let’s continue this sometime later, ok?” With that said, I took off like a bat out of the deepest reaches of hell towards the training grounds. The air in my lungs flowed back and forth as I sprinted down through the halls. As I ran, I thought to myself,‘I’m going to be late for my first day.. Just. wow.’

The quiet and calm Night Strife stood within the hall, smiling with his thoughts still lingering on the past. With a light bounce in his step, the blue coated stallion continued pacing down the hall, smile and all. “He’s a listener, just like his father. Maybe one day he’ll grow to become something wondrous.” As he strode further down the hall, he stopped for but a moment as he chuckled to himself. “One day, Celestia knows its taken this long for his own father to grow up.”

////////

I finally arrived at the training grounds, dressed in the signature uniform all recruits are given once they begin their basic training. Lightly jogging inside the fence gate, I finished tying my tie around my neck before straightening out my shirt. I quickly tucked in my shirt and stood in formation within the grounds, standing ready much like my fellow recruits. The wind gently pushed against my back as the sun’s rays beamed down overhead. Curious if the training had even begun, I turned to a stranger and asked,“Are we early? Or...” I was cut off as the stallion turned his eyes only just to shoo me away. “Come on, I’m just asking for a little information.” I told him. Once again, his gaze turned to me for but a second as they made gestures for me to face forwards.

A loud and powerful stomp came from the behind followed closely by a gust of wind and dirt. Instantly, I fell to my knees from the sheer strength of the blast. I turned to see as to who, or what had caused the disturbance but could only see the blinding beams of the sun peering into my very soul. Within the light stood the tall, frightening silhouette of a creature. It reached for for its waist and drew a blade, then with a sudden movement the tip of the blade shot straight for my face, stopping only an inch away from puncturing my skin.

Many things rushed through my mind as I knelt on the ground, I watched as my life flashed before my very eyes. But one of the things that did pass through was one question in particular. Why wasn’t anyone else doing something about it? The recruits could help, yes, but neither did the fortress guards react. What was going on?

I turned my attention towards my doom but was confused that it had sheathed its weapon. His voice doomed,“When you are in my grounds, you will do exactly as I say, train exactly as I teach, all to harness the inner guardian within you. You may be your father’s son, but that isn’t going to help you out in the fields. So instead of standing in the back talking to your friends, pay attention to your training or we’ll have no use for one such as you. If you wish to be a guardian, pay attention. Or you may leave.”

“Who...? Who are you?” I asked, frightened by the ferocity in his voice.

“We’ve already met, Bluemoon’s Crescent. Son of Darkmoon. Heir to the changling kingdom. Back at the hive, you’re a prince. In this fortress, you’re just another recruit. But you, Bluemoon, can call me your mentor. Archimedes.”

Author's Note

Hope you enjoyed reading the chapter, And like always.
Thanks to AhugeAcidTree for proofreading.

Keep it cool, Condemned.