The Search for Light: Finding New Hope.

Chapter 3: Anticipation.

This is it. I never realized that the end would be so close in sight. And yet seem so impossible to reach. I am nervous, extremely nervous. Sweating on the inside, while staying as cold as a stone on the outside. I can’t let my nervousness get the better of me now. I can’t let them know how scared shitless I am right now. I feel myself starting to shake, but I stop myself instantly. “You ok Silver?” I hear Star ask “Yeah, im fine. It’s just. . . It would’ve been years before I could’ve took this test. But the commander let me take it early. It’s. . “ I sigh “Nerve racking to be honest.” Star laughs “You’ll be fine. I know you will. . .” She look’s back at me, slightly sad “This is as far as I can go. I wish you luck on your test. Please visit when you can.” I smile “Of course I’ll visit, when I can of course. The life of a Guard is going to be tough” I puff out my chest and she laughs.

Star walks up to me, her eyes staring into mine. “You have amazing eyes Silver. There bright and full of life. They sparkle just like the stars. And like the buildings of the Lunar Garden” She gives a small smile, and leans in, planting a small kiss on my cheek. She blushes and wishes my luck once more, scurrying off back to the cave. I stand there blushing. I place my hoof on my cheek and smile wide. “What are you doing?” I shake my head and jump slightly, falling to the ground as I am startled. “Sorry I was just. . Wait. Midnight? Where did you go?!” I shout at her when I see who it is. Standing to my hoofs, and walking up to her, giving her an angry glare on my face.

“Where did I go? Where did you go!?” She breaths angrily at me, pressing her head against mine, eye to angry eye. She steps back, and calms down slowly, before speaking again. “Last night. After I yelled at you to be quiet, I continued walking. I made it to the passage and turned to apologize, and you were gone.” She speaks slowly, anger in the edges of her voice. “So, I went back to look for you, and couldn’t find you. Where did you go? You had me worried.”  I open my mouth, but no words come out. I can’t tell her about what happened. “Well. . See, I. After you left. . I got lost again, so I found a place to rest, and stayed there till now.” I stammer out, trying to be convincing as possible.

She gives me a sceptical look, but then shakes her head. “Ok, what ever. Details don't matter at the moment. What does matter is that you have that test to take.” I give a nervous grin “Haha, yeah. I guess I do. . Wait, how did you know?” She smiles, giving a small giggle “I don’t think there’s a pony in camp who doesn’t know about that.” She laughs a little. Great. Now I have to deal with literally everypony knowing. Oh well. I should've guessed that anyways. Breath slowly now, Silver. I know I can do this. I have to do this. No backing out now. I need to prove it to the commander that I can. To my brother. . And to myself.

And not only do I have to take this test and pass it. I also have to find a way to get close to Luna. I do wonder though, why didn’t she remember them instantly? Well, you know, I guess going insane, then spending 1,000 or so years like that might be the reason. Then all the rush of being back to normal and reuniting with her sister. Then having to adjust to the modern world. . . Ok I guess there is a lot of reasons why she wouldn’t remember instantly. “You coming or what?” I look up, and see Midnight a ways away from me. I nod and catch up quickly “nervous?” I shake my head vigorously. “No! W-why would I be nervous?” I stutter out, my voice betraying what I say. I sigh “M-maybe a little.”

She laugh for a moment, before throwing her forehoof around me. “It’s ok. Don’t worry. You will breeze through the test. The old commander always over dramatizes it.” I give a nervous chuckle. “Oh really? What all do I have to do then?” She looks back at me, giving a nervous, half smile. “Umm. Can’t say. Not  allowed to.” She turns back around, and walks a little quicker, changing the subject as well. “So, you stayed a complete night in that forest?” I give an affirmative nod. “Mmhmm. An entire night. In that forest. Right behind us.” I sound a little bit more convincing than last time, at least. “Why? Is there something wrong with that particular forest?”

Midnight stops in her tracks, turning to face me. She stares at me for a long moment, before bringing her hoof right into her face. An audible smack is heard when her hoof connects with her muzzle.  “What?” I ask again. “Is there?” She nods slowly, letting out a long, exhausted sigh. “Yes, there is something wrong with that forest. It’s the everfree.” I open my mouth to say something, but no words come out, just a light, barely audible squeak. My eyes grow wide, and my pupils shrink down to a pin point. I quickly glance back to the forest, just barely glancing a tendril of shadows shooting out from behind one tree to behind another.

“Oh. That forest. . . . “ I quickly bolt ahead of midnight, leaving a small trail through the dirt path. As I pass her, I think I hear her hoof hit her face again. I don’t care to find out, as I bolt straight into camp. I keep running till I run into a pony, hearing them groan with pain as I do. “Owch! Watch where you're runn. .  Silver?” I rub my muzzle for a moment, then I look up to the pony I ran into. I am met with gleaming orange eyes, and a familiar peach coat. I glance back, seeing those four white playing cards on his flank. I smile and get back onto my hooves. “Double Lift. What are you doing here?” He frowns. “What? Can’t I visit an old friend? Not to mention an old friend who’s about to take an important test.” He gives a wide smile and throws his hooves around me, pulling me into a tight hug.

“Nng. I mean. When did you get here?” He pulls away from the hug. “Got here earlier this morning. Me and Hat Trick.” I smile “You brought your sister to a training camp, full of probably dangerous ponies and weapons?” He nods slowly “Yeah. They should be afraid.” Theres a small pause of silence before we both laugh.  “Oh yeah. Whirl Wind and Breezy Day were trying to make it as well, but there train got stuck. And you know they can’t fly this far.”  I am both sad, and glad to hear that bit of information. That would be too much pressure. Also, having all my friends here would be distracting. “Then how’d you get here?” I ask a question, and am given what should have been the most obvious answer when he points to his horn. “Been practicing my magic. I can comfortably teleport me and my sister pretty long distances now. Still getting the hang of it though. I ended up putting us right into a river.”

I try to hold in a laugh, but fail. “Yeah yeah, laugh it up.”  He reaches over and smacks the back of my head. “Sorry, sorry. Anyways, it’s been a while. What’s up?” He opens his mouth as if to explain, but closes it without a sound. “Too much to explain, especially on an empty stomach.”  As if on cue, a very audible growl comes from his stomach. I  give a small chuckle and motion Double to follow me. “You can explain it over lunch then.” After reaching the mess hall, and picking up a meal for me and Double, and finding a seat, he begins to tell his story.

I mean literally his story. The things he has been through these past years could fill a book bigger than my head. “The wedding after words was pretty good as well. And that rainbow mare I mentioned before did another rainboom.” He says as he throws his hoofs into the air excitedly.  “Wait a minute. . So you were at the changeling invasion? And even helped stop it?” He nods slowly, his mouth full of a hay sandwich. “That’s what I just told you, right? And I didn’t help that much, it was mostly Twilight and her friends.” He says through his full mouth. “Are you sure you don’t ‘have what it takes’ to be a Guard?” I say through a small chuckle.

Double nods again. “Yeah. You know me. Once a show pony, always a show pony. I mean, come on, my entire family is show ponies.” He pauses for a moment putting his hoof to his chin. “Oh, speaking of show ponies. Boy do I have another interesting story to tell you. It all started when this azure mare came to ponyville.” He starts his story, and I listen  on intently. Wow, he really has been through alot. Imagine that though. When we were kids, to be blunt, he was a complete wimp. He barely would leave the yard. And now all of this? I am impressed, really I am. And if a colt like that, back then, turned into the stallion before me, then I should pass that test for sure.

“Anyways, after the show for the Saddle Arabians she ran into me. We got to talking and found out we’re related. She’s my cousin. My uncles daughter. I didn’t even know I had an uncle. But I was able to get a hold of my father, and apparently it’s true. Though, they had a falling out, and haven’t spoke since way before I was born.” I slightly nod my head as I take in this information. “Wait. How did you two find out you’re related?”  He chuckles slightly. “Well, we both have a very similar technique. Like, too similar to be a coincidence. I was taught by my father, and she was taught by hers. And they both learned it from there father. And what are the chances that we would have a grandpa with the same name?” I give a small shrug. “I dunno, pretty small I guess.”

He chuckles slightly and nods “Yeah. Also, her father and mine are, like, twins. So when she showed me a picture of her dad, I knew for sure.” Makes sense. It’s cool that he could find a relative. Even though she was kind of crazy at first. “There you are! You ungrateful, disrespectful, little chicken!” I hear a very familiar, and angry voice tear through the mess hall. Uh oh. “Hey, Double. You wouldn’t happen to know a spell that can take me to another world, would you?” He shakes his head as he looks behind me, from where the voice originated. “No, but I think there’s this mirror in Canterlot. . . Duck.”  Huh, what does he? As I turn around to see what he’s talking about, my entire vision is turned black, as I bowl of. . I don't wanna know, covers my face.

“I can forget that you left me on the outskirts of the everfree. What I can’t forget though, is that after you ditched me, you didn’t bother waiting for me, and went to go eat food with peachy boy there.” Double frowns. “Hey, leave me out of this, I was just talking with an old friend.” He holds up both his hoofs defensively. Finally I was able to pry off the bowl, it hitting the floor and rolling away. “Ok, ok. Im sorry. But, you seem very capable. I’m sure you can handle your self.” She just keeps glaring at me. “That’s not the point. What is, is that after all what happened last night, and all the effort I went through to try to save your flank, you just up and ditch me.”

I sigh again as I wipe what ever that stuff is off my face. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have ran. I’m just. . I’m just freaked out ok. I have been worrying my freaking flank off about this test. Then on top of that, I get lost in the everfree forest for a night. Then I find out that literally everypony in camp knows about the test. Then he shows up out of nowhere.” I throw my hoof towards a now empty spot. From across the hall I hear him call. “Went back for fourths. Also, she’s your problem, leave me out of it.”  More pain fills my head as my hoof immediately smacks it. “I really am sorry. I was going to wait. But then I found out Double was here. And we just started talking.”

Anger is still evident on Midnights face. She stays silent as she slowly calms down her breathing. “No. I’m sorry. I. . Overreacted. Call it even?” I give her a smirk “Yeah, I guess we can call it even. . If you dunk your head in that trash can, there.” I point at the nastiest trash can that I see. And I watch as she gives a disgusted look. “And why would I do that?” I point to the discarded bowl, of foul smelling green goop. “For throwing. . What ever that was at me.” She sighs. “How about I hit you over your head hard enough to make you forget?” She asks me, and holds up her hoof. I flinch back. “Ok, ok, were even. Can you at least grab me a towel?” She laughs and nods, walking away.

She comes back in a moment, passing a towel over to me. I smile and wipe my face clean, ridding me of the green goop. “What was that stuff anyways?” She bites her lip and looks up for a moment. “Uhh. Its. . A secret. And trust me, you wouldn’t to know anyways. . You didn’t happen to get any in your mouth, did you?” She asks in a slightly concerned tone. I shake my head quickly. “No. Why?” She shakes her head in turn. “Oh nothing. . Just wondering.” She smiles wide and steps towards the exit. “Also,  your test should be soon, better prepare.”  I watch her as she leaves. “She’s hot.” I jump back in surprise, as Double appears at my side again.

“Does someone have a crush?” He asks in a condescending voice. I smirk and smack the food out of his magical, white, grasp. “Oh come on dude. Not cool!” I shrug. “Well hey double, it was nice talking again. We can talk more later, I need to go prepare and train.” I dash of instantly, running to my bunk in the living quarters. I scramble my hooves around before finding the old wooden trunk. I open it up and stare at it’s contents. A bow. Not just any though, my fathers. Passed down to Gold. And from him to me. It does not look like much, just an old wooden bow.

But, when it was made by my father, long ago, he had an enchantment put on it. The bow itself will never wear with age, at all. And the string can never break. It can also do something else. Something amazing. Well, according to Gold that is. He wouldn’t tell me. He said I had to figure it out on my own.  I set the bow aside and pull out the next item. A quiver with a single arrow, another item from my father. The quiver itself is nothing special. But the arrow that is in it, is something else entirely. I pull out the arrow. It’s look’s like an average arrow, but it is completely black. It was made with shadow forged steel. And by the legendary blacksmith Iron Forge. The arrow, not only being indestructible, will always appear back in the quiver after it’s fired from a bow. It can also pierce dragons scales, though I’m not sure if that part is true.

I slide the arrow into the quiver and set it next to the bow. I take my dagger off my side, and pull it out from the sheath. I have had this thing for ever. While it is not special in any way, well, other than being a pretty strong and reliable dagger, it has a lot of value to me. I place it next to the bow and quiver. I reach into the box again, slowly, as if the any sudden movement would make it close forever. I pull out a picture. A very, very special picture. It’s the only picture of me, my mom and dad, and Gold, all together. As a family. I was only just a foal then. I sniff slightly as I place the picture back into the box.

“She was a good mother, she really was. And she loved you a lot.” I jump at that voice from behind me. I slam the box shut, sliding it quickly back under the bed. “What do you want?” There is silence for a long moment. “What’s your problem? I came to wish you luck.” I turn to face him. His gold mane cut short, and slightly spiky.  “Well, I don’t need your luck. Gold. I’ve made it this far without it.” There is a long, awkward pause before I hear Gold again. “Silver. . Please. Why are you still . . “ I turn around, cutting him off with an angry glare. “I made it clear the last time we spoke. Don’t make me say it again.”  He raises his hoof up, then places it back to the ground, turning around and heading towards the exit of the room. He glances back one more time. The look of hurt, the look of sadness. But I still see no regret. “Silver. If. . If you want to talk, at all. You’ll know where I’ll be.” I snort at him, and he finally turns and leaves.

I will never forgive him. Ever. What he did to me back then. Back when our parents. . Back when our parents left us. Left me, all alone. I thought I would have the comfort of my brother, but apparently going to the guard was more important than caring for his little brother.

The Letter.

We got back inside, both panting and exhausted after the long day of training. I was so close to beating him this time. Gold looks up at the clock on the wall. “Wow, we spent longer than I meant to.” He pauses for a moment, looking around the dark house. “Whats wrong?” I ask him as I finish dragging in the rest of the equipment. “Its just. Mom and dad should’ve been home. Maybe they're running late.”

Maybe running a little late. Well, running a little late turned into forever gone. Maybe, just maybe, if there was never a knock on that door, if that letter never came, then they would still be here. Maybe. But, the past  is set in stone. One that no matter how hard you try to break, try to change, it will always be the same. That ominous knock. Three slow, hard bangs on the wooden door. “Be right there!” Gold called out. I was sitting in my room, looking up at my ceiling, where I had a picture of Astral Blade.  He is one of the best, and he was my hero. I admired him. If it was the average pony visiting, or one of Golds friends, there would be some small chatter I would hear.

But it was dead silent. Ha, dead. . After a few long agonizing minutes, I heard the door close, creaking slowly.  Silence again. I step out of my room, peering down the hall to see Gold, sitting there, in front of the door. “Gold?” I ask out, but my words fall on deaf ears. I walk up to him. He’s crying. I think that’s the only time I have seen him cry. I watch as the tears stream down his face. I follow them to the ground where I see a tan letter, set on top  of a white envelope. The envelope has the Canterlot hospital’s mark on it, and next to it, in small black blocky letters, it reads ‘To the family of Virtue Mark, and Rose Petal.’

I reached for that letter. I picked it up and read it slowly. The words filling my mind  like a flood  before I realized what they meant. ‘We are sincerely sorry to inform you that the pegasus Virtue Mark, and the unicorn Rose Petal, were in a major accident, resulting in their passing, and the passing of many others.  We sent these letters to their respective families post haste. We are all sorry for your loss. Princess Celestia would like to let the families know that she feels deeply saddened by the events. And she knows her sadness does not compare to theirs. As such, she has offered to cover the cost of all the funerals.’ I stopped reading there, as my sobs started overcoming my body. I was shaking, I was crying. Just like Gold.

I flung myself around him, hugging him tight as we both cried. I ended up crying myself to sleep, and he must of put me into bed, because that’s where I woke up. Still shaken from the event, I mournfully walked out of my room, and down the hall into the kitchen. And sitting there on the table, was the second letter the tore my life apart.

‘Hey silver. You were asleep and I didn’t want to wake you. Breakfast is in the fridge, it’s your favorite. You remember the letter I got right? About joining the guard? Well, I read it more, and it requires a lot of training. I know you can take care of yourself. Just don’t burn down the house, K? I don’t know when I’ll be home. Could be a long while before we see each other again.’

I was broken again. I became furious. I chucked the letter into the trash can. I pulled out the breakfast he made, and threw it right in next to the letter. How could he just push it all away like that? Forget our parents, and forget me. I was left alone, and cold. And that cold soon turned into burning hate.

.

Years later

So, that was that. I was left all by my self. Left to fend for myself. I had to grow up completely self reliant, I wouldn’t accept the help from others. Not even my friends. Week’s passed, then months, then even years without word from Gold. In that time, I joined a trainee camp for Celestia’s Guard. After that, I was then accepted into the academy. I  worked hard, studied hard, and trained harder. I quickly moved through the grades.

Senior year now. A week from graduating, and being moved into a cadet camp for Luna’s guard, choosing to go there instead of Celestia’s. Then. . Then he showed up. “Hey Silver!” He called to me excitedly, as if he had the right to speak to me as a brother. As family. I had no more family. I just looked at him, half between an angry glare, and a sad frown. “Silver? What’s up? You should be excited, it’s me, Gold! Your brother.” Now a full on angry glare at him. “I know who you are, but, I have no brother. Not any more. The one I knew abandoned me.” He went to speak again, and just gave me that look of hurt and sadness, with no regret. “Oh come on Silver. Don’t be like that. Look, I’m sorry, ok. We’re still family though.” I snarled at him, resisting the urge to hit him. “My family died a long time ago. I have no more family.”

I had spent *thirteen** years alone, without family. Without a mom, or a dad. Or a brother.  Then he shows up, thinking I can just forgive him that easily. Thinking that he can just be my brother again. Well he guessed wrong.  And that was a year ago, and since then, I graduated from the academy, joined the cadet camp, and now have a chance to be an official guard. Just like I planned. With one exception. Is that he still thinks he can waltz back into my life.*

Present.

That was the past fourteen years of my life. It was hard, but I can’t let any of. . Of those emotions resurface now. I can’t lose myself now, because I have a test to take.