The Human Hero

Chapter 5

The Legend of Sir Nighting Gale

"I can't believe you got us thrown in prison," Rim Shot said as he, Octavia, and Vinyl were chained by their hands to the dungeon wall.

"Hey, you guys got it lucky," Allyn replied.

"Oh, really," Vinyl asked, "How, how are the lucky ones? Because we can say that we had no idea you were going to pull that bullshit at the Cider Celebration. Yeah, the princesses are REALLY to enjoy that excuses."

"Well not so much that," Allyn started as he looked up at his current situation, "As much as you three aren't chained upside-down by your feet, with your arms wrapped around you in a straight jacket style, and have needed to take a piss for the past oh God knows how many hours because you know that if you try to go to the bathroom; it will get on and in literally EVERYTHING!"

The three looked at Allyn as he hung, upside-down by his ankles with his arms chained around his chest, in the middle of the dungeon. The door to the dungeon opened and five guards walked towards the three chained to the wall. The guards unchained them and three guards split off and took them out of the dungeon.

"You three are free to go," one of the guards said in a deep, scratchy voice, "We couldn't find any evidence saying you knew that that criminal would pull his little stunt yesterday."

After the six left the dungeon, the two guards walked out of the dungeon and said something to someone just outside. Luna walked into the dungeon, this time wearing almost normal clothing with a few unnecessary pieces of armor over it, and squatted down to Allyn's current eye level.

"Why?" she asked.

"Why what?" he replied like a smartass.

"You intentionally threw yourself and your friends in prison," Luna said, holding his head up, "For what purpose could you have for that?"

Allyn sighed and looked deep into Luna's eyes, "Who?"

Luna was shocked by his rebuttal, but she didn't know how to answer.

"Who," Allyn repeated, "When we first met in the throne room, you looked at me like I reminded you of someone. Who do I remind you of?"

Luna thought for a moment and sighed, did she have to tell him, did she want to tell him? No, no she needed the pain off her chest. She gently lowered Allyn's head and sat on the floor in front of him, and thought of a good place to start.

"His name," Luna said quietly, "Was Nighting Gale."

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Luna sat in her chambers of the Castle of the Two Sister, the anger of being overlooked by everypony because they slept during her night slowly eating away at her. She ran her fingers through her mane, trying to keep her calm in the rage.

"Is there something thy may do for thee," a cheery voice called to her, replacing her rage with joy.

"Tell us we are important," Luna turned to the guard standing by the door to her chambers. He wore hand-forged dark blue armor, with an off-white crescent moon on the chest plate. His light green mane, which was extremely shaggy from the helmet he wore, hung just over his gentle, copper eyes. The unicorn gave a sweet smile as he stood in the doorway, placing his hand over his heart and bowing.

"Thou art," Nighting Gale started, "And thy always shall be the most important pony in thine life."

The princess walked away from the mirror and into the arms of the stallion she truly loved with all of her heart, and who loved her with all of his. She embraced the guard, snuggling as close as she could to his armor. She could hear the stallion heart beat through the dark blue painted metal.

She cooed as she felt the unicorn slowly run his fingers though her light blue mane as his other arm was caressing her folded wings. After a moment, the moved from the deep embraces of a lovers hug, to the soothing feeling of a lovers kiss.

"We thank thee," Luna said after they broke away from the kiss, "We needed thine understanding."

"Hath thy nightmares returned," Nighting Gale asked, to which Luna replied with a slight nod, "Thou doth remember that thy guards stay awake through thine night."

"Only because thy sister order them to," she said with sorrow in her tone, "other wise they wouldst sleepth through thy night, just like everypony else wouldst."

Nighting Gale picked her head up by her chin and looked her loyally in the eye, "They might hath been forced to stayth awake for thine night, but thy hath promised thee that thy wouldst keep thee company thought thine beautiful night."

He wiped a single tear out of Luna's eye and gently moved her mane out of her face. She lightly gave a small smile to her love's support in her tribulations. They walked out to her balcony and looked up at the crescent moon hung high in the sky.

"See," Nighting Gale said to Luna as she lied her head on his shoulder, "Thy moon be happy that we art together."

The joke gained a laugh from Luna and she wrapped her wing around them. They sat under the star-filled sky until Celestia raised her sun hours later.

Celestia walked in shortly after Luna lowered her moon. Gale bowed to Celestia and said good morning to Luna as he walked out of Luna's chambers.

"Hello sister," Celestia tried to sound sweet as she addressed Luna, "Art thou prepared for our siege on Sombra's castle so as to liberate the Crystal Empire?"

"Indeed sister," Luna said collecting herself, "We art ready to fight."

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As the Royal Sisters walked up to the Crystal Empire, King Sombra stood at the top of the central castle and looked down on the Sisters and their army. He smirked at the idea that they would try to attack his kingdom. He drew his demon scythe and pointed it to Celestia and Luna.

"Do you really think," Sombra echoed, "That you have what it takes to defeat me?"

"Thou hath made dark pacts against ponykind," Celestia called using her Equestrian Voice, "And as such, we hath come to stop thee."

Sombra laughed and summoned dark magic, throwing up large crystalline spears towards Luna and Celestia's forces. After the attack, Luna gave the order for the archers to fire at the castle as Celestia gave the order for the pegasi to fly towards the spire where Sombra stood. Celestia and Luna led the ground charge to the castle gates.

Sombra threw out his hands and summoned black flames to burn the pegasi and arrows coming towards him out of the sky. He then drew his attention towards the approaching ground infantry and manifested an army of demon crystal soldiers to fight the sisters back. Celestia and Luna's forces met the crystal army with a combination of blades and magic.

Celestia, Luna, Nighting Gale, and a small number of soldiers managed to get pass the crystal spawn outside and entered the castle. Celestia told Captains Nighting Gale and Hardened Steel to lead the troops inside to free the ponies Sombra had imprisoned while Luna and her fought Sombra. Nighting Gale gave a nod to Luna as to say he'll be fine and he needed her to stay safe until Sombra was defeated, to which Luna replied with another nod as he and the Earth Pony Captain ran off.

The Sisters ran through the castle towards Sombra's throne, charging through any obstacles that got in their way. They stood in front of the door to the throne room of the black jeweled castle. (Sorry to stop the story, just wanna say; MUCH COOLER if you listen to this as you read the next part... Okay, continue)Celestia looked at Luna to assure herself that they were ready.

"We art ready dear sister," Luna said holding a spear to her breast plate.

Celestia held her battle axe to her own breast plate and they walked into the throne room. Sombra sat in his throne of black gems, resting his head on his fist and his scythe on his lap. Celestia and Luna held their weapons out as they walked slowly into the large room.

"Princess Celestia of the Sun," Sombra said with a distraught look on his face, "and Princess Luna of the Moon. thou thinkth just because thine hath defeated the Lord of Chaos, thou can just walkth into thy kingdom and overthrow thee?"

"Thou hath imprisoned and enslaved ponies for thine own purpose," Luna said holding her spear in front of herself, "And we hath come so as to stop thine treatment and punish thee for crimes against thy own kind."

The unicorn chuckled and stood up from his throne, holding his black and red scythe behind him. He held his other hand towards the princesses and summoned a large amount of dark magic, sealing them in the throne room.

"If thou truly wish to fight me," Sombra said, his eyes glowing from dark energy coursing though his body, "Then let us begin."

Sombra disappeared into a cloud of smoke and moved towards the sisters. He swirled around the two alicorns as they kept swinging trying to hit the cloud of evil. He quickly reappeared in between Celestia and Luna, separating them. He spun his scythe around, catching Luna's back and wings off guard as Celestia blocked his attack.

Luna spun around and jabbed at the Mad King with her spear. He twisted out of her spear by mere inches and turned with a swing from his scythe downwards her arm. Luna dodged the swing as Celestia brought her axe across Sombra's chest, passing thru his body.

"By thy own mane," Celestia said, startled by the failed attempt of a counter strike.

Sombra chuckled, then threw his arm backwards sending shards of crystals slicing through Celestia's armor. Sombra teleported behind Celestia, kneeing her in the spine. Celestia spun her axe around, bashing Sombra in the head with the back of the head of the axe. Luna charged towards Sombra, spear at the ready to end him.

"We shall end thy dark pact, Sombra," Luna said running towards him. Sombra's horn began to glow as he held his hand to where Celestia struck him. Luna jumped into the air and began to thrust her spear forward as Sombra opened his eyes, a soul crushing black coming from his eye slots. Luna couldn't look away before his magic attack hit her, sending her into his world of nightmares.

Luna dropped her spear, screaming in terror and sobbing as a violet haze streamed from her now green eyes. Luna dropped to the floor holding her hands to her mouth. Sombra threw his hand towards Luna then pulled it back throwing her into a nearby wall, trapping her in crystal sharps to the wall.

Sombra stood and looked at the now trapped princess, almost forgetting about Celestia until she was lunging towards him. He evaporated in time to dodge the axe and moved around to behind Celestia. Celestia quickly turned with an overhead strike as Sombra returned to a physical form, though his reaction time was as equally fast as her's. He blocked the swing and she spun the axe around rapidly and pierced his chest.

"It's over Sombra," Celestia said, driving the axe deeper into his torso, "YIELD!"

Sombra laughed manically as Celestia realized her mistake and attempted to pull her weapon from his body. He rose his scythe into the air and brought it down, missing her by inches as she jumped back.

"So. Much. HATE." he yelled as he swung the scythe, "Fear is my domain, and with every ounce of energy you use to struggle, I come to see what you fear most." He poked with the opposite end of his scythe three times before spinning around and slicing with the blade, clashing against Celestia's axe handle.

"Thy care not what dark pacts you hath made," Celestia said, "Thou WILL fail!"

"I can taste your wrath," he said as they pressed against each other, "And your sister's envy."

Celestia broke away and fired a beam of energy at Sombra, "SILENCE YOU COWARD!"

Sombra evaporated again and quietly snaked his way close to Celestia, reforming with his scythe to her throat. His eyes began to glow green and his horn began to bubble with dark magic. Once again, Sombra's magic hit its target. Celestia dropped her axe and stepped backwards.

"N-no," Celestia uttered under Sombra's spell, "Sister please."

Sombra stood there, watching Celestia cower at his feet by the power of his spell. He raised his scythe, preparing to finish the fight.

He swung, hitting not Celestia but instead another unicorn. This unicorn wore dark blue armor with a crescent moon on his chest piece. He stood in front of Celestia, his arms held out to the sides. In the shock of a third opponent, Sombra nearly missed the forth running through a whole in his crystal door. Sombra disappeared as this female Earth Pony ran towards him.

Luna finally came to and looked over where she could see her sister. She couldn't tell if Sombra's spell was still in effect or not, because the horror she saw was still there. She could see Nighting Gale lying on the ground in front of Celestia, surrounded in a pool of blood. Tears began running down her face, as she watched the stallion she loved slowly die as she was unable to do anything.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO," she yelled, smashing the crystals off her limbs and wings.

Her yelling snapped Celestia out of Sombra's spell as well. She looked down and saw Nighting Gale in a pool of his own blood. She rolled him onto his back and examined his wound, a solid diagonal slice right-left through most of his chest nearly slicing him in half.

A blur flew by Celestia and Nighting Gale at a speed that nearly breaks the sound barrier. Luna flew towards Sombra, spear at the ready and this time she wasn't going to fall for his trap again. She stabbed him square the chest and pinned him against a nearby wall.

"YOU BASTARD," Luna screamed in a combination of rage and sorrow, "I AM GOING TO MAKE YOU PAY FOR KILLING HIM!"

Sombra tried to evaporate but Luna stopped him by grabbing his horn and pulling his face into her armored knee. She removed the spear from his chest and threw him thru three crystal pillars. Luna threw her hand out like a claw, sending dozens of sharp blades made of shadows towards Sombra as he tried to return to his feet. The shadow blades sliced through his armor, as if it was equivalent to taking a flaming katana to butter.

"Sister," Luna called to Celestia, "We MUST finish this fight whilst he is weakened."

"Right," Celestia called back, "Captain Steel, keep Nighting Gale Safe."

The mace-wielding Earth Pony ran over to her comrade and the Princess ran to join her sister in the battle. Celestia and Luna opened their satchels and pulled out the Elements of Harmony. The six Elements swirled around the sisters as they readied to defeat Sombra.

"If thou enjoyth taking the form of shadow," Celestia said, "Then thou shall be made into one."

The Elements created a powerful spell at the palms of Celestia and Luna's hand. Sombra snarled and he saw the sisters spell take shape. His horn bubbled with dark magic and he smashed his arm through the crystal in the floor, the dark spell snaking its way down his arm and into the Crystal Empire. Celestia and Luna's horns glowed brightly as the fired off a large beam of magic energy at Sombra, rapidly turning his dark, muscular skin into a black haze.

"I SHALL RETURN ONE DAY," He swore as he disappeared into smoke and flew out a nearby window into the frozen tundra.

The Elements returned to Celestia and Luna's possession and Luna ran over to Hardened Steel and the now pale Nighting Gale. Luna sat down next to Gale and gently pulled off his helmet and placed in next to him. She held his head up and lightly placed her hand over his wound. He weakly opened his eyes and looked at his love.

"D-Did thou," He was barely able to say.

"Yes," Luna said as tears began to run down her face, "Thy and thine sister beat him. Please, hold on. We shall take thee back to the castle and thee shall be alright." He lightly smiled, his breath becoming slower and shallower.

"I am sorry," he said as a few tears began to run down his face, "Thy am so sorry my love, but I am afraid to tell thee that thy will not make it back to the castle. Please, doth one favor for me; do not forget that thy hath always loved thy night."

"G-Gale," Luna said sobbing.

He reached over and held her hand as he died, still smiling at her.

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"My sister and I buried him as soon as we returned to our castle in what is now the Everfree Forest," Luna said, a few tears running down her face, "Our sister placed a statue for him by his grave. Two months later, we turned into Nightmare Moon and Celestia banished us for a thousand years."

Though telling the memory was nearly as painful as it was to watch Nighting Gale die, Luna was somewhat glad that she could let the pain and what she felt for Allyn out. She put her head down and squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to regain her stature. She heard the sounds of chains rattle slightly and opened her eyes again when she felt something wrap around her in a hug.

Allyn's double-jointed ability had allowed him to slip his arms out from around himself and was now hugging her tightly. He couldn't help himself from being brought to tears as well by Luna's story.

"I," he tried to speak, "I am so sorry for your loss. He sounded like a noble, loving man."

Luna smiled as new tears ran down her face, this time tears of joy. She placed her hands on Allyn's back in a way of a hug back. She remained, kneeling, crying on the dungeon floor, for a few moments before standing up and wiping the last few tears away.

"So," she said, "How long have thou been able to slip out of your chains?" Allyn held the chains around his wrist to his face, then looked back up at Luna.

"My older sister used to tie me up tighter whenever I would get into her stuff," Allyn said, still hanging upside down, "Eventually I learned that I was double jointed and I soon asked her to tie me up to see if I could escape it as a form of magic trick. It did win me some school talent shows from time to time."

One of the guards walked into the dungeon, and sort of freaked out when he saw Allyn's hands on the floor.

"Princess!" the female guard yelled, "The prisoner, he's trying to-"

"He's trying nothing," Luna said to the guard, "We are releasing him."

That grabbed Allyn's attention, was she actually letting him go? She called the guard over and they unchained Allyn's legs, holding them so he didn't just fall to the ground. Allyn rolled to his feet and brushed off the dust and dirt from his clothing, afterwards thanking the Princess for allowing him to go free with a bow. He however wasn't expecting her to hug him tightly, thanking him for allowing her to let the painful memory of Nighting Gale out.

"A-hm," the guard said, clearing her throat, "Your highness, there's still something that your sister wishes to tell Mr. Flynt."