Falling Temperatures

Luna finished reading the letter she had received. Her mind was torrent of thoughts but one train seemed to move faster than the rest of them.

“Why would a demon send me a letter? Why would he offer himself without question? And why in the entirety of Equestria would a demon be willing to kill its own for me and my Knightwatch?”

As she wrestled with her decision one of her guards walked in,

“Your highness we’ve traced the letter back to the place of origin. It appears that the letter is from Ponyvile,” his tone betraying his concern.

“Thank you, please inform two guards in Ponyvile to move to apprehend this stallion, he should be surrounded by seven torches. Make sure the guards know to remove the torches first. This will show him we are on good terms.” She said flatly.

“At once you’re Highness,” he said as he left her chambers.

“I hope he wasn’t lying for his own sake,” she thought angrily.

Hearing a knock at my door pulled me out of my meditation.

“I have a feeling I know why you here, the door is unlocked,” I called keeping my mind focused on the crackling of torches around me.

The guards spoke up as they entered my study,

“We have arrived at the behest of Princess Luna, she requests your presence in Canterlot,”

“Aren’t you forgetting something,” I gestured around me. Still keeping my eyes shut.

“Yes, thank you for reminding us,” one said as he put out all the torches with a quick flap of his wings. With the object of my meditation destroyed I stood up and faced towards the guards and opened my olive eyes.

“Let’s go,” I said coolly.

“Right this way,” said one of the guards as he motioned to a armored car on the train. I contemplated telling them that such precautions were unnecessary but figured they still didn’t trust me. I was fine with that; I had given no indication that I was trustworthy other than the fact that I didn’t gut them when they walked into my home.

I sat restrained in that armored train car the whole way there. Constantly being observed, ignoring the obvious distrust, I began to focus only on my breathing. Slipping into a state of meditation once again the entire trip seemed to pass rather quick aside from one small incident.

During a small refilling station stop one of the workers there decided it was a good idea to try and assault me. Simply opting to doge his blows rather than cause an incident seemed to show the guards I was serious about helping. However when the same stallion decided to pull a short sword on me I decided it was time to subdue this stallion.  Using only my magic I grabbed each of the stallion’s limbs and forced him into the arms of two awaiting guards.

“I will not be pressing charges,” I said flatly, walking back to the train.

I called back to the stallion who assaulted me,

”I’m sorry for whatever I did but I just want you know I never asked for this…power if you can call it that,”

The stallion looked me in the eyes and his hatred faltered just enough to make me smile at him as the door shut on the train car. Returning to my seat I began to wonder why I didn’t just flat out murder the bastard.

“I guess my moral compass is still intact,” I thought to myself. The train screeched to a halt at the station. I stepped outside onto the platform and was greeted by another pair of guards, this time they were unicorns,

“And you are Mr. Card?” one asked quickly.

“Yes but please call me Ram,” I said calmly.

“Please step forward and we will take you Princess Luna,” one of the guards said motioning between them.

“Sure, the sooner I can talk to her the better,” I said with a jovial tone as I tried to diffuse the tension. When I stepped towards the guards I was immediately teleported away from the station and into the throne room of Canterlot castle.

Looking up I saw Princess Luna looking at me with her regal mask on, trying desperately not to convey any emotion. Yet I could see in those eyes a lot of things, distrust, curiosity, hatred

“ You’re Highness I mean you no har…,”.I began.

“You shall not speak demon unless I wish it,” she said cutting me off, catching me off guard. Something was unsettling about what she called me,

“Demon, DEMON! I am not a demon, I never asked for this,” I thought to myself. My fury beginning to drop the temperature of the chamber my a few degrees, taking notice, Princess Luna spoke up,

“Guards leave us,” she ordered

“But Princess the Dem…” one spoke up.

“SILENCE! I said leave us,” She commanded. The guards shaped up and left us.

Fearing for my life I watched the navy alicorn walk over to my cuffed form. Expecting the death blow I lowered my head, exposing the back of my neck to her. I heard the familiar hum of magic start. Feeling the construct hurtling towards my neck as it cut through the air, only to be met with a sudden silence. I looked up as best I could while still keeping my neck exposed. I saw Luna looking down on me with a smile on her face,

“You are true to your word,” she said softly, “You did not retaliate nor did you flinch when the possibility of death loomed but inches from your head, rest assured I can now trust you…somewhat,”

Getting to my feet she spoke up again, “I would like to perform a memory spell on you to see how you became…this,” she said cautiously.

“Of course Princess, I told you if you wished I to question or execute me, I would not hesitate to let you do either, and I intend to keep my word,” I said locking eyes with her.

She moved closer to me and placed her hand on my shoulder,

“This may hurt,”

was all I heard before her horn touched mine. All of my memories flooded before my eyes. Everything from my foalhood was on display and I couldn’t help but force a smile through the pain at the happy memories. However that was short lived as he moved the spell to my more recent memories. I let out a snarl as I saw the moment that Lyra approached me. I never wanted to see that mare again dead or alive. Looking up at Luna I saw her face contorted in horror as she watched me give myself up of the three others in Lyra’s capture, my torture, and finally my turning. One memory stuck out to Luna. The moment Lyra bit me,

“Embrace it,” Lyra’s voice said.

“Never,” I spat out in time with the memory.

Luna however moved on to the point in time when I first transformed. She was in a state of shock as she watched the shadowy ice crawl its way across my body. The moment I impaled Lyra elicited a wince from Luna and a look of disgust after I loped her head off. Then the spell released and I felt an immense pressure release from my mind.

“I-I had no idea that that’s what you went through,” she stammered.

“It’s *pant* all *right* Princess*pant* there was *pant* nothing*pant* you could *pant* have done,” I said panting as I gave her a reassuring smile.

“I accept,” she said flatly.

“I’m sorry Princess but I didn’t hea…”

“I accept,” she said facing me. I didn’t know whether to laugh, or jump for joy, but my body did. I broke down crying as the realization that I would be allowed to live washed over me. I also felt something I didn’t expect, a pair of arms had crossed over my back as I felt Luna hug me her own tears matting the fur in my shoulder.

“I will begin my hunt as soon as I can Princess,” I said through sobs.

“No, your hunt will begin as soon as you are acquainted with the rest of Knightwatch,” she said composing herself. She walked over to a window and fired a signal spell from her horn. Within the hour there were about a dozen Unicorns, Pegasi and Earth pony stallions in the lower courtyard.

“Greetings my Knightwatch I have an announcement to make,” her royal Canterlot voice booming across the courtyard, “I have discovered a new spices of the demons, one far more powerful than what we’ve ever encountered,”

There were a few unsettling shifts in the crowd as Luna spoke up again,

“However this species is few, singular in fact,” that seemed to bring about looks of actual joy from some but looks of disappointment from others.

“This demon has contacted me and wishes to offer his services to the Knightwatch,” she said calmly unfortunately this was not well received,

“How can we trust a demon?” an Earth pony stallion spoke up.

“For he is right here,” she gestured to me and I decided to wave at the crowd.

“Please, address them,” Luna whispered.

Getting over the lumps in my throat I began my tale. I told them everything from Lyra tricking me into her home, my bargain for the other mare’s lives for my own. The description of the torture even got some in the crowd to vomit. Finally I told of my turning, lacking the right words I simply asked,

“Luna, could you project my memories for Knightwatch?”

“Are you sure you want to share such trauma with those who may seek your end?” she asked cautiously.

“Yes, yes I do,” I said with firmness in my voice, I had not heard that tone from myself in a long time.

Luna produced a small sphere, it blurred with the color and motion of my memories.

“Brave stallions of Knightwatch our guest as allowed me to peer into his memory to validate his clams. He now wishes to share his experience with all of you,” she said with a twinge of pain in her voice.

Her magic light up the night as a large projection screen appeared above the courtyard. What followed next was a mixed bag of emotions, I could see everything from hate to disgust in the eyes of the crowd yet one thing I saw in every stallion’s eyes was strikingly sorrow; they felt sorry for me. I couldn’t believe it, those who had sworn to fight and kill those like me felt pity for my plight. A soft pop of a teleportation spell brought me out of my reflection. I turned to see a well built white stallion with a two tone blue mane,

“I, as captain of the Knightwatch, herby accept you into our ranks. Welcome brother,” came the voice of Shining Armor.

“Thank you,” I said tearing up. Then something I didn’t expect from the crowd hit me. They saluted me. They saw me as an equal, not just some monster to be feared or hunted. Out of respect for their Capitan or pity for me I couldn’t tell you. But I did notice a small group of in the corner huddled and whispering.

“Come on let’s let you meet the guys,” Shining said warmly gesturing with his hand. I followed with a smile on my face and renewed purpose in life.

With that simple gesture my days as a Hunter finally began…