Chapter 22
Canterlot Castle

“How did you just do that?!” One of the Bat pony guards demanded, leveling his spear at me. The second had his hand on the hilt of his sword, clearly uncertain whether or not he should draw it. I noted movement on the arches flanking the gate, a guard on each side leveling a rifle. From their elevated positions they would be able to hit me on any route I chose if I decided to run.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” I responded as calmly as I could to the guard with the spear. I could feel my body stiffening as my military bearing took over. I couldn’t see any ranking insignia on the guard before me so I didn’t know if I outranked him or not and given the oddity of the situation I doubt he would care if I did.

“I just watched a Pegasus teleport, that’s pretty suspicious however you spin it,” he said as he narrowed his eyes. “Either you’re a Bat who found out how to shadowstep without transforming or you’re practicing magic,” he accused as he stepped left. I noticed the guard with the sword stepping to the right as well, he was making to surround me!

“If I was a Bat, which I am not. Teleporting here would be one of the most foolhardy decisions I could make. I’d have no reason to randomly shadowstep in front of the gates to the castle. I had a magically talented acquaintance of mine assist me and send me here,” I explained as the Night Guard continued to slide around me.

“Suppose I actually bought that story for a moment, what business would you have here?” He inquired, pausing a moment as his eyes shifted to the guard who had worked his way behind me. I heard the subtle grind of a blade against its sheath as the guard behind me drew his sword.

“You four needn’t be so worried about me,” I said whilst raising my hands slightly, never taking my eyes from the guard with the spear. “I seek an audience with Princess Luna. I need to report in from my last assignment,” I stated.

“Nameless Pegasi aren’t granted audiences with the Princess, especially in these troubled times. As far as I know we don’t have anyone out on assignment either,” he growled.

“Well that is because you know very little and remember depressingly less sergeant,” an impossibly smooth female voice called from the other side of the wall.

That voice.

One of the massive doors cracked itself open just enough for another trio of Bat pony guards to exit. Relief washed over me at the sight of the leader of the group.

“It’s good to see you again Alex, even if you do look a little worse for wear,” Velvet said in a tone that many would mistake for sultry with a smile as she crossed her arms. She was protected by the same dark armor as the other Night Guards but wore a small Scarlet Service pin on the cloth adorning the collar of the armor.

“It’s good to see you too,” I said with a nod, ignoring her comment most likely directed at my newest scar.

“That’s all I get?” She asked as she held her arms out, her voice barely rising from its low tone. “I haven’t seen you for nearly eleven years and all you can manage is ‘it’s good to see you too’?” She crossed her arms again as she resumed her approach. “I’m a little offended Alex,” her smirk never faltered as she proclaimed her mock emotions.

“Well I’d hug you but I’m a bit preoccupied,” I said as I waved a hand at the guards surrounding me. “Is it safe to assume you’re here to help or am I going to have to start swinging?”

Her smile only deepened as she stopped next to the guard who still had his spear leveled at me. “As amusing as it would be to see you try,” she trailed off as she turned her head slightly and lifted her chin. She had to look up to speak to the guard, most likely would have to do so to speak to any of them.

“Sergeant, you may lower your weapon,” her tone was somewhat provocative and I could tell the angle she had chosen allowed her to exhale on his neck while she spoke. The emphasis she placed on weapon felt loaded with a second meaning as well, I couldn’t help but wonder if she was doing it only for the sake of making him uncomfortable.

He followed her instructions with a soft groan and a scowl. “Is it truly necessary for you to constantly use that bedroom voice?” His shoulders sagged slightly and he turned to face her, leaning back to place a small amount of distance between his neck and her muzzle. She really did not care about the concept of personal space.

Her eyebrows raised slightly and her voice took on a slightly amused tone. “Just because you have the sex appeal of a rotting cactus.”

A snort escaped the guard behind me as he sheathed his sword and one of the riflemen atop the arches started laughing. He nearly fell off the arch when he doubled over and had to take a moment to steady himself.

At that point I realized I had been holding my breath and did my best to not make it obvious when I exhaled. Velvet’s expression told me she heard the muted sigh. Damned Bat pony ears. “Thank you Velvet,” I said with a curt nod.

“You owe me one,” she said with a wink, allowing her teeth to be exposed for just a moment. She brushed a stray lock of her dark blue-green hair back and waved me over.

“I don’t think so,” I replied as a smirk of my own as I started toward her. Her entourage had begun moving back toward the gate with me in tow. “If I had beaten these four into submission you would have to take extra shifts on watch covering for them while they recovered. If anything you were looking out for yourself when you came and ordered them down,” I teased as we crossed the threshold of the gate. I noticed a few worried looks from some of the Night Guards after my comment.

My response brought a wave of laughter from Velvet and soon after her guards joined in, relieved that Velvet saw my words as a joke. “I’m glad to see your sense of humor is still intact! You wouldn’t have lasted more than fifty seconds against them!” She taunted, her voice echoing around the well-maintained courtyard.

We were walking along a paved path, the stones smooth from countless years of wear. The path was flanked by waist-high hedges that had been neatly trimmed within the last day or so and the path itself was clear of any branches or leaves. When I looked at the various statues that filled the yard I noticed they were all clean and appeared just as well-maintained as the path and hedges.

“I’m almost offended!” I replied loudly, my grin only growing as I looked back to Velvet. “I thought you were supposed to be in charge of intelligence, not morale!” I called as we reached a fork in the path that split evenly around a large fountain in the center of the courtyard, atop which was a statue of a pony holding a flag. If I had to guess I’d say the water had been turned off earlier that day, the stone had dried but the pools were full of water that showed no signs of stagnation.

“While you were out playing in the world’s largest sandbox I was busy moving up in the world. Sometimes managing morale just comes with the extra responsibilities” she shot back. “No matter what you say, you still owe me one for getting you through the gate. You wouldn’t have gotten in without me vouching for you,” she said as she shook her head.

“Alright alright I owe you one,” I conceded. “Can we work it out after I see Princess Luna?” I asked.

She was looking up at me with the deepest smirk possible and about to respond when one of her entourage cut her off. “Would you two just quit flirting and shack up already? How long did you two date before he left? It’s like listening to an old couple,” he groaned as he looked at me to continue his barrage. “You have no idea how often she got laid while you were gone do y-”

He was cut off by a quick smack to the back of his helmet by Velvet’s wing. “He’s my cousin you ignorant shit,” she droned, her voice dripping with disdain. “This nameless Pegasus is a Rustwing.”

“Sharing a last name hasn’t stopped some of you from what I’ve heard,” he muttered then flinched when Velvet glared at him. He then attempted to steer the conversation toward a more relevant topic. “I thought Princess Luna dismissed all of the Rustwings anyway,” he responded, looking away from the glare Velvet was giving him for his earlier comment.

“She dismissed most of them, she kept me remember?” She raised an eyebrow at him. “There were also several members of my family across borders or away on long-term or covert operations, We’ll probably see them coming back for a few more months before Luna dismisses all of them.”

“So the rumors were true then? Is she really only keeping Bat ponies from her Night Guard?” I asked, I could feel the chill of panic creeping up from my core. My pulse was already starting to hammer in my neck at the thought of being dismissed, discarded by Luna. I had spent my entire life training to serve the Sisters and utilizing my training in service to them, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

“I’m afraid so, with a few rare exceptions. She’s only trusted her Night Guard since the loss of her sister. She kept a few outside the guard for various tasks,” she said with a little sigh. “Escorting supply caravans, scouting, relaying messages to cities, suicide runs on nests…” An uncomfortable stillness came over the air as we stopped at the castle doors and Velvet made her final comment.

“Taeron is a Night Guard isn’t he? Is he inside?” I asked as Velvet raised a hand to knock on the door and paused. Her expression fell and I knew I wasn’t going to like her answer.

“Taeron is with the stars now,” she said quietly, turning slightly to look back at me as her hand fell. “Before you ask how, all any of us are allowed to say is that it was an incident involving the infected. He didn’t suffer,” her voice had dropped to barely above a whisper.

“I’ve seen the way they kill, it’s almost never instant,” I commented as the Night Guards took the initiative and opened the doors for Velvet and myself while we spoke, eliminating her need to knock. She offered a silent thanks to the guards as we passed.

“Almost, this was one of those exceptions,” she said with a little sigh as we made our way through the halls. The castle hadn’t changed a bit since I had last been there, massive pillars reached to the vaulted ceilings and the floor was still spotless and polished. The whole place felt empty with the absence of the usual number of guards lining the halls.

“It’s very clean in here, but I haven’t seen any of the usual staff. How have you kept it so clean in here?” I asked as I scanned the halls, spotting an occasional patrolling guard but no custodial staff.

“Magic, mostly,” she said with a small shrug as we rounded a corner and stopped in front of a large set of double doors. “There aren’t many of the old servants left after the initial outbreak,” she explained as she looked away from me to the two guards flanking the doors to the conference room where Princess Luna was located at the time.

She nodded to the guards at the double doors and they proceeded to grip the handles and pull them open. We stepped into the large conference room, leaving Velvet’s entourage behind. In the center of the room was a long table where Princess Luna was leaning over a map of Canterlot and discussing something with the Captain of the Night Guards.

They both looked up from the maps as we approached and I immediately knelt when Luna’s eyes met mine. My right hand formed a fist and found its way before my heart as my knee clacked against the marble floor. I heard Velvet kneel next to me but I dared not look up from my position, I would not speak out of turn. My heart was hammering in my chest, was she going to dismiss me like she had the rest of my family? What would I do if she did?

“Velvet, you may rise,” there was a pause as Velvet did so but I did not move. “Speak newcomer,” Luna said, her voice echoing off the walls. It was amplified by the emptiness and silence that had filled the room, just that one simple command hit like the blast from a cannon.

“Staff Sergeant Alex Rustwing of your Elite Fighting Pegasi, returning from operations in the Changeling Desert. I await your command your highness,” I said with practiced precision, feeling my body stiffen slightly as I did so.

“Ah, now I recall your file, is the border along the desert secure?” She asked, her tone unnervingly level. I had only ever spoken to Princess Celestia before, I still remember when word reached us in the desert that Nightmare Moon had been vanquished and Princess Luna reunited with her sister. It certainly was a day to be celebrated, I had been looking forward to my chance to meet the Princess of the Night since then.

“Yes your highness, the Changelings have retreated into a dome-like fortification and have made no attempts on the border for over four months,” I reported as quickly and clearly as I could. Breathe Alex, take a breath and calm yourself.

“Very well then, you are hereby dismissed Alex Rustwing. I have no further use for you, you may go,” her tone carried no emotion, no malice or mirth. She was simply detached. Her words felt like a death sentence.

I felt a wave of panic wash over me, I didn’t get up, I didn’t even LOOK up. I had to do something, I couldn’t just walk away from my entire life. “Your highness-” I started.

“That will be all, Rustwing. You may take your leave of this place, return to Sanctuary, wander off to live in another town, I don’t care what you do. You aren’t one of my Bat ponies, you aren’t one of my Night Guard. You just blew in from one of the far corners of the country, I can’t trust you,” she said with a rush of cold air.

“Your highness please, I beg of you,” I said as my fist clenched tighter, my head bowing as low as possible. I couldn’t do this, I couldn’t be cast aside. I couldn’t live without purpose.

“You dare defy my dismissal?” She asked as ice filled her voice, I could hear the sound of her hooves approaching. Her armor rattled softly as she quickly strode over, closing the distance with her giant steps in a few seconds.

“I only ask that you give me a chance to prove my loyalty your highness, I cannot begin to fathom a life beyond service to the throne. It is what I was born to do, what I’ve been trained to do, I pledged my life in service to you and your sister. Please allow me to continue that service,” I begged, feeling the panic seeping into my voice as I tried my damndest to keep my tone level.

She stopped at the mention of her sister, just a few feet from me. “Rise,” she commanded.

I obeyed, feeling myself coming to attention as I did, bracing myself for whatever punishment she deemed worthy. My heart hammered in my chest like it was trying to escape from my body. Nothing she could do to me would be worse than dismissal, to lose my purpose would be to lose myself. I couldn’t let it go. I looked up at the mare towering over me, her dark blue eyes peering into mine. It felt like she was reading my very soul, I hoped that if she was she approved of what she saw.

She was truly a sight to behold, just as her sister had been when I stood in this castle a decade ago. She was clad in a dark blue armor with an iridescent tint that shone purple whenever she moved. Each blue plate was framed by a brilliant silver frame that looked recently polished. She was not wearing a helmet at the time, allowing her mane to flow on a nonexistent breeze. Several constellations flowed through the ethereal mass that was her mane, they would start at the base of her mane and slowly flow down to the end of it where they would fall off and fade from existence. Her coat was an indescribably beautiful blue and her intense eyes matched it. Her stance and appearance commanded respect and she seemed to radiate with power, I truly was in the presence of a goddess.

“Come,” she said with a small wave of her hand. She then pivoted and walked back to the table. I followed at a brisk pace and caught Velvet’s worried expression out of the corner of my eye. Similarly to the times I traveled with Patches, I found myself jogging to keep up with Luna’s impressive strides. The Captain’s gaze shifted back and forth from the Princess to myself, a mixture of intrigue and worry on his face. We stopped at the table and Princess Luna pulled a map of one of the commercial sections toward the edge for me to see. Several buildings on one block were circled in bright red. I recognized the area on the map, it was about a quarter mile away from the bar I had cleared out for Tillook.

“We were going to locate and assault a nest tonight, one we know of in this area. We haven’t yet narrowed it down to an exact building because they appear to be using more than one to make use of various facilities as well as space for living,” she looked from the map to me. “Your insistence to continue serving me has earned you the honor of traveling to the nest in my team’s stead. I have nine targets for you to eliminate and should you return with proof of each kill I will deem you worthy of my trust and allow you to continue serving me. Should you fail and they escape I will have you banished from Canterlot, should you not only fail but find yourself infected as well, I’ll have you purged. Do you understand?”

“Yes your highness,” I said with a nod. I believed every word she said, now was not the time to take chances. “What are my targets?” I asked, my eyes scanning the block as I began puzzling out which building was most likely to be the one they were using. I guessed that they were using four buildings closest together on one of the corners facing the mountain. It would give them the most shade from the sun throughout the day.

“They have broken up command of their nest based on type and seniority. Most nests have one or more of the Masters in charge, this one has three of each type in charge. A lead Bat, Gargoyle, and Master. Each leader has two lieutenants that must be eliminated as well to help destabilize the nest and prevent them from reorganizing,” she said as she levitated a file over with her magic. She allowed the file to hit the table and slid a stack of photos out. “These are your targets in their everyday forms, feel free to keep the pictures. We have plenty more, Velvet is quite adept at her job,” she commented as I took a copy of each of my targets. “You will bring back their heads as proof of the kills, so try not to mangle them too badly when you’re removing them,” she said with a mirthless chuckle.

I took a moment to study each photo before folding them and tucking them away. “Difficult, to be sure. But it shall be done,” I said as purpose once more flowed through me, I was beginning to feel invincible again. I was an instrument of the Sisters’ will once more, and as such I would not be stopped. “Have you any further instructions for me your highness?” I asked as I returned my gaze to her then the map, an incredible calmness was overtaking me.

“You shall have six hours after sunset to return with proof of the kills. If you have not returned by then we shall assume mission failure and proceed with our hunt as originally planned. If you are simply late in returning and have succeeded I suppose I could find it in my heart to forgive you for it. However if we arrive and you are still locked in combat with them I will most likely decide against keeping you if too many of them are still alive. So the more of them you kill the better, understand?” She looked at me, her gaze piercing me and scanning for the slightest hint of weakness or doubt.

I stared back into those beautiful blue eyes with confidence, I felt no doubt, no fear, no uncertainty. I would accomplish the task before me, I would not be stopped. “I understand your highness,” I said as I bowed.

“Good, then you may go. Time is of the essence after all,” a hint of amusement had crept into her tone and she allowed herself a small smile. “You may return to your preparations as well Velvet,” she said with a dismissive wave. “Do not disappoint me Alex, I have seen too many failures from your family in recent months,” she said as she returned her gaze to the table.

“I wouldn’t dream of it, I’ll set the record right for my family your highness,” I said with another bow. I then immediately took my leave and made for the exit as swiftly as I could. I hadn’t even made it out of the room when I heard Velvet following me, her entourage close behind her. She was mere feet away from me through the entire castle however she did not speak until we were out on the castle grounds once more.

“Alex this is a suicide mission, Princess Luna is sending you there to die,” she said as she closed the distance to walk beside me. Her bright green eyes full of worry in spite of her stern expression. Her hand was raised as if she wanted to grab me and stop me but she was either too scared to do it or knew it would be a futile gesture.

“Then I am afraid I will have to disappoint the Princess,” I responded without looking at her. We made our way around the fountain and back toward the gates out of the courtyard, during which time her hand fell and her brow furrowed with frustration.

“Can you really just waltz into a nest without question? With no regard for your own life?” She asked almost breathlessly. “If Luna told you to jump off the tallest tower without spreading your wings would you do that too?”

“Faith is purest when it is unquestioning cousin. I will be fine, I have the Sisters’ blessings. With Celestia and Luna watching over me I cannot fail,” I answered, irritation edging its way into my voice.

“I have done my best to respect your religious views but that is just stupid! How can you serve your goddesses if you’re dead?! What will going out there and dying accomplish?! Do you honestly think that Celestia can help you? She’s dead! She can’t help any of us now!” She had lost all her prior reservation, her smooth voice had taken on a desperate tone. We had just crossed the threshold of the gate, leaving the courtyard behind us. Our conversation could easily be heard by the six other Night Guards at the gate and they had most likely heard most of it during our approach as well.

“I can’t serve them if I die, which is why I won’t. Celestia may no longer be with us in body, but she is still here in spirit. I have felt her presence, and I know I have her blessing. This mission is the will of the Sisters and I will see it through for them,” I said through grit teeth as Velvet’s pace quickened.

Velvet stepped in front of me, a scowl plain on her face, the other six Bat Ponies behind me watching. “You will not be fine! There are at least two dozen of them in that nest! Some of them used to be Royal Guards, they kept their weapons, armor, and training. Against that many skilled opponents you won’t survive!” She threw her arms out, hoping her display would convince me. “We were going to assault that nest with a team of a dozen skilled hunters! What hope can you possibly have?!” Her eyes shimmered in the setting sun’s light, moisture filling the dark green orbs.

“I don’t need hope, I already know I will succeed. I am the Sisters’ will made manifest! They will not allow me to be stopped! I cannot fail them!” My face burned with anger, how could she not understand? I had always relied on the Sisters’ blessings for strength before, they always answered my prayers and kept me safe and strong.

“Please just accept her dismissal and leave Canterlot Alex. I’ve seen far too many of our family members fall trying to meet her demands. I don’t want to see you dead or worse too. I just know if you recklessly charge out there like you have so many times before you won’t come back,” her voice trembled as she delivered her final warning.

I leaned in, feeling my own face tighten. “I accept the challenge,” I whispered, then pushed past her. “I will not be toppled by them! If anything the most difficult part of this mission will be finding a bag big enough for all their heads!” I called back to my immobilized cousin as I started down the stairs toward the city. “I’m not as reckless as you say! I just think, plan, act, and react at the same time because it saves time!”

Author's Note

Holy crap this took way too long for me to complete and it is a really short chapter. I'm still working on getting all my medical crap sorted out, this shit takes forever. I'll try to get the next chapter out in less than a month's time ok? Hope you all enjoy!

-Jake