Chapters The Pain of Loss
My aching wings carried my damaged body out into the night. I had no idea where to go; my whole world had been torn from me. I had lost the girl I loved, been accused of murdering her in a failed attempt to attain godhood and been driven from the life I knew. There was nothing I could do. And... it was all my fault.
Shouts and galloping hooves echoed from the direction of the town. Wing beats filled the air, growing stronger by the moment. I sped up, as much as I was able, but it wasn’t a lot.
Tears were streaming down my face. Was this actually happening? How could they even think that? Why did she have to die?
I had to land, my sobs turning into outright howls of despair. I just gave up at that point. It was too much. I never even looked up from my crying as I heard wing beats in front of me and the grunt of a Pegasus landing. They could just take me.
“Lucky....”
I looked up to see Redwing looking down at me, his face devoid of all emotions.
“Lucky, I heard what they said you did. Tell me, what they say, is it true?”
“Redwing... I... I’m so sorry!”
My sobbing was making it hard to breathe.
“I couldn’t save her. She gave her life to save me... I... I... I can't go on like this! It's my fault!”
The impact of Redwing’s hoof across my jaw caught me by surprise.
I looked up at the angry face of the crimson Pegasus with shock. A few months ago, he had been afraid of me and now he struck me in the face with no fear at all.
“She cared enough about you to sacrifice her life just to save you... is THIS how you thank her? Sitting here and crying before being led off to some punishment for her sacrifice?”
Redwing let out a weary sigh before looking back at me.
“Lucky, you saved those kids back there, you saved me, and you have made the orphanage a happy place… You gave me a chance to be better. And for that, I thank you.”
Redwing flapped his wings, settling into a hover just above me.
“Now it’s time I saved you. Go, get out of here. Be the pony you were supposed to be. It’s what she would have wanted for you.”
Redwing sped away into the night. A moment later I could hear distant shouting.
“There he goes! Quick! After him!”
The sounds of pursuit began to fade away into the distance. I had no idea where to go next, and so began to trot along the road. I soon found myself staring at a patch of wild roses. Reaching out, I neatly bit off a single, perfect blossom at the stem.
“I need to tell her goodbye…”
With a purpose in mind at last, I took off, ignoring the twinges of pain in my damaged wings and flew in the direction of the Dragon’s Maw.
The cavern was so dark; the only light came from faintly glowing crystals dotted about. I frowned at that, before dismissing them as rescue tools. Holding the rose in my mouth I began to walk, heading deeper into the cave network. Dread filled my heart as I reached the chamber I sought.
I found myself sitting next to the boulder that had ended my love’s life, staring without seeing. There was so much I wanted, no, needed to say, but I found myself lost for words. I forced myself to say her name, just to steady myself.
“Sunspot...”
Almost instantly a purple glow appeared on the boulder; looking closer I could make out a small shield, seemingly drawn by magic. Hesitantly, I reached out to touch it. As my hoof brushed the symbol, a voice spoke into my mind. Her voice.
“Starshot, I don’t know if you’re even alive to find this... but I felt I needed to leave you a message, if you don’t find me first, in case you haven’t worked it out yet. Silly filly, it’s Sunspot.”
Tears rolled down my face and I couldn’t help but break out into sobbing again. The sound of her voice was a melody I couldn’t live without anymore.
“I know you’re sad right now, but I want you to know that... I love you, I always have. Ever since the day I first saw you in the schoolyard. You were such a scrawny little thing, barely able to fly, afraid of his own shadow, don’t deny it!”
I couldn’t help but chuckle, she had me there.
“Redwing had been picking on a smaller colt and you tried to stop him. You got your flank kicked, but you tried! I think I fell for you then, a dangerous looking colt with a heart of gold. I’ve been so proud to watch how you’ve grown... and I don’t mean your size. You became a role model; you changed Redwing into a colt to be proud of... although I do have to admit, as you filled out you sure got some hot flanks!”
Her giggling echoed as my cheeks burned with embarrassment. Thank Celestia nopony was here to see it!
“Starshot - I know you love me, I’ve known all along even if you were too afraid to come out and say it, and now I want you to make me a promise. I know you’ll keep it, even if I’m not there to hear you. Promise me you’ll be the pony I always knew you were, a guardian to those who need it.”
My voice became a whisper as I made my promise through my tears.
“I have to go now; I can’t keep this spell going much longer. Just remember who you were to me. You were my guiding light, my lucky star. That is your talent... Goodbye, Starshot. I love you.”
The tears became wails of misery as I finally began to realise that it was over. Sunspot was gone, and I had lost my reason to live. I don’t know how long I cried. It might have been minutes, or hours. But eventually my eyes fell on that beautiful rose I had laid down beside the boulder. I stared at it for a moment. And then I sat up.
“No. I can’t break down like this. I made her a promise... and I swear by the royal sisters I will keep it!”
I felt my flank begin to tingle and stared in shock as an image appeared, a four-leaf clover bisected by a shining star, my cutie mark... Sunspot was right; I always was her lucky star. I left the caves, never looking back; my final thoughts as I left were of a single rose, lit by the crystals dim light.
I flew into the night, not stopping until Celestia’s sun began to rise above the horizon. Finally I landed, at the edge of a large forest. Finding a shaded spot under a bush, I collapsed into sleep. Exhaustion was total.
“No! Stay away! Mommy! Help me!”
A scream woke me from my dreamless slumber, rolling to my hooves as I looked around.
Near the edge of the forest I spotted a small filly running back and forth as several strange creatures bit and clawed at her, The were roughly pony shaped, but a little smaller and seemed to be made of tree branches. The resembled the diamond dogs we had learned of in class. In any case, they were clearly toying with the girl.
Sunspot’s words and my promise replayed in my mind as I counted them. I wanted to help, but... one pony against seven of ...them? The filly’s screams turned to one of pain as the claws of one of the creatures cut into her flank. All hesitation dropped from my mind as anger began to course through me.
I flew at the nearest one, throwing the full force of my rage into that strike, my hoof smashed into the thing’s ribs with enough force to send it flying over the heads of the remaining six, agape in shock. With an angry snarl I placed my body between the creatures and the child.
“Back off!”
My angry voice seemed to make the wooden monsters hesitate; maybe they were only used to fear? As if to answer my question, one of them charged in. I reared up and brought both hooves down on its head with a loud crunch. It never registered with me until later that I had just killed something in that moment.
“You are not getting past me.”
I almost snarled the words; I was determined to protect the filly cowering behind me. A strange feeling began... a warm feeling flowed from my head, down into my hooves. I had no time to ponder what it was as pair of the wooden monsters charged at me, snarling in ferocity. I spun and managed to buck both of them in the face at once. There was a flash of silver light and the creatures flew away with way more force than I ever could have put into that kick. So much, in fact, they hit the trunk of a tree a fair distance away and smashed through it as if it was made of paper.
The shock on my face must have been taken for some kind of threat as the remaining creatures fled, whimpering. I felt incredibly drained. I turned to the child with a tired smile. I finally got a good look at her - she was a brown earth pony with a black mane and large green eyes. Sweet Celestia, she couldn’t have been more than 5 years old. She looked at me with wonder before pointing her hoof at me.
“Awicorn?”
A chuckle rose from my throat, “No kid, I’m no alicorn. I’m just a Pegasus.”
I felt so very tired at that moment, my vision beginning to blur. I heard shouts and looked away from the forest to see a group of earth ponies galloping towards us. An earthen-coloured mare screamed as she approached us.
“Summer!” Without a glance at my swaying form, she swept the little filly up into a hug.
“Mommy, the awicorn saved me from the bad monsters!”
I passed out.
Groggily, I opened my eyes and looked around; I was lying on a bed in a wood-paneled room, and dim light filtered in through curtains covering a small window. A set of drawers were set against one wall. A door lay in the other wall, which opened as if on cue. In walked a moss-green stallion with a black mane.
“So... you’re finally awake, then? You’ve been out for two days.”
I shakily tried to get to my feet. My body felt sore and drained. “I’m sorry, sir... I’ll leave you in peace...”
With a gentle hoof, he pushed me back down to the bed.
“Until you’re healed up, you’re not going anywhere. You saved my daughter from those Timberwolves. It’s the least my family can do for such a heroic stallion.”
I burst out in laughter, receiving a confused look in response.
“I'm sorry,” I chuckled, “but I’m not a stallion yet. In fact, I’m only 15.”
He stared at me as if I had sprouted a second head, trying to judge if I was mocking him.
“You’re telling me you’re just a kid? By Luna’s moon! You’re bigger than most of the stallions here!”
I laughed hard, before wincing as my body reminded me it was still healing by throwing in a sharp pain in my chest.
“So how old are you in pony years?”
“I just told you, I’m 15.”
“Right. How long do you alicorns live anyway?”
“Sorry, sir, but I’m no alicorn... I'm just a Pegasus.”
The glare I got was unnerving, and then I remembered the horn.
“Oh, right. Sorry. I can understand the confusion, but my horn isn’t really a horn, it’s a shard of bone from an accident. I'm sorry if I offended you with my laughing...”
I turned my eyes down, not wanting to upset the kind pony any more.
“Alright. Let me get this straight. A young colt, who was just passing by, saves my daughter by killing three Timberwolves and fighting off three more. And you claim you’re not an alicorn?”
“No, sir, I have no magic. I'm a Pegasus.”
“Sweet Celestia! Will you stop calling me Sir?! My name is Charcoal.”
“Mr Charcoal... is the girl okay..? I saw her get slashed before I could get to her...”
“Kid, the girl was barely scratched, Summer Breeze will be fine. She seems quite taken with you though. But anyway - this is where you tell me what your name is, my brave young colt.”
I panicked: the Equestrian Guard would still be out looking for me. What name should I give? If he found out who I was, and the guard told him of the crimes I had been accused of…
“Call me Lucky Break.”
Charcoal erupted in laughter. “Kid, your parents must have had strange ideas to name you that!”
“I wouldn’t know. I'm an orphan…” My voice was almost a whisper.
Charcoal sighed quietly and laid a hoof on my shoulder.
“Sorry kid, I didn’t know...”
I must have blacked out again; when I next opened my eyes the curtains were open and bright sunlight shone through the open window. I sat up with a grunt, noting with surprise and gratitude that my old injuries had been cleaned and bandaged. With a smile on my face, I tried to roll to my feet - only to fall backwards off the bed as a small brown head with big green eyes popped up in front of my face.
“Silly awicorn fall down!”
I had to smile. The kid’s young voice, mashing words, was adorable.
“So your name is Summer Breeze?”
The young filly nodded, still staring at me with those huge green eyes. I pointed to myself.
“My name is Lucky Break.”
Summer tilted her head, still staring at me.
“Wucky Bweak?”
I laughed and patted her head.
“Close enough, Summer.”
I trotted to the door, looking to get some air, maybe a little food too. There came a little “Oof” as a sudden weight on my back made me wince, my body complaining about its injuries. Despite the twinges of pain, I smiled, as small hooves wrapped gently around my neck. Summer murmured my name in that adorable lisp again before seeming to fall asleep; I hitched my wings up to make sure she wouldn’t fall off and headed out the door.
The hallway was made of rough wood planks, and doors lined one wall. Glancing about, I saw daylight coming from an open door at the far end of the hallway, so I headed in that direction.
The bright sunlight blinded me for a moment as I took in my surroundings. I was in a small town, the buildings where made from logs, every house had a small garden planted in front of it. Vegetables grew in neat rows. I wandered about for a little, receiving frowns at my bandaged visage before they melted into smiles at the sight of the filly asleep on my back, curled up under my wings. Something about the town struck me as odd, though; around the town was a towering wall made from logs. Why in Equestria would any town need a wall that size?
“Awww! I never saw Summer take to anypony like that before!”
I turned around to see a young mare looking at me with a faint smile. I froze; she had golden eyes…
“Seen everything? Nothing you missed?” She turned slightly, showing her flank and cutie mark, a tree branch hung with icicles, and grinning at me.
Okay, this was unexpected; I’d never had a girl flirt with me like that before. Unsure how to respond, I lowered my face to hide the blush I felt creep across my face.
Peals of laughter rang out from the unknown mare. “You know, for such a tough stallion, you’re remarkably easy to embarrass!”
I had to say in frustration “I’m no stallion, I'm still a kid myself.”
She gave me an odd look. “So... how old are you?”
“I'm 15 years old, and before you ask I am NOT an alicorn.”
She gave me a mocking smile. “I’m North Wind, Summer is my baby sister. What do they call you?”
“Lucky Break.”
North Wind fell to the ground, laughing so hard it almost woke Summer.
“Sorry, sorry! It’s just so funny you’re called Lucky Break and you’re injured!”
My angry glare must have got to her, as she rolled back onto her hooves and smiled at me.
“You know, you’re kind of cute when you glare like that.”
“So, North Wind, where can I drop off my adorable cargo?”
North Wind grinned at me and pointed to a nearby hay pile. With the utmost care I lifted the filly’s sleeping form, taking her weight onto one of my wings, wincing slightly as I remembered they were hurt too. Gently I lowered Summer down to the hay and let her settle. With a fond smile I stood back up and turned to North Wind; she was staring at me with an odd look on her face.
“You really do care what happens to my little sister, don’t you? You barely know her... why?”
“I made a promise to someone I loved,” I sighed sadly. “I promised her I would protect ponies who needed it, no matter the cost to me.”
“You lost someone you loved? How long ago did she die?”
“Around a week before I ran into Summer…”
“Oh, Lucky... I'm sorry...” North Wind looked down at the ground, her eyes seeming to tear up. “Was she family?” she asked hesitantly.
“I have no family, I'm an orphan.” I sighed. “Her name was Sunspot, she was a fellow orphan... she was the first pony to ever care about me...” A single tear rolled down my cheek. “I loved her more than life itself.”
“Lucky... I...”
“It’s okay,” I interrupted her, “I just need to be doing something besides feeling sorry for myself. Is there anything around town I can help out with?”
For the rest of the day I worked hard. I hauled logs, ploughed fields, fetched and carried as needed and occasionally entertained a certain young filly who followed me like a shadow. I think the townsfolk accepted me when they saw me flying a few feet from the ground with Summer clutching my neck, screeching with laughter. I was careful not to fly fast and landed before turning.
It was after this activity that Charcoal found us both asleep in the evening gloom, curled upon a haystack, my wing curled protectively over the sleeping filly. Carefully, he nudged me awake.
“I don’t know where you came from, kid, but I'm thankful you’re here.”
“Why’s that?” I felt I had to ask, it didn’t seem he was thanking me for driving off the Timberwolves.
“You have been conscious for less than a day, and you helped most of the town. You even kept Summer out of mischief, and that is no easy feat. Even North Wind speaks highly of you.”
I was very confused; all I did was do a few chores and keep a filly smiling.
“Kid... I know you have nowhere to go. I want you to stay with me and my family.”
My jaw bounced off the floor. I was stunned. I hadn’t spoken more than a few dozen words to this pony and he was inviting me to live in his home with his family?
“I…” A scream from beyond the wall interrupted me.
“Timberwolves!” Without hesitation I launched into the air, leaving Charcoal looking after me in astonishment. I hovered over the town gate, scanning the dark beyond the torches affixed to the gate posts. Hooves thundered as ponies ran for the gate. At the edge of the torchlight I spotted a lone pony struggling with a timberwolf on his back while a second circled around, looking for a chance to deal that fatal strike.
I gained height and folded my wings, plummeting like a stone. I landed with both front hooves on the back of the circling timber wolf with a sickening crunch... something in my chest gave way from the impact. Great. I broke my ribs. Again. Spinning, I planted my back hooves into the face of the second wolf, bucking it from the back of the injured pony.
“Get back to the gate and close it!” Not even checking if he had heard me, I turned towards the dark. Dozens of pairs of yellow eyes watched me. I spat out a mouthful of blood and grinned into the dark.
“Remember me, boys?”
“Wucky?”
I glanced back. Summer was behind me? What was she doing here? The wolves closed in with a snarl. Sweeping her up, I tried to fly but the pain in my chest was making it hard to breathe, let alone fly... The gate seemed so far away; even if she ran I couldn’t keep them all away from her like this. Not knowing what else to do, I wrapped her in a hug and wrapped my wings protectively around her. This was it; this was how I was going to die.
“You can’t have her!”
The timberwolves were all around now, circling, not one brave enough to attack yet.
“I said you can’t have her!” At that moment my own life meant nothing to me, all that mattered was seeing this filly safely back to her family. A tingle began at the base of the horn. The beasts attacked as one, time seemed to slow down once more, and I saw my horn begin to glow with silver light.
“I said you can’t have her now back OFF!”
As I screamed that last word, the horn erupted with silver light. A silver bubble of it spread from my crouching form with startling speed and where the bubble touched the wolves... they were thrown backwards with great force. I don’t know who was more surprised, me or the wolves! That was magic! I used magic!
Summer lifted her head and looked at me. “Wucky are you feeling bad?”
I passed out again.
I woke with a groan, back in the room I last awoke in. Why did I seem to spend so much time unconscious? A stern voice drifted in from outside. What I heard made me shiver with fear.
“I am captain Thunder Chaser of the Equestrian Guard; I'm here searching for a fugitive. He is a black Pegasus with a red mane and eyes. His distinguishing features are a scar over his left eye and a false horn. Answers to the name Starshot.”
I recognised Charcoal’s voice, “Yes, we have seen someone like that.”
He was turning me in! I tried to stand but was too weak to move.
“We saw a stallion matching that description around... what, three days ago? He was flying over the Everfree Forest. Looked pretty hurt.”
Wait, they were hiding the fact I was here and unable to escape?
“Thank you, sir. We’re on his trail now, troops! Move out!”
I listened to the silence for a minute before the door opened and Charcoal trotted in. He looked hard at me for a moment before speaking.
“So… Starshot, is it?”
I sighed before answering. “Yes... my name is Starshot, and I'm the one they were hunting. I'm sorry I never told you the truth, but... I didn’t want to get anypony in trouble for helping me...”
“Kid, you’re as strong as an ox but as dumb as a mule. In this town we judge a pony on their own actions, not what some loudmouth in armour tells us.”
I stared in shock as he continued, “Time and again you put your neck on the line to save others with no thought to yourself. While still covered in injuries, you helped the whole town, and entertained my daughter. When someone called for help you again risked yourself without a moment’s hesitation, and thanks to that lightshow there hasn’t been a single timberwolf sighted in almost a week!”
Charcoal walked back to the door. With a quick glance over his shoulder, he called back to me.
“Get some rest, kid. I don’t want to see you up until you’re healed this time.”
With a grateful smile I drifted back to sleep.
I had stayed in town for almost a month now; my injuries had healed up completely. I knew I had to leave sooner or later, though, or I would bring trouble down on the nice ponies here who had adopted me as one of their own. I didn’t want to go! I had found a home and a family, a town full of ponies who wanted me to stay... it was every orphan’s dream.
The day I left the whole town gathered to see me off; I’ll admit, I was touched. Every pony wished me well in turn. Then came Summer. The little filly hugged me so tight it was hard to breathe.
“Pwomise you will come back Wucky?”
I hugged her back, “I promise, kiddo. I’ll be back one day.”
North Wind came next, after a brief hug she laughed “You best come back, Summer needs to be able to brag in school she’s got the best big brother there is!”
Charcoal laid a hoof on my shoulder. “She’s right, son, you’re one of the family now. You better come back once this thing is all over, okay?”
“I’ll be back one day, I promise”.
I walked out of the gate and looked back, all the smiling faces waving goodbye to me... it hurt to leave, but I had to.
I launched myself into the air and flew into the warm morning sun.
Five years had passed since I left that wonderful town; I had traveled all over Equestria, working any job I could find to make a few bits. Sure, I could have eaten grass... but that got pretty old pretty fast, and I often found myself with an inexplicable craving for hay fries.
I’ve spent a lot of my time in the ruins of an abandoned castle, deep in a forest someplace. With a little hard work I've made a small section of it fairly comfortable, even uncovered a hidden library. Well… When I say uncovered, I mean I fell through the floor and landed inside… life still enjoys toying with me, it seems.
The library has turned out to be a treasure trove of stories, history and even books on magic! I’ve been studying a primer for young unicorns, trying to find a way to control the odd magic that took care of those timber wolves. Though after almost a year of trying the most basic of spells, levitation, I merely found ways to give myself a headache…
The castle that I live in is in ruins, but a small section near a fallen tower seems to have remained sound. It’s there I have made myself what I’ve had to come to terms with as ...my home. I can’t go back to the town. I just... can’t.
So I’ve shored up the roof with logs and planted a small vegetable garden. A few woven branches over the chimney disguise the smoke from my fires, and I even have a rough bed of sorts. Aw, who am I kidding, it’s a blanket thrown over some straw. The surrounding forest hides my training area.
I had reasoned that if the guardian magic increased my own abilities, then training will make me stronger, and therefore better able to handle it. I spend most of my days dragging logs and flying through loops of tree branches placed around the wood randomly, each task improving my strength, stamina, speed and maneuverability.
I'm sure you’re thinking I forgot my promise and just hid myself from the world... but that’s not true. Within a few hours’ flight of the ruins are a collection of small, nameless towns, farms and homesteads.
“So Basalt, what do you think of this rumour about some protector being seen around here?”
“Well... I'm unsure he even exists, Cobalt. Somepony had to have rescued the Clover family from that house fire, though. And drove off those diamond dogs... and there was that business with the timberwolves too...”
“Have you heard what the kids have started calling him?”
“Yup, Night Wing.”
I had to stuff a hoof into my mouth to stop from laughing. Night Wing? It sounded like one of those stupid comic book heroes I had seen other colts read about in school. Still... I guess it was kind of cool. Night Wing...
It was after one of my nightly patrols that I made a new friend.
I landed in front of my home, shook out my wings and pushed the door to enter.
CRASH!
I burst through the door, wings splayed, ready to throw down with whoever or whatever the intruder was. The room was empty; a faint glow came from the hole that led down to the library. I approached carefully, and a slightly muffled voice called out.
“Oh ponyfeathers... err... Hello? Help? Can anyone hear me?”
With a frown, I silently glided down into the hole; the light came from under a collapsed bookcase. I pouted. I would have to build another case for the books... My woven branch bookcases already held a fair number of books in their roughly made shelves, though, I suppose they would have collapsed sooner or later anyway. A yellow hoof poked out from under some books and waved weakly.
“Err... if somepony is out there, if you don’t mind, can you help me?”
I set my shoulder under the ruined bookcase with a smirk and lifted. It crashed down behind me as I straightened up, flying into the air, to see a yellow unicorn poke her head from under the pile. One book, amusingly enough, remained open across her head. She stared at me blankly before rummaging in the pile and retrieving a pair of oval spectacles; donning them, she stared at me a moment longer before gasping in shock.
“Oh, I'm so sorry, sire! I had no idea a member of the royal family would be here!”
I was... confused, to say the least. “What? You think I'm... royalty?”
“I'm sorry, sire... I shouldn’t have taken up your valuable time rescuing me.”
I looked at her for a moment before letting out an exasperated sigh. Why did she think I was a royal of any kind? I'm a scarred and scruffy Pegasus, for Equestria’s sake!
“Okay, lady. If you call me sire or any royal nickname of any kind again, you’re going back under the bookcase.”
The look of surprise on her face was... well, cute.
“But... but all alicorns are members of the royal family! Aren’t they...?”
Her blue eyes widened in shock as I facehooved and sighed.
“Okay, let’s get this sorted out before we go any further. I'm a Pegasus, not an alicorn. This horn isn’t really a horn. It’s a bone shard, from an old accident.”
“Oh... I'm sorry...”
Oh Celestia, the ashamed look on that girl’s face was making me blush and I didn’t know why. Standing up, she shook the book from her head, revealing a small glowing horn and a green mane, braided into a single plait and hung over her shoulder. Saddlebags hung from her flank, absolutely stuffed full of scrolls and books. Her cutie mark was a quill across an open book. Composing herself, she lifted a hoof.
“My name is Antiquity, Second Assistant Royal Librarian.”
“Anti... anti… sorry I can’t even pronounce that. Do you have a nickname or something I can call you by?”
“Well, my sister used to call me Page, because of my love of books…”
“Page. I like that.” I smiled reassuringly. I had to wonder though, why was she blushing?
“And what do I call you? It’s rude not to introduce yourself to a lady, you know.”
I burst out laughing, feeling more relaxed than I had in years. “Call me Starshot.”
Wait. I just gave her my real name? What is wrong with me? What if she knows I'm a wanted pony?
“Starshot... where have I heard that name before...? I think somepony mentioned it in the Canterlot library...”
“You’re from Canterlot?” The feelings of dread increased quickly.
“Yep!” Page drew herself up proudly. “I work in the royal library. Second Assistant Royal Librarian, remember?”
Okay, I was scared now. If she worked in Canterlot then she must have heard of my imagined crimes. She must have. What if she told someone? I couldn’t hurt her, it went against all I stood for and would dishonor Sunspot’s memory. What could I do? I’d have to run again; there was no way around it.
“Hmm. Oh well, it can’t have been anything important. What are the chances you’d have the same name, anyway?”
“Pretty long odds, I agree.” I laughed in relief.
“So… have you got any idea how to get out of here?”
I pointed up to the hole above us with a smirk. “Only way that’s not blocked by rubble.”
Page looked down at the floor, tears in her blue eyes.
“So I'm stuck in here…”
“Nope!” With a grin I dipped my head under her and flipped her up onto my back. Before she could react, my wings flared and beat down powerfully. Compared to the rocks and logs I spent time lifting, Page was very little weight at all. She screamed as we floated up through the hole and clung to my neck with crushing force. I set down a few feet from the hole and looked back over my shoulder. Page had her eyes screwed shut and was shivering. I had to suppress the urge to laugh.
“Page… we’re out, you can let go now...” She hugged my neck tighter and whimpered.
With a grin I stretched out a wing and brushed her back with a feather. In response she leapt into the air with an adorable shriek, legs flailing about in the air, before falling back down to the floor. I couldn’t help it anymore and burst out laughing.
“You’re such a jerk! Starshot! You’re not even listening!”
By this point I had fallen on my back, legs shaking as I laughed uncontrollably. After a minute or two I was able to compose myself and stop the giggling. I rolled to my hooves and grinned at her.
“Sorry, Page. I didn’t mean to be a jerk, it’s just you were so cute with the hugging and the shrieking and the flailing...”
She blushed at me for a moment, making me blush a little in return.
“Besides, flying is the only way out of there at the moment”
Page just glared at me.
“Right. So... where are you staying? It’s pretty late and if you want to get any sleep tonight, we’d better get you there.”
Page gave me a shy look. “I don’t really have anywhere to go. My job today here at Hoof Drannor castle was to catalog the books and scrolls left behind for later retrieval. I’d planned to be back by now, but... the bookcase...”
I gave Page a tired smile. The forest was far too dangerous at night, so the only real choice was for her to sleep here tonight. Great, that meant I'd be sleeping on the floor…
“Alright, Page. You can crash here tonight. My bed isn’t much, but you’re welcome to it.”
Page gave the blanket-covered straw a look before turning to look back at me.
“Yep, this is my home. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need some shut eye.” With that I curled up and lay my head across my front legs. After a moment I opened an eye to see Page still standing there, looking at me as if I was crazy.
“Look, it’s a 5 hour walk to the nearest farm from here. If you want to try it, just follow the path back to the road and head east. I personally wouldn’t recommend it in the dark though; there are diamond dogs in these parts and more than a few timberwolves. Your call.”
Page looked very pale at the thought and reluctantly curled up on the blanket. A moment later some very unladylike snores began. With a quiet smirk, I fell asleep.
Dawn, as always, found me in the forest training; but this time I had a goal in mind. It took me about ten minutes of wandering around looking at trees before I spotted one that fit what I was searching for - an ash with a split trunk, damaged by lightning. It was time for my one and only feat of magic.
Lining myself up, I focused, feeling the tingle at the base of my horn. Eyes closed, I willed the tingle down to my hooves, feeling them warm as the magic enveloped them. I opened my eyes, and noticed with a smile that my hooves now shone with a silver light. I narrowed my eyes, charged for the tree, spun on one hoof and used the momentum to slam both back hooves into the trunk. The magically enhanced impact actually tore the tree up, roots and all. I dodged to one side, grinning as it fell and shook my head to clear the dizziness. Thank you, timberwolves, for teaching me that trick... I tied a length of rope around the trunk; taking the other end in my mouth I turned to drag it back. Page stood a short distance away, staring at me with wide eyes and an open jaw. Oops.
“I thought you said you weren’t an alicorn!”
“I'm not! ...I'm a Pegasus; I just have a few extra tricks.”
“You just bucked a tree out of the ground! That’s not a trick, that’s magic!”
I sighed sadly, “Please, I don’t want to relive the story behind this...”
Page gave me an odd look before pointing a hoof at me.
“I know who you are!”
My head dropped to look at the ground; I was going to have to run again. I hated to run, but I wasn’t going to hurt anypony to hide my secret.
“You’re Night Wing!”
I blinked and looked at her, my eyes wide with surprise.
“Oh by Luna’s moon! I'm your biggest fan! Can I get your autograph?”
I couldn’t think of a single thing to say, this girl was a fan? I had fans? But couldn’t they at least pick a better name than Night Wing? Page stared at me expectantly, her eyes wide and filled with pure happiness.
“What’s with the tree, anyway, Starshot?”
“You need a way in and out of the library without almost choking me to death, so... I'm building a ramp.”
“But how will you get that back to the ruins?”
To answer, I gripped the rope in my teeth and pulled. I think Page almost fainted as I dragged the tree past her. She followed me back to the ruins with a dumbfounded expression. I grinned and spent the next hour splitting the dead tree down its length by shoving an iron bar into the split the lightning strike had left, and bucking it. Page watched me with an oddly appraising look. To be honest it kind of scared me. Taking a break, I drank some rainwater from a bucket…
“So I was looking at your flank…”
And then spat it out across the clearing.
“Not like that! Not that you don’t have nice flanks…” Her face was bright red. “I mean the tree! The dragging! It was because you’re strong and not magic right?”
“Yeah, I drag logs and boulders around every day to try and build up my strength.”
“What was that magic then? It looked like starlight.”
“Starlight? You think I'm tied to one of the great elements?”
“Alright, Starshot. I want you to explain your magic to me and how you use it.”
“I'm not sure I understand it myself, really. I... I get a tingle at the base of my horn and will it to my hooves, and it makes the impact from my bucks a lot greater.”
“What do you call the spell?”
“It doesn’t have a name.”
“Ok, for now we’ll call it... Starlight Strike. Have you tried to focus it into anything else? Maybe into your wings, for example?”
I stared at her blankly. The idea had never occurred to me once.
With a smile she pointed to my waypoint rings, set out in a rough course through the wood.
“No time like the present! Let’s give it a shot!”
The look in her eyes told me I would get no peace until I tried it so I closed my eyes and focused. Feeling the familiar tingle begin, I willed it to my wings, feeling them tingle and heat up like they were spread out in the warm sunlight.
“Oh, wow...” The wonder in Page’s voice was obvious.
I glanced over my shoulder and stared in shock; my wings glowed with silver light and felt almost weightless. With a single flap I was launched into the air. Fighting to keep from shouting with glee I shot through the track, almost screaming with delight at the speeds I was reaching. A silver trail spread from my wings as I flew, taking the twists and turns at speeds way above what my big frame should be able to reach. This was incredible. This was insane! This was... oops. I shut my eyes as I realised that I’d made my last turn far too tight. A tree hurtled towards my right wing, but I couldn’t pull it back in time. I wasn’t going to make it! I couldn’t possibly... what? Other than a slight tug I felt - nothing…? What happened? I glanced back and pulled up to stop in horror. With a slow groan and a crash, half of a tree fell. It had been sheared in half... as if by some huge blade. The light faded as I stared in shock. Did… did I do that?
I returned to the clearing on hoof, still terrified at the thought of that sliced tree.
“How did it go? Starshot?” Page looked at me concerned.
I dropped to my knees and threw up, feeling tired and queasy. Page rushed over and rubbed my back, trying to help.
“Does that always happen when you use magic?”
“I always feel sick, yeah. And if something more powerful happens it tends to knock me out.”
“You have a mental barrier.” I looked at her in confusion. “Think of it like this: you’re afraid of your power, you think you don’t deserve it - so your mind punishes you for using it.”
“I… that actually does make a lot of sense. This power scares the cutie mark off me… and... and how I gained it…”
Tears filled my eyes as I remembered Sunspot’s sacrifice.
“There ...was an accident, myself and the girl I loved were buried alive, I ended up with my head impaled with a shard of dragon bone and she...” I was openly weeping now. “She gave her life to save me... she poured her magic into me through the bone...it became this horn...”
“Cave in... dragon... Sweet Celestia! You’re the one they’ve searched for all these years? The one they say killed a filly to try and become a god?”
“I am... but please, if you must talk about it. Please use her name... She was Sunspot... she was my life... I... I loved her...”
Tears ran down my face, dripping on the packed leaves of the clearing. Page hesitated for a moment before running up to me and wrapping her hooves around my neck. She held me tight as I cried. The sadness and heartache of all those years poured out of me as I sobbed my heart out. Looking back it must have been an odd sight, a massive pegasus crying on the shoulder of a small unicorn.
“Starshot, I have to ask... All the pain you went through. After being chased across Equestria... Why do your put yourself through so much to protect strangers?”
“I do it because I promised Sunspot; her last wish was that I be a guardian to those who need it.”
“For all those years you’ve struggled and been hurt because of a promise?”
“I know it seems strange but... you have to understand, I was an outcast, she made me better...”
“Starshot... I don’t understand.”
I told her my tale, sparing no details. Her face showed sorrow at my injury from the branch, wonder at Sunspot’s guardian spell, but finally she cried openly as I told of Sunspot’s sacrifice.
“How can you go on? Starshot, I would be furious at what’s been done to you!”
“How do you know I never made the whole thing up? Maybe I am the monster they decided I was.”
“I cast a spell to detect the truth while you spoke. You never lied once.”
It was dark when I finally finished my makeshift ramp, the split logs stretched into the dark of the library. After smashing the hole wider a little, Page could easily walk down and up as needed. I scavenged some rags and other things from one of the nearby farms and made Page a set of torches to see by. Keeping torches in an underground library full of books was, admittedly, a little dangerous... but I wasn’t about to go and try catching fireflies.
It was in her second day of serious cataloging when she turned to me and asked “Why are you helping me so much? I'm from Canterlot, the people hunting you.”
“Page, you’re my friend. I care about what happens to you and I’ll be darned if I don’t help out a friend when she needs it.”
Page watched me for a moment, a blush on her face. With a sudden movement she pulled off her glasses and kissed me. I was stunned. Happy for sure, but still stunned. I kissed her back, suddenly needing the comfort of another soul. In the back of my mind I could hear Sunspot’s voice, urging me on, to be happy. I smiled through my kiss. After a minute we pulled apart; Page nuzzled my neck and sighed happily.
“What, Page?”
“I found somepony that’s worth loving. Looks like I finally got a lucky break.”
I groaned loudly, receiving giggles in response.
“Lucky Break has been my nickname since the orphanage.”
Page looked at me with a smile, and then burst out laughing. I laughed too, free of worries. I could finally relax and enjoy something. For almost a week I was loved, and I loved Page back in return… even if I still couldn’t pronounce her real name.
Then she came.
It was very late at night when I returned from my patrols of the area, tired and exhausted. Another pack of Timberwolves had attacked a farmstead. Driving them off was no big issue now but the fight had left me incredibly drained. Page snuggled on the hay pile with me, curled under my wing. I was... happy, actually happy. I knew Sunspot was happy for me too. I began to drift off to sleep.
*BOOOM*
Something shook the ruins, throwing us both to the floor. The tremors subsided. I rolled to my hooves and headed for the door.
“Page! Close the door after me and don’t open it until I tell you to!”
I galloped out the door and froze. Towering above me was a dragon, deep red, almost black. It wore some kind of black armor, a crescent moon sigil engraved in the chest plate. More armored plates encased the wrists, thighs and shins. Massive wings rose from its back. It glared down at me with glowing yellow eyes.
“Who are you and what do you want?” My voice was free from fear but I was terrified nonetheless. What could I do to a dragon? I didn’t even reach its ankles!
The dragon spoke to me in an odd dual toned voice.
“Cower, foal, for I am Nightmare Blaze! I came seeking the bearer of the draconic magics. Instead, I find you.”
The contempt in its voice was obvious, something tugged at the back of my mind.
“Nightmare? As in Nightmare Moon?”
The two-toned laughter was chilling.
“Ah yes, little Luna. She was a good host... but now I possess the body of the dragon mage of legend. My power has never been greater!”
It turned its head and breathed out. A blast of black and crimson flames erupted. The forest never even had time to burn as everything was blown to ash. The Nightmare threw its head back and laughed. I stared at the desolation in horror; there was nothing left for miles. The remaining forest burned. It was then that I knew that this thing was going to kill me. Not for any other reason than because it could.
“You’re planning to kill me, am I right?”
“Yes, little foal. Luna and Celestia cannot know of me until I deem myself ready.”
I stomped a hoof, my magic flaring to life. Wings, horn and hooves were shrouded in silver light. My body pulsed.
“Well I hope you don’t mind me making you work for it.”
I launched myself, trailing silver light as I tore straight for the Nightmare’s face, flipping in mid charge and slamming into its muzzle. The impact knocked its head to the side, yellow eyes widening in surprise; I sped behind its back and angled my glowing wings, diving for the dragon’s. Seeming to sense my intentions, the nightmare span about, my charge only managing to shear the bone tip from one wing.
“Enough!” The roar was deafening, a tendril of black smoke shot from the dragon’s body and caught my leg. That gave it the opening it needed. One great claw slammed into me, knocking me from the sky. The impact with the ground smashed one of my legs and broke some of my ribs. I could feel one had punctured a lung. Coughing blood, I forced myself back upright.
“Starshot, no!”
Page galloped up to me, covered in dust and stone chips. Glancing over, I vaguely noted that my little home had collapsed.
“Page, whatever happens, stay behind me.”
And so here we are. I stand here bloody and broken. Against the Nightmare.
Love is a powerful thing.
I launched myself at the dragon once more but it this time it was expecting the attack. My charge met a single descending claw, the tip of one nail impaling me through the chest. I couldn’t even scream. With a look of disdain, I was thrown at the ruins; I felt bones shatter as I crashed through the stonework, the walls collapsing over me. Everything began to go dark. Dimly I could hear Page screaming my name. Everything went darker.
I died.
Something jabbed me in the ribs and with a shriek I leapt to my hooves. I was in... a field of lush, long grass. Ponies of all descriptions looked over at me.
“Starshot, you always did shriek like a filly!”
I knew that voice! I spun and hugged the purple filly behind me, tears of joy flowing down my face.
“Sunspot I missed you so much!”
Her amazing golden eyes snared my instant attention.
“Listen to me Starshot, there’s not a lot of time. That girl needs your help.”
“I can’t defeat the Nightmare, Sunspot, it’s far too powerful!”
“So you will let her die?”
“No, I can’t let her go, I love her...”
“Do you want to protect her?”
“...With all my soul.”
Sunspot beamed a happy grin at me.
“Finally, I just want you to be happy. Now listen. The reason your magics hurt to use is because they are not pony magic. You have the power of a Dragon Mage within you. Through that bone shard my magic has tied you to its element, Starlight. Your mind is rejecting it and so it hurts you when you use it. I can remove the blockage, but when I do you’ll be thrown back into your body and the soul of the dragon will awaken. I have no idea what will happen after that. Do you want me to release it?”
My eyes narrowed. “Let’s do this.”
Princess Luna, goddess of the night, stared out over Canterlot with a frown. In the far distance a red glow lit the sky. Turning from the window, she trotted back towards the throne room. A second alicorn, pure white in stark contrast to her own indigo coloring, was seated on one throne and yawning loudly.
“Tia, something is wrong, fire lights the sky in the west.”
Princess Celestia, the Ruler of Equestria, looked at her sister with concern.
“Are you sure it is as bad as it seems, my Luna?”
“Tia, for a glow like that, miles upon miles of forest must be burning!”
A small flash of flames surprised both alicorns as a dirty looking scroll appeared in the air and fell to the floor. With a frown, Celestia lifted it with her magic and began to read.
Princess! I am Antiquity, a librarian in the Canterlot library sent by you catalog the library left when Hoof Drannor was abandoned. I met a black alicorn here and we’re being attacked by some kind of dragon, Starshot is badly hurt! Please! We need help!
“Luna, go. They need you. I must raise the sun.”
The princess of the night nodded and galloped towards the open window. Celestia looked up and ran to stand by her side when her sister paused to gasp in shock. In the far distance, right where the crimson glow came from, stood a colossal pillar of silver light.
I opened my eyes. I felt so cold. The pain was so great that I couldn’t even whimper.
I heard Page sobbing, pawing at the rubble I lay beneath.
“Now that your brave colt friend is gone, what shall I do with you? Shall I burn you alive? Perhaps crush you slowly?”
I could feel my body charging up. Fire ripped through my veins.
“YOU SHALL NOT TOUCH HER!”
It was my voice... but a second voice spoke through me. Everything around me exploded. Silver light leapt into the air, drawing my shattered body with it. I felt blood running down my legs as I ascended the pillar of light, reaching the height of the Nightmare’s eyes.
“This pony has awakened me, and what do I find? My descendant corrupted by a creature like you !”
“You shall not mock me, little pony! I possess the great Dragon mage! Its powers are mine to command!”
“You understand NOTHING, creature! The true power of the dragon mages is passed down by the soul of its ancestors! ”
I felt a presence sifting through my mind, reading my memories. In my mind I heard the voice speak to me.
“You have great heart, pony, a will that rivals the dragons themselves. I will help you, this once. Speak to me when it is done, we have much to discuss .”
The Nightmare attacked, a blast of its terrible breath engulfing my broken form. The flames died harmlessly against the light of the pillar. I was unable to move; the other presence pushed my awareness back roughly and took control of the magic. A beam of silver light erupted from my horn, slamming into the Nightmare’s chest with a deafening boom. The shock on the dragon’s face was total. A second blast sent it staggering back. My broken wings spread out, wreathed in light. Screaming in my mind at the agony, I could only watch as a cloud of silver feathers appeared about me, before rocketing at the Nightmare. Every time a feather struck, it exploded with a glaring flash. The barrage actually threw the creature to the ground. The clouds parted above me as a second pillar of light arced down, its impact all but driving the dragon into the ground, the castle completely collapsed from the tremors caused by the attack. I felt my body breathe in deeply, my punctured lung so painful I couldn’t think straight. I breathed out; silver flames erupted from my muzzle, screaming towards the Nightmare’s prone form.
“This isn’t over, foal!”
The Nightmare covered itself in its black and crimson flames and vanished. The silver flames washed over the spot it had laid a moment too late. I looked down at Page, looking back up to me with wonder on her face. I smiled weakly as the light of the pillar winked out and I fell. Mercifully, I passed out before I hit the ground.
I heard voices, some distant, some close.
“Can he be saved?”
“To be honest, Princess, I have no idea how he is alive. He is concussed, has three broken legs, both wings are shattered, there is a hole in his ribcage I can put my head into and that’s before I start on the internal damage! Not to even mention the missing organs!”
“Is something keeping his soul in that body?”
“Perhaps. Some kind of magic is slowly repairing his body; I took a second x-ray of his left wing, trying to find a way to save it. Almost half of the smaller bones have knitted themselves back together.”
“Is he an Alicorn? The power Luna described would suggest so...”
“No, he shows none of the signs, he’s quite mortal. I must point something out to you, though. Almost his entire body is covered in scars, most so faded they are not noticeable, but it would suggest he has been fighting for all this time.”
“Doctor, what’s your opinion on the horn? Could this Pegasus have created it by stealing magic?”
“Not a chance, your highness. The magics we have identified within him are all a part of him. None are alien.”
“So, my little pony, we will have to wait until you wake to know the truth...”
I faded out.
I heard later that I had been in a coma for two months. The doctors had spent day after day casting healing spells on my body, stopping my muscles from wasting away. Page had been refused access to me. Even while being almost dead again, I had been kept under guard. Not really surprising, I was a wanted fugitive after all. After almost a week after I woke up, I was declared fit enough to leave the hospital. Expecting to be led to trial, I was surprised when instead a trio of unicorns teleported me straight into a dungeon cell.
I spent two days in that cell; a single guard seemed to take pleasure in ignoring my attempts at conversation. It came to a head on the second night. The cell was so cold; I burrowed into the straw piled into one corner, trying to get warm. With a sigh I trotted to the bars and called out.
“Hey, can I get a blanket or something? It’s cold in here!”
“Sure, just come down here and grab one” The guard sneered back.
Ok, I had had it with that jerk. I turned from the bars and charged a single hoof with light. One single kick smashed the lock from the door. I could see the terror in that jerk’s eyes as I walked towards him. I never spoke a single word; I just walked past him, grabbed a blanket from a nearby table and walked back into my cell, closing the door behind me. Wrapping it around me, I snuggled into the straw and went to sleep.
Dawn found me awake, as was my routine; I was doing wing pushups when somepony coughed politely. I glanced over at the door, surprised to find it open. In the frame stood an alicorn, her long mane seeming to be made of the night itself. A cutie mark of a crescent moon adorned her flank and her armour. She waved politely.
“Oh hey there, come on in. I would offer you a seat, but the guard hasn’t left one here.”
“Is it true you escaped your cell last night?”
“Sorry about that. I needed a blanket and the guard was being a jerk.”
“So you are capable of escape from your cell at any time?”
“I wouldn’t call it escaping; I came back into here and closed the door when I had a blanket.”
“Why did you not run?”
“I'm not going anywhere, I'm tired of running. Besides, I need to know if Page is alright.”
She gave me an odd look. “Who is Page?”
“The girl I was with, Antiak... antifi... Ugh! I still can’t say it!”
“Oh, the librarian, Antiquity. She seems to be very worried about you.”
I gave her a glare, seeming to surprise her. It then dawned on me who I was chatting with. Princess Luna, princess of the night and co-ruler of Equestria. I wasn’t impressed or awed, though. I was too annoyed.
“And that surprises you? That a girl like her can like something like ME?”
My voice had risen to a roar. Realizing this I took a few deep breaths to calm down.
“Sorry, Princess. It’s... it’s just hard for me not to jump to the conclusion that I'm seen as a monster…”
Luna let out a sad little sigh. “I can understand that feeling all too well.”
“So...what happens to me now?”
“You’re to be tried in the royal court. Before you get upset, though, I have looked into your past. There seems to be... some differences from what you were accused of, and what evidence was presented. Starshot…can I ask you a question?”
The serious look on her face had me concerned. Was she going to make me relive Sunspot’s passing? I don’t think I could handle that right now. Maybe it was about Nightmare Blaze? That had to be it.
“What happened to you under that rubble? I sensed you die; your soul reached the fields of the Eternal Herd. Yet moments later you returned to life and beat the hay out of Nightmare Blaze!”
“To be honest, your highness…”
“Call me Luna”
“Sorry, ah, Luna. I have no idea. I was in this vast field and Sunspot was there. She told me I was bound to the powers of the dragon mage whose bone shard makes up my horn...”
“What was the mage’s name?”
“I don’t really know... the bones rested in the Dragon’s Maw.”
Luna’s eyes grew wide as I gave her a confused look. She took a step backwards. Okay, now I was panicking.
“Luna, what’s wrong?”
“Alganon…The Starlight Dragon…”
“What is going on Luna? Please, you’re freaking me out here!”
“I'm sorry, Starshot, I must speak with Celestia immediately!”
With that she left the cell, sealing it with magic and leaving me stunned. An odd thought came to me and I closed my eyes.
“Hey Alganon, you said we needed to talk...?” I thought at myself.
“Ah! Looks like the little pony has finally found out where his powers come from .”
“Okay, I’ll bite, but what the hay is going on? How am I even talking to you… thinking at you…whatever I'm doing?”
“Allow me to explain; for a Dragon Mage to mature and come into his own powers, he must learn from an ancestor. For this purpose, when we die, we leave a portion of our power and soul in our remains .”
“So I'm speaking to a dragon’s soul?”
“Not quite. Think of me as a remnant. I do not have access to all I once knew and all of the powers I once wielded, but I can guide in their usage .”
“Right, I'm speaking to a voice in my head. I have finally gone insane”
“Hmm. You don’t trust me? After I saved you and your little friend ?”
“You used my body with no regards to how hurt I was, but I thank you for saving Page…What was that you did anyway? What in Equestria is this... silver light?”
“Hmmm. How to explain... you are not the smartest creature I have spoken to .”
I frowned. I know I'm not book smart and all, but I’ve never let it stop me. What I don’t understand, I work at until I find a way forward.
“Ah! Think of the Royal Sisters, each are bound to a cosmic force: Celestia to the sun, and Luna to the moon. My power stemmed from the light of the stars themselves .”
“Okay... I was with you until cosmic.”
I felt the sigh of frustration more than heard it.
“Celestia is powered by the sun, Luna by the moon and I drew power from the stars. Simple enough?”
“Right... so I'm using magic through you somehow?”
“Not exactly. The shard from my skull is lodged directly into your brain. The power you use is a small fraction of what you can draw from. You are now tied to the stars themselves .”
“So I can use the spells that beat the Nightmare back so easily?”
“No, they were my powers. You must teach yourself what form the magic will take .”
“Will you help me?”
“No. I do not think you deserve the powers you now possess. They should have been passed to my descendant. ”
“The dragon the Nightmare has possessed?”
“I will make you a deal, little one. Help release him from his torment, be it freedom or death, and I will help guide you .”
“Deal.”
I opened my eyes to note with surprise that the sun had set. I must have been talking for hours. With a sigh, I settled into the straw and went to sleep.
The sound of the cell door banging open woke me, a trio of guards and four unicorns marching into the cell. Chains dangled from the back of the closest guard, a white Pegasus in gold armor.
“Starshot of Trottingham, it is time for your trial.”
I didn’t resist as I was chained around the neck and hoof; a wide belt of leather was then fastened around my wings, and some sort of odd ring was placed around my horn. Satisfied with my restraints, the four unicorns cast a spell, teleporting us all into the white hall of the royal throne room. Celestia and Luna were seated upon the thrones, Luna looking at me with an odd expression, Celestia staring down at me with cold anger. I gulped my fear down, but it rose up again. Taking a length of my chains each, the Guards led me towards the sisters. I cast my eyes down fearfully.
Celestia looked sternly at me before speaking. “Is there anything you wish to say before the trial begins?”
The doors to the room crashed open, one of the Pegasus guards crashing through them. A gruff voice shouted out, the anger in his voice clearly felt.
“You aren’t trying my boy for nothing before I’ve had my say!”
“Charcoal?”
OK let’s recap, I met a girl, fell in love, was killed by a dragon possessed by the spirit of evil itself, Came back to life, spent some time in a coma, met princess Luna and had the pony who wanted to adopt me burst into my murder trial as it began…
I stared in shock as the grey pony walked down towards me. The guards gripping my chains pulled them tight, seeming to think I would run. They were almost right. A brown filly ran into the room and sprinted towards me, shouting out in glee.
“Lucky!”
It took a moment register who it was, she had gotten so big! “Summer!”
I ran to her, sweeping her up in a hug before flying into the air and spinning the young filly about with a happy grin. Summer squealed with laughter. I flipped her onto my back and let her wrap her small hooves round my neck. It then dawned on me I had three guards restraining me, with a glance back I winced. All three guards lay face down on the floor, looking up at me with undisguised shock. I must have dragged them with me in my haste to reach summer…oh horse apples…
With a sheepish grin I trotted back to the guards, apologising as I went. Summer refused to leave my back. She seemed to think if she let me go I would disappear again.
Charcoal laughed, then fixed the princesses with a stern look. Other ponies began to file into the room, many faces I remembered or knew. The townsfolk, Redwing, an old pony mare whose cart I pulled for a few days, all people I helped in one form or another.
Charcoal had decided he had to speak his mind as he glared at the two alicorn’s.
“What gives you the right to lock up a fine young colt like Starshot? What gives you the right to judge him? Were you there? Did you see what happened? I don't care if your princesses, Your not locking that boy away!”
Luna’s smile had reached almost epic proportions while Celestia looked to be in a state of shock.
“They are our monarchs you stupid stallion and you will show them respect they deserve.”
I knew that voice all too well, all the smiles and cheer on my face faded as the white stallion walked in,Arrogance radiated from him. Heartscure, one of the doctors who had accused me back at the hospital. He glared at me, eyes filled with hatred, before flipping his white mane with one hoof.
“You monster, will pay for the death of that stupid child.”
I snapped. I didn't care what he thought of me but he would not talk about Sunspot that way. I forgot summer was hugging my back. My voice became low and dangerous.
“Her name was Sunspot you pathetic excuse for a stallion and if you EVER speak of her like that again only one of us will walk out of this room!”
The colour drained from Heartscure’s face, I have to admit when I'm angry, I'm pretty scary…sort of. It’s hard to be intimidating when an adorable filly is hugging your neck with a happy grin.
Now, I’ll admit that I hate scaring anypony but that jerk ruined my life, tried to make my first loves sacrifice a crime and forced me to be hunted for years... I have no regrets scaring him at all. Then again neither did the red Pegasus who landed in front of Heartscure and slammed a hoof across his face.
“Sunspot was my friend! You EVER say anything like that about her again and if Lucky doesn’t hurt you I will!”
That’s one of the few times I ever saw Redwing angry. This was quickly getting out of hand, I had to do something before my friends and family got themselves into trouble.
“Everypony wait! Calm down and listen, I want to be here, I'm just so tired of running. I have faith that the princesses will seek the truth. Please, let them do this.”
You know, I doubt I could have received more shocked looks if I had announced that I wanted to shave off my mane and dye my coat pink. Even Celestia seemed surprised. Summer climbed down from my back and went back to charcoal’s side; I bowed my head and faced the thrones.
“Princesses, may I approach?” Celestia glanced at Luna's smugly grinning face and nodded.
I trotted towards the alicorn sisters, feeling apprehensive but hopeful. I knew what had been said about me, I knew what would happen to me if I was found guilty. Still, I had to do this, For her.
“Celestia, Luna. I… I know what I'm accused of is unforgivable, so I… I'm giving up all my rights. Do whatever you feel you must to me, I owe it to Sunspot to see her sacrifice honoured…”
Celestia still never uttered a word, the look on her face was cold…Luna looked pleased and gave her sister a smirk. Something was going on there; I have no idea what though.
A sneer from behind me stoked my anger once more, “You gave up all rights when you murdered that filly, freak.”
Heartscure smirked at me with an air of self-importance, Wings fluttered as Redwing launched himself at the arrogant stallion.
“Wait Redwing, Stop!”
The crimson Pegasus stopped his charge and stared at me, I could see his confusion. I shook my head, with a small nod he flew back to the group.
“Everypony, I need your word you won’t do anything until this is over, I'm not going to run. Please… I have to do this”
“Gentleponies, I want you to bind me, hoof and wing, I’ll show no resistance.”
The chains were fastened around my body, this time binding my wings; I lay on my side as my legs were bound together and locked.
Luna’s voice spoke out, “Starshot, why are you going to such lengths? Your word would have been enough.”
I sighed sadly, “Luna, it’s about what I am, I don’t understand it, and I don’t have control over all the power within me. I'm doing this because I'm terrified of what may happen if I lose control.”
Celestia’s face softened slightly, it seemed that my fear of hurting anypony struck a chord within her. That’s also why she didn’t seem to care for me as well, she loves her subjects too much and the thought of one being murdered must hurt her so much.
Heartscure spoke up again, venom dripping from his voice. “You didn’t fear it when you took that filly's life.”
“SILENCE!” The room seemed to shake from the force of Celestia’s shout, “This pony is merely accused and you treat him as if he is guilty already, I am tired of this! You are here as his accuser, present any evidence you have that he committed this act or be silent.”
I was terrified, everything I knew of the solar princess told me she was always calm and reasonable, this crime has pushed her beyond the limits of herself control.
“My proof is this creature’s horn.” Heartscure sneered, “A Pegasus cannot have a horn, it’s all the proof I need.”
A thought occurred to me, in my studies I read of a spell that allows an alicorn to see into the mind of a pony, the downside was it could kill them with the side effects. I had to ask, it was the only way I could think of to end this once and for all.
“Princess, I have read of a spell, I don’t know its name… it allows alicorn’s to see into the memories of a pony?”
Luna looked at me horrified. “The spell causes immense pain! We banned its use because of this!”
I smiled weakly, utterly terrified. “I gave up my rights Luna, use it… It’s only my word against his; there can be no end to this without proof”
Luna looked to her sister, who nodded sadly. I closed my eyes as her soft hoof steps approached me. I heard a faint ringing, a sound I always associated with unicorn magic’s. Luna’s horn touched my forehead.
I screamed.
I have never felt pain like that, even when I died. My entire body twitched and jerked as every nerve felt as if it was on fire, I felt my legs kick in their chain bindings. Voices echoed from my past, the teachers, Dragon fire, Redwing, Sunspot… I forced one eye open, dimly seeing my memories displayed in the air above me, and my screams became soundless as Luna’s magic probed deeper. The pain forced me to black out.
<==========0ooxoo0========>
I came too with a groan and forced my eyes open. I looked on in shock at the scene before me. Heartscure was cowering before Celestia and Luna, both of the Alicorn’s faces twisted in anger. Celestia spoke, her voice low and cold.
“Without any real proof you accused that young pony of murder, with no proof you forced him to go through SIX YEARS of pain and misery. You made one of my little ponies suffer for all that time”
Luna’s voice was filled with pain and anger as she spoke next, “You saw what he went through, he lost his first love in the most heart-breaking fashion I have ever seen, he made her a promise and has spent all those years helping and protecting every pony that he could. Everypony in Equestria has heard of his exploits! Night Wing, The hero of Paddock town, the Defender of the Everfree forest, and the list goes on! Why? Why in Equestria did you not even try to find out what had happened before calling the guard on a scared, traumatised young colt?”
“It doesn’t matter now Luna, I don’t believe either of us can make a fair decision on how to handle this, I believe we should we let young Starshot choose what happens next”
I stood up shakily, fighting to keep my balance. I noted with some surprise that my chains had been removed and for some unknown reason my mane had been combed out? OK... I’ll figure that out later.
“Princess, my choice is to do nothing” The entire room was in a state of shock as I continued, “Sunspot never had a bad word for anypony, no matter what they had done, and she even forgave Redwing for striking her when we were kids”
Redwing’s voice called from the back of the hall, “Thanks to the friendship of those two I am the stallion I am today, I was a bully, now I am a flight teacher for the kids at Cloudsdale academy”
“To inflict harm on any pony will desecrate her memory; I loved her too much for that”
Luna however had no such compulsions, “Guards, take him away. I'm sentencing him to six years imprisonment for his crimes, I also strip him of all titles and holdings, be thankful this young pony was merciful.”
Two white Pegasus guards escorted the disgraced doctor from the hall, as they neared the door a yellow unicorn stepped out in front of them. The impact of Page’s hoof into Heartscure’s face echoed across the hall. Amazingly the stallion was knocked the hay out! Sweet Celestia that girl had a punch like a mule! Page shook out her hoof and trotted towards me, whistling happily. Luna and Celestia looked at each other in shock for a moment before bursting out with laughter, all the remaining tension seemed to drain from the room.
I was confused I’ll admit, it seemed I was cleared but if it was confirmed, I was yet again, unconscious for it. Page looked at me with a frown, her horn shone for a moment as a comb floated from her saddlebags; she drew it through my tangled mess of a mane. So THAT’S why it was brushed out.
“Page, why did you buck him in the face like that?”
Page gave me a smile, “Nopony forces my stallion to live through all that”
“Oh so I'm yours now am I?” I grinned, I felt really good at that moment.
Luna spoke up behind me, “oh after watching your memories I doubt anyone will dispute that”
Page was staring at the floor, blushing furiously. It then dawned on me what she meant.
“You mean you saw us kissing and nuzzling? Oh no… just kill me now!”
Luna laughed as I hid my face under my hooves, blushing. “Actually it was very sweet, especially the way you covered her with your wing at night”
I groaned under my hooves, “Luna, come on! Give me a break here!”
“A Lucky Break?” Her sarcastic comeback was so well placed it could have been rehearsed. Wait a moment, I STILL had not found out if I was in the clear! I turned to Celestia, finally coming out from hiding under my hooves and asked the one question that was plaguing me.
“Celestia, what happens to me now?”
Celestia smiled warmly at me, I felt my fears drain away under that kind face.
“Oh my little pony, now we make it up to you. You’ve gone through so much, yet you fought to protect the ponies of Equestria”
“Don’t you mean my not so little pony ‘Tia?” Luna sniggered.
“Ignore my charming sister Starshot, The ponies of this realm owe you much for what you did for them and for what was done to you, I understand that your afraid of your odd magic’s so I will arrange for a trainer to teach you to control them, now is there anything else we can do to repay you for those six years?”
I stared down at the floor, a single thought in my head. My only real regret.
“Can… can you tell me where Sunspot was buried?”
<==========0ooxoo0========>
Several hours of flight had landed me back in Trottingham, The town hadn’t changed a lot since the day I ran. I walked through the town in a daze, receiving odd looks at my horn. Finally I reached my goal, a hill overlooking the orphanage. A single oak tree grew there; in the shade below its canopy laid a single grave. Standing before the headstone I felt numb, Sunspot, the girl who both saved and shaped my life. This is where they laid her down for her final rest.
I stared at the tombstone, unable to simply read it yet; carefully I laid down what I had carried in my mouth all the way from Canterlot, a single rose. What could I say now I was here? I had spent years wondering what they had done with her body; I missed her funeral as I could not come back for fear of the guard chasing me. With a deep breath I composed myself enough to read.
Here lies Sunspot.
Our own element of harmony
Taken from us too young
Equestria is lesser for her passing
Rest in peace
Tears broke free, the kind words on the stone shattering my mental dams. I just lay there, wailing in sorrow. I have no idea how long it took to pull myself back together. I no longer knew what to say, the girl who made me who I am, the filly who broke through my shell of misery and loneliness lay forever at rest here before me and I had no idea what to say or do. A single idea did occur to me, focusing with all of my will, I began to use my horn to engrave a symbol into the headstone. I felt it was only right; she had given me my cutie mark so I had to give one to her. Satisfied I stood and said the only words I knew she would want to hear.
“Sunspot, I love you, I always did and always will, I know you’re watching me now so I will make you another promise. I will be the stallion you wanted me to be, I will protect Equestria, I will stop Nightmare Blaze or I will die trying”
With a final smile I launched myself into the air and headed back to Canterlot, behind me a single symbol, engraved upon the headstone shone with silver light.
<==========0ooxoo0========>
The following day found me in the castle courtyard, Page watching from a nearby window as three ponies stood before me. Princess Luna stood in the centre, a smirk on her face. To her left stood the white Pegasus Bright Shield, captain of the royal guard. To her right stood a royal blue unicorn with a black mane and a cutie mark of a thundercloud. She had introduced herself as Lightning strike, one of the royal unicorn magi.
Luna grinned at me and motioned Lightning Strike forward, her horn glowing; Luna created a bubble around the courtyard, effectively sealing us in.
“Now Starshot, from your memories we saw you seem to have a knack for getting injured so the first lesson will be evasion and protection. Lightning here will be casting combat spells at you; your job is to evade them without the aid of your magic and to try to use that same magic to protect yourself”
I grinned; I had been dodging attacks for years. My instincts were sharp. I watched as Lightning’s horn began to glow…
And woke up, face down on the flagstones. Page was looking down at me, concern in her face. I forced myself to my hooves, giving my head a shake to clear out the confusion I looked at Lightning, her muzzle a wicked smile. I closed my eyes and sent a thought inwards.
“Hey Alganon, you still in here?”
“Of course little pony, where else would I be?”
“I have heard it told that dragons are so fearsome because they seem to predict where an attack will land, is this correct?”
“You have the basic idea, it is not any sort of magic though, we just read the wind”
“How does that work?”
“Hmm, as a Pegasus you may be able to do this too, expand your awareness around you, feel the air and its flow. All disturbances’ in the wind begin at some point, feel that and predict how it will follow that path”
I followed the instructions, letting my coat feel every motion around me in the air, letting the feathers of my winds feel the breeze. Slowly I began to perceive changes around me, I felt the wind break and flow around obstructions, and I could almost see every pony’s motions before they were made. Alganon gently guided me through every step until I could feel the wind in every motion around me.
I open my eyes and smiled, “let’s try this again lightning”
I felt incredible; the feeling of reading the wind was almost intoxicating. Lightning’s horn began to glow; I could almost see the path the spell would take. Feeling the air ionize, I sidestepped; the bolt of magical lightning erupted from her horn a split second later, striking the spot I had just stood a moment before. Lightning looked at me with surprise before frowning. Bolt after bolt of electricity was shot at me; I just sidestepped them, ducked or in one case watched it go wide… I guess she was trying to predict my movements. Finally Lightning shouted in frustration.
“Arrrgh! Luna I thought he wasn’t allowed to use magic!”
The princess of the night was watching me with a smirk, she KNEW what I was doing, I could tell.
“Lightning, he has not used any form of magic’s; he’s reading the air around us. That’s no small feat, most Pegasi never figure out how”
Luna’s smile faded. “Now comes the hard part, defence, this time you must use the magic’s within you to defend yourself. Don’t think of attacking, think of how you’re magic could protect you. Lightning will use a weaker version of her spell, it won’t knock you out but it will hurt. Remember, don’t try to force it, let your magic know what you need and let it find a way”
Nodding, I stood my ground and waited, the electrical bolt struck. I grunted in pain, feeling the skin under the spells impact begin to blister, I tried to summon the shield I had used when I saved Summer the second time. Nothing was happening! Nothing I tried seemed to work, I tried to summon walls in front of the spell; I tried levitating flagstones…why I have no idea as I can’t even levitate a coin! The pain was forcing me to my knees.
Luna was looking at me with huge eyes, her mouth gaping open… actually so was Bright Shield…OK so was everypony… I glanced down at my hooves and did a double take myself. My legs where encased in some kind of silver metal, it shone with light. I looked myself over, surprised at what I saw. My entire body was encased in an ornate suit of barding, slightly scaled. The armour on my wings had a lethal cutting edge, like a knife! I spread out my wings experimentally, the metal seemed weightless. Even my mane and tail had become bound with ringlets of the strange silver metal.
“Erm… Luna, what’s going on?” I had no idea where this barding comes from.
Luna closed her gaping mouth and considered me for a moment, after a minute or two she gave a wing shrug.
“I have no idea; it must be a manifestation of your magic”
I just stared at her dumbfounded. I had no idea why my desire for protection had created this armour. Maybe the magic formed depending on its user... hmm actually that made sense, I had no real ranged power, and I fought up close and personal. Every magic I had created had been a way to improve my close combat ability’s.
I think in that moment I really began to get an understanding on how my magic worked, the books I read were useless to me as I was trying to learn to use magic as a unicorn would and I am not a unicorn, even if I do have a horn.
Captain Bright Shield stepped forward, with a nod to Luna, he addressed me.
“OK Starshot, now we have made some progress we will move onto combat training. From your memories I have seen you have some talent but now we will turn it into skill”
I felt my armour begin to change; flakes began to fly away from me, like a silver snowstorm. In moments I was once again back to my usual unimpressive self. I took a stance as Bright Shield approached. His attack was swift, precise and completely surprising. He reared up and with a flap of his wings, flipped over, catching me under the muzzle with both back hooves.
“Lesson one kid, never expect your opponent to fight as you do”
Our sparing lasted into the night; I never landed a single hit in all that time. It drove it home to me that I knew nothing of real fighting; all I had done was flail blindly with my hooves. Utterly exhausted and sore, I hobbled back to the room Celestia had provided for me. All I wanted was to sleep, Sweet Celestia was I tired. Too bad Page had other ideas…
I opened my door to find Page standing there inside waiting for me, steam drifted from the connecting bathroom. She wrinkled her nose and pointed to the bathroom with a stern look. I was far too tired to argue, with a weary nod I staggered in and climbed into the suds filled tub. The hot water felt amazing, drawing the hurt from my muscles. I was drifting to sleep when yellow hooves began to rub soap into my mane.
“Page, please I'm too tired for this”
“Starshot, you stink, your hair is a mess and from one look I can tell you never brushed it for months at a time”
Truth be told, I hadn’t brushed it since I fled the hospital. Page mothered over me, rubbing the soap into my hair and running a metal comb through, not stopping until my mane and tail flowed smooth and straight, the tangles of years gone. After I got out the tub and dried off, Page insisted on running a brush through my coat and rubbing down my wings. I just let her do it, far too tired to argue.
After an hours grooming, with me swaying with exhaustion by that point, Page declared me finally presentable and practically pushed me in front of the bathroom mirror. Wow, I actually looked good, a little bleary eyed but good. My ragged mane was now smooth and stood out almost like the Mohawk style the palace guards wore their hair in, my black coat shone, like ebony. I was impressed.
Page shoved me to the bed and told me in no uncertain terms I was to lay down and sleep. I was happy to oblige. As soon as I closed my eyes I felt a familiar warmth press to my chest, I opened my eyes to see Page curling up against me.
“It’s OK if I sleep here right Starshot? I … I just can’t sleep well since the dragon and… You make me feel safe… “
I smiled and lay my wing across her protectively, I heard her sigh with content before beginning snoring loudly. With a grin, I kissed her behind the ear and fell asleep myself.
<==========0ooxoo0========>
The following day found me at a racetrack near Ponyville, Luna and Page sat to one side of the 100 meter sprint stretch of the track, next to an odd device. It looked like a small windmill with a gauge to one side. Luna had explained that she had borrowed it from Twilight Sparkle, whoever that was, to help with the next part of my training.
Luna stood and called over to me. “OK Starshot, all you have to do is fly as fast as you can, without magic, down this track and this device will tell us what your wing power is”
I was confused. “Wing power?”
“How strong your wings are and how fast you can fly silly!” I swear since Page has been hanging out with Luna, she has picked up Luna’s sarcasm.
Both girls smiled at me and began to pump there hooves in unison while chanting Go Go Go. With a grin I shook my head and stretched out my wings. Realising this is my chance to impress Page I went for it, my wings blurred as I took off the line like a rocket, speeding down the track as the world blurred past me. I shot past the girls, the tailwind dragging their manes after me. Luna and page both crowded the dial, Page let out a whistle.
“Wow, 16.5! That’s fast!”
Luna gave me an appraising look, “Hmm with your big body I expected a much lower number but you’re actually pretty fast, let’s hope Rainbow Dash doesn’t hear about this.”
“Rainbow who?” Why did they keep dropping names like this, expecting me to know who they are? Don’t they remember I lived in a ruin and hid from the world?
“OK now my little pony” Oh pony feathers, now Luna is doing impressions of Celestia. “I want you to try it again with your magic wings… What did you call it Page?”
“Starlight speed.”
Great, don’t I get to name my magic? She had already named my Starlight Strike…great I'm even using the name. With a sigh I headed back to the start line and focused. Something in my mind snapped, usually I felt the magic trickle, this felt like a flood! My wings exploded with silver light, seeming to grow to twice the size. My jaw hung open as I gaped at the sight of my huge silver wings.
Feeling out my new appendages a little I flapped them lazily, the magically created wings seemed to work exactly like my own. With a final flap I turned back to the girls, who decided the best way to help me understand this was to whistle and mock swoon at me… why do all the girls in my life have to try and annoy me?
Focusing and blocking out the attempts of those two mares to distract me I launched myself down the track. Everything blurred. the force of the wind in my face made it hard to keep my eyes open. I shot past the line in a streak of silver, the force of the tailwind blowing Page from her feet.
Luna peered at the machines dial, her eyes wide with surprise. I landed next to her, Page getting up and glaring at me. With a smirk, Luna turned to me.
“We definitely can’t tell dash about this! that was a 33.2.”
Both mares grinned at me, excitement in Page’s face. I gave the only response I could.
“Is that good or bad?”
I felt something stroke my wing from behind me as a cheerful voice spoke up, “ooh shiny!”
I span around, no pony was there? Something stroked my other wing, I span around again, finding nothing there. OK this was getting annoying.
“Do you paint those to get them to shine like that?”
I span around and around, unable to locate the voice, Both Luna and Page was laughing at me hysterically by now. OK, enough is enough!
“Who keeps doing that?” I looked around in vain, getting more and more confused. A face dropped in front of my eyes suddenly, upside down. With a yelp of surprise a fell back onto my behind, much to the laughter of two mares that were really starting to annoy me…
“Hi?” I was confused as hay, who was this Pegasus and why was she wearing armour? She cocked her head to one side and pouted at me…OK now I was REALLY confused.
“Aww, the shiny wings have gone? I liked them too.” OK this girl was crazy…
Luna grinned at me for a while, until I glared back in annoyance.
“Starshot, meet your flight instructor, Captain Night Feather of the Equestrian Guard”
I looked back to Night Feather, Still smiling happily at me; I had to ask the first question to come into my head. “Why, can’t I already fly?”
Night Feather griped one of my wings in her mouth and pulled it straight, I was too surprised to resist. She proceeded to poke at the flight muscles with an oddly intense expression.
“Hmm, you have a lot of speed in a straight line but struggle with turns, fast changes in direction throw you off and you seem to have great lifting power.” How did she know all that? She has only seen me fly in a straight dash!
Night Feather grinned at my astonished look and explained. “all the power in your wings come from two groups of muscles, the ones near your shoulders are over developed, they are what give you lift and thrust but the ones nearer your wing tips are almost stunted, they control the angle of your wings and the speed you can turn.”
My jaw bounced off the floor, I had thought this girl was a prank being played on me but the knowledge she had? It was mind blowing! “So how do I fix that?”
As a response my new trainer flew over to Luna and whispered in her ear, with a nod, the princess of the night conjured up a set of weights. Night Feather lost no time in attaching them to my wing tips.
“Wear those for a week and try to fly everywhere, and then we will get you flying like this!”
She shot into the air, with barely a movement of her wings; Night feather spiralled down towards the ground, span into a glide not a foot from the ground and then launched herself back skywards. I watched the mind blowing aerial acrobatics with awe, the girl could really fly! Finally she landed before me and pointed down the track.
“OK, a thousand laps to start with and when we are done I'm taking you and your fillyfreind out for a drink!”
<==========0ooxoo0=========>
“Hey there my fine young filly, care for a little company?” He flashed his winning smile, Smugly sure this approach that had worked so many times was a sure fire winner.
The small unicorn mare adjusted her glasses and lifted a trio of drinks with her magic. “Sorry, not interested.”
Iron Shod was incensed, nopony turns him down him, nopony! With a glance over his shoulder, his two henchponies walked over, crowding the unicorn mare against the bar.
“You will be coming with me.” Iron Shod growled, determined this mare would be his one way or another. Gripping her hair with his teeth he tried to drag her back to his table. A cyan hoof slapped him across the face, with a snarl he shouted at the Pegasus hovering in front of his prize.
“This is where you run away little girl before my boys take issue”
The cyan Pegasus grinned at Iron Shot and replied in a cheerful voice, “Actually this is the part where Page’s coltfreind stomps your flanks into the mud”
“Err... Boss?”
Iron shod glanced at his cronies, then behind him, following their stares. And froze, A massive black alicorn stood behind them, red mane flared out, crimson eyes glaring with anger. The nightmarish figure leaned down and whispered into Iron Shod’s ear.
“This is the part where you start screaming”
<==========0ooxoo0========>
“You did WHAT?” Luna was not happy with us…
“Well in our defence they were aggressive and they DID have warrants out for their arrests.” Night Feather that was genius!
“Did you three know this before starting a bar fight?” Aww Luna why did you have to shoot down that excuse?
“Starshot, what’s your excuse for this?”
I looked up at Luna, seated upon her throne in the night court.
“They hurt Page.”
“That’s no excuse! You put one of them through a wall! Surely there…was…” Her voice trailed off as she took in my expression, I think she remembered how protective I am of those I care about. Page was curled against me, my wing draped across her back protectively.
“Luna, I held back, I never used magic. If I did I could have killed all three with little effort. Scum like that are not ponies in my eyes. They were lucky all they got was a few bruises.”
Page spoke up, “Luna, I’ve seen Starshot kick a tree out of the ground, roots and all! If he wanted to hurt them they would not be sitting in a cell with a few bruises.”
Luna read more of the report levitating before her, and then glanced at Page.
“I never expected you to buck a pony in his…his…” Luna burst out laughing.
Page looked offended “He could still walk couldn’t he? If I got Starshot to do it, he would have a broken pelvis right now!”
I smiled at the memory, the aggressive grey stallion turned to me, I whispered in his ear and Page spinning round and planting two hooves where it hurts. EVERY stallion in the room winced at the same time. I mean it sounded like she had bucked a wall!
Luna lost all semblance of anger as the laughter took over. I returned to my room to find Page there, sitting at a table covered in coins and weights. With a defeated sigh I sat at the table and waited, let me explain, ever since the first night after the trial she had been coming here and trying to teach me levitation, it had become an obsession to her… actually I found the look of concentration she gave while talking me through the exercises very cute.
To be honest I doubted I would ever learn how to do it, levitation was a unicorn magic and I am just a Pegasus. Well sort of. I have the spirit of a dragon mage lurking in my mind and I have access to the magic of the stars. Oh and there’s the guardian spell that is now a part of me. I still like to think I'm a normal Pegasus though. Anyway.
Page talked me through her latest exercise, “Now Starshot, focus on the coin and let your magic envelop it, let it feel it out”
I focused, following her instructions to the letter and achieving…well nothing but a headache. A thought occurred to me, my magic wasn’t pony magic but based from draconic magic. I focused inwards and spoke to Alganon.
“Hey dragon guy, can you guys levitate stuff like a unicorn?”
“You will address me by my name!! Well yes we use levitation magic’s but not as you ponies do”
“So how do you guys go about it?”
“Let me explain something first, most draconic magic’s are elemental in nature, fire, wind, water. Levitation and similar type are based from soul magic; each object is temporarily infused with a small amount of your soul. The object becomes a part of you and as such you have dominion over it”
“So I take it the whole focus thing unicorns do will not work for me?”
“You would have more success wishing it to move”
I gave a snort of laughter, “So how do I go about this? Cut myself and bleed on something?”
“Don’t be a foal; blood magic is a dark and evil practice. Look at the item you seek to move, let it become a part of your memories; let your mind know it in its entirety. Once you know it as you know yourself you will simply move it as if it was a limb”
I opened my eyes and looked at Page’s annoyed face. “Sorry Page, I was getting some pointers”
I think that’s the moment I realised I had not told anyone I was chatting with a centuries dead dragon inside my head. No I'm not crazy, don’t suggest it.
“You did it!! You levitated the coin!”
I was confused; I had lifted it with my hoof. I had just wanted to see Celestia’s mark on the reverse not levitate it in any way… still my hooves where on the table… the coin WAS floating before me with a faint silver light. Right I levitated it. I did magic in a non-lethal way. Yahoo!
I spent the rest of the night practising under Pages watchful eyes, before curling up on the bed, Page snuggled under my wing against my chest.
I spent six months training almost daily, under Luna’s tutelage I had mastered the basics of my magic, With Night Feather’s training I was now a very swift and agile flyer. I could even hold my own one on one with Bright Shield. It was after one of our sparring sessions that I was summoned to the throne room. Celestia and Bright Shield were in a conversation when I entered, I caught the tail end.
“So Captain” Celestia inquired, “You believe he can be something special?”
“Princess, his potential is staggering, he has no fear of working to improve himself. He has become a fighter I struggle to hold my own against in six short months”
Wow, I never knew he had so much respect for me!
“Princess, if I continue training him it will only stunt his potential, He needs something more. I am officially recommending Starshot for training with the Sky Archons”
The sky what? I had no idea what they were, I wasn’t even enlisted in the guard so how could I be recommended for anything?
Celestia looked amused, “It’s odd you bring this up Captain, I had a request today to have him attend a training session with the Archons. From Winter Sky no less”
“Winter Sky has his eyes on the youngster? I don’t know if I should be happy for him or sad”
I had to but in then, they were discussing my life and dropping names I didn’t know again!
“Sorry to interrupt but what the hay is going on? What are the sky Archons? Why am I supposed to join them and who in Equestria is Winter Sky?”
A deep voice came from behind me, “That would be me”
I turned around to face the voice… then looked up. This may seem trivial but I'm used to being bigger than most ponies. The Pegasus before me towered over me. His long mane and tail was steel blue, eyes that bored into my soul shone blue, and his grey coat was partially covered by a set of white armour.
Winter Sky leaned down to me; I was shaking with fear as he spoke. “Welcome to the Sky Archons recruit”
OK, I can no longer call myself a coward. I stood up to a monster controlling a dragon’s body, I fought timber wolves, and I’ve beaten diamond dogs by the dozen. Heck I’ve been called a hero… as far-fetched as I find that. I'm telling you this for one reason; Winter Sky scared the Equestrian loving hay out of me!
Winter Sky coughed politely, I glanced up. We were standing in a large hall made from the same white marble as the rest of the palace, open passages lined one wall, ledges leading out into space, they looked like landing platforms for pegasi, was this some kind of fall back point in case the palace was invaded?
“Fall in!”
Yikes! The authority in that shout had me standing at attention, or as close as I could get. Coloured blurs came from all directions. Each blur flying to land in front of Winter Sky, they became Pegasus ponies as they landed. Two lines formed quickly. Each pony wore armour and had a look of confidence that was inspiring. Then I noticed a familiar face standing by herself at the end of the lines. Night Feather gave me a grin.
Winter Sky looked over to me with a frown, obviously he expected me to join the lines. Was any pony going to ask if I actually WANTED to join these Archons? Not a single soul was explaining to me what was happening; even Celestia had not told me anything at all. I looked at the lines, every face had the look of experience and somehow age. I decided I needed to find out myself.
“Excuse me Winter Sky? Not to sound ungrateful at this…invitation and all but… what the hay is going on? Who are you ponies? Why would you want me here? Why won’t any pony explain anything before putting me in these situations?” And every single jaw hit the floor in unison. I think I may have just said something stupid and shouted at the scariest pony I had ever met.
Winter looked at me with a considering look,” Nothing of this was explained to you?” I shook my head. “Hmm I can see why you’re confused; the Sky Archons are Equestria’s elite guards. We are the most highly trained unit in this lands history and have protected it for centuries. Each Archon is chosen for his or her outstanding potential and skill” Winter Sky frowned slightly, “They are currently separated into two pony teams, a sword Archon, a specialist in close combat, and an artillery Archon, a specialist in weather manipulation”
So the specialisations didn’t sit well with him? I could tell there was some kind of back story to that but I was afraid to press… that pony is scary as hay, don’t judge me.
Winter Sky gave me another appraising look, “Archon Night Feather informed me of how you did in your training sessions with captain Bright Shield, and I observed a few myself. You stood hoof to hoof with a forty year veteran. I agree with her assessment, you have great potential and with some advanced training you could be a real asset to the Archons”
A snort from the ranks caught both of out attentions, Winter Sky rounded on a smirking Navy blue Pegasus with a purple main and a cutie mark of a rain cloud.
“Do you find something funny Blue Rain?” Winter Sky seemed very put out with the laugh.
“Sorry Captain, but you can’t expect us to believe this buck is Archon material? Other than his size I doubt he has anything going for him. That false horn? Does he think he’s an alicorn or something?”
I walked towards him, feeling the cold anger settle in me. “I never asked to even be considered for this, but if you think I give a dam what a self-righteous foal like you thinks of me? You have got another thing coming”
Winter Sky looked pleased, with a smile he looked between the two of us. “Well Blue Rain, it looks like you now have a chance to back up your words with actions”
The blue Pegasus looked at me with contempt and walked out to the middle of the hall. I looked at him with a smile, he was arrogant and cocky. I could use that.
Winter Sky raised a hoof in the air and brought it down with a shout. “Begin!”
Predictably my opponent charged right at me, I twisted to the side and slapped his rear with a wing tip as he passed. Blue Rain rounded on me with fury etched into his face. With a cocky grin I beckoned to him with a hoof. That was all it took, with a roar of anger, the blue Pegasus flew at me. I didn’t dodge this time; instead I used the first trick Bright Shield had shown me. As he flew closer I flapped my wings once. As I lifted, I threw back my body. The momentum flipped me over as my back hooves connected with Blue Rain’s muzzle with a loud crack. The impact threw the Pegasus across the hall, after bouncing a few times he rolled to a halt and lay still.
“He’s not dead is he?” I was worried I had hit him too hard, even without my draconic spells I knew I hit hard enough to smash through planks as if they were paper.
A red Pegasus with a fireball cutie mark laughed, “Oh don’t worry, Blue Rain gets knocked the hay out all the time!”
On the edge of my hearing came voices in conversation, it sounded like two ponies were talking as they approached this hall, I saw Winter Sky face hoof and mutter with annoyance. I began to make out what the voices were saying.
“I tell you Storm, I've never seen Sky so happy! This buck must have impressed him a lot”
“I don’t know Firewall, he rejected Rainbow Dash and she is perfect material”
“Ha! Come on Stormy, you and I both know she has to grow up a little first”
Two ponies entered the hall; one was a small Pegasus wearing a small crown, with an almost white coat and a long steel blue mane and tail, just like Winter Sky’s… The second was a large ash grey unicorn with the most insane mane and tail I had ever seen! It was bright blue, fading to orange and red tips. It looked like he was on fire! For some reason he had a roll of paper in his mouth that he occasionally sucked on before blowing out a stream of smoke.
The unicorn, I’m assuming with that hair he HAD to be Firewall, glanced at me. Then at the unconscious Blue Rain, then he grinned back at me. “Aww Sky! Why didn’t you tell me that you were hosting wrestle-mania down here? I would have come sooner!”
Winter Sky looked far from amused, “Firewall, I swear I will have you chasing Lucky for a month if you don’t shut up right now”
Wait, what? Why would he be chasing me? I raised a hoof cautiously. “Excuse me, but why would you have him chase me about?”
I got a lot of odd looks then; a green Pegasus with ridiculously long hair raised a hoof. “Sorry, I'm Lucky. He means me”
Oh, well don’t I feel stupid.
Firewall trotted over and threw a hoof over my shoulder, He grinned at me and in a freakishly accurate impression of Celestia intoned “Be at peace my little pony, Sky here may be more frightening than daytime TV but he’s a big softie at heart”
“Daytime what?” This pony was crazy.
The small Pegasus, Stormy? Trotted over to me and whispered in my ear, “Just think of him as brain damaged and you’ll be fine”
Firewall seemed to pout, “Screw you, pretty prince Storm Wing!”
With a shrug of my wings I just gave up trying to understand, for some reason that simple action seemed to upset the fiery coloured unicorn. Wait prince? Storm Wing was a Prince?? I backed up and tried to bow. Oddly Firewall seemed to find it very funny.
Storm Wing was staring at Blue Rain’s unconscious form, He gave me an oddly calculating look, and something about his milky blue eyes seemed odd… Then he asked me, “Did you knock out an Archon?”
Before I could answer, the red Pegasus spoke up again. “He sure did Storm! The new guy beat him in a single kick!”
Storm Wind gave me a very measured look, then took off his crown and hoofed it to Firewall. His wings flared out as he stretched out his legs. I had a bad feeling I knew where this was going. Winter Sky seemed pleased, I was just nervous as hay.
I just gave up at this point, it was obvious this fight was going to happen so I best just deal with it. Wait a second... he was the former captain of these Archons? Oh horse apples... I was about to get my flank kicked wasn't I?
We slowly circled each other, neither of us willing to make a rash move. Then we both stopped at looked at Firewall, who was grinning while shouting “ Fillies and gentle colts! Leeeeeeet's get ready to rumble!”.
Lightning sparked around his body, Arcing out in all directions. With a crash of thunder he flew at me with mind blowing speed. OK storm Wing, you asked for it...
I staggered to my hooves, my mane standing on end with all the static in the air. Firewall threw a leg across my shoulders, “Don't worry your afro mane head, Storm is one of the toughest in Equestria” what is an afro?
His father? Then Winter Sky is his father? Oh no I just had a fight with the son of the scariest pony I've ever met. Thundering of hooves interrupted my inner panic, I turned to the rows of Archons and stared in shock. These ultra highly trained combat ponies were stomping there hooves in applause of me? Why? I got my flank beaten into the dirt. Winter Sky looked at me with a smile and gave me a nod of approval.
Well, thanks for that Firewall, one second I'm felling good even if I DID get my flank kicked and the next I'm shot down by an insane unicorn.
<=====o00o=====>
Winter Sky had dismissed me for the rest of the day, something I was very happy about as I ached all over, how the hay did each of Storm Wings hits feel like I was being struck by lightning?
I wandered out into the gardens, looking to relax in the warm sunlight and maybe get a little shut-eye. I found myself wandering through the collection of statues near the great hedge maze, I don't know why but I felt drawn to a freakish looking statue standing all by itself. It looked like some pony had took bits of broken statues of random creatures and glued them together.
“My my, its not very often one of Celestia's little ponies comes to visit little old me”
Wait, where did that voice come from? “Hello? Who's there?” I looked around in vain, there was no pony around anywhere in sight.
“Oh my word! You can hear me can't you? Oh this is just fantastic! I cant begin to tell you how boring being a statue is and don't even get me started on the pigeons.”
I looked up at the statue, feeling more than a little bit apprehensive. A freaking statue was talking to me! I've caught Firewalls craziness! “Just great, I took one too many hits to the head and now I'm hearing voices, why cant my life be simple?”
I was starting to get annoyed with the condescending tone, who was this thing? And why was it talking to me? For that matter why did this kind of thing always happen to me?
“OK ill bite, who or what are you and why the hay are you talking to me?”
“My dear pony, I am Discord, spirit of chaos. As to why I am talking with you? Do you have any idea how boring it is to be a statue? I stand here all day, unable to do anything but watch the world pass by. Its so dreadfully dull so forgive me if I seize on the one small chance of entertainment I've had in years.”
so, this Discord has been stuck as a statue for years? That's … kind of sad, what had he done to deserve that? After all I an relate to years of suffering, I've been there myself. Still I'm not one to trust easy and he still had not explained as to why he was a statue. Call me paranoid but I'm not going to put my trust in something that was a spirit of chaos.
“So what is it you want from me and why can I even talk to a statue?”
“The answer is simple my young friend, you yourself are a being of chaos. Both a pony and something more, has it made you better? Has it made you less? So many questions and yet you have yet to ask the one that matters. What are you now?”
… That was actually kind of scary, I had often lay awake at night, not because of Page's snoring, but because I was afraid of what I was becoming. Losing sight of my core beliefs terrified me in a way its hard to describe. As much as I insisted I was just a Pegasus, I could no longer ignore the fact that I had changed. Hold on, how did this thing know what I was? He was playing on my hidden fears, I can see that but why?
“You know Discord, I think the question that matters most is why your trying to manipulate me into doubting and questioning myself.”
That laughter came again, “My word, I didn't think you would guess so fast! You see I need discord of any kind to free myself. You wouldn't leave me trapped in stone would you?”
Hmm manipulative and condescending. I knew he had to have done something, it takes a lot of magic to bind a creature in stone. “Actually Discord, I think I would. I really don't like being manipulated.”
I span about and began to trot back to the castle when a blue streak dropped from the sky in front of me. Surprised I fell backwards with a shriek. Why does every pony love doing that to me? It turns out the streak of blue was Night Feather. Perfect, I had a bone to pick with her.
“Ah, Night Feather, just the pony I wanted to see.”
“Starshot... were you just talking to Discord?” She gave me a considering look, “You do know he can't be trusted right? He is one of Equestria's greatest threats!”
I glared at her, watching as the cyan Pegasus shifted uncomfortably. “I have no real interest in what Discord wants, what I do want to know is why didn't you tell me you were an Archon? Or for that matter why has no pony even asked me if I wanted to BE an Archon?”
Night Feather looked at me in surprise, it seemed like not a single pony had even considered the idea I wouldn't want to become an Archon. To be fair, it seemed a logical choice. I had to protect every pony I could and the Archons were the best at just that. So why was I so upset that they were willing to give me a shot? I was scared, All these years later, after facing insane odds, even after gaining great powers, even if I couldn't control them. I was more than scared, I was terrified... I... I had been killed...
I broke down, Night Feather looking down at me in concern as I lay shivering. Fear racked my body, I had DIED, I had lost my life and only the most insane of odds had brought me back. I couldn't deal with it. I could feel myself breaking apart inside. It wouldn't stop flashing through my mind, the feeling of that claw impaling me, the cold darkness closing in on the edge of my vision. I couldn't move, Night Feather took flight, promising to get help. I just lay there, crying and shivering. I couldn't do this! I wasn't good enough! Finally I just blacked out.
I awoke back in my room, Luna and Page sat at the table across from me.
Page looked down at her hooves, sobbing quietly. “Luna, cant we do anything to help him? He's suffered so much. I cant let it break him...I...I need him”
“Listen Page, you have seen what he has been through”, Luna's eyes seemed as tear filled as Pages. The indigo Alicorn sighed sadly. “There is no way we can help him but being there for him. It must scare him a lot, his power, the thought of not being to help. His death... He needs something we cannot give him. But I think I know someone who can...”
I drifted away once more.
<=====o00o=====>
The following morning I was loaded into a carriage by Luna and page climbed in after me. I couldn't pay much attention to what was going on around me, I felt myself withdraw deeper and deeper within myself, Page had drew the red curtains across the window, leaving me in the gloom. The whole trip she just sat there watching me. I couldn't speak, it felt like a single loud sound would shatter me.
The carriage rattled on for hours, I couldn't move. All I could do was sit there and occasionally sob. I had to move! I had to get up! Why couldn't I...
I was broken... there was no denying it. I wanted to go train, I wanted to put the past behind me and move on but...I couldn't, it was destroying me. For all I had done in my life. For all I had sacrificed, still I was killed as easy as one might step on a bug. I just couldn't get past that. I was trapped in my own mind.
The carriage eventually stopped, in not sure how long the trip took, I wasn't right in the head at that point. The doors opened and I was led into a familiar looking building, my mind was so scarred by that point I had no idea where I was. Unknown ponies lay me on a bed and left me to sleep. After an hour softly sobbing, sleep claimed me.
*Poke*
Something was jabbing me in my side, I tried to ignore it.
*Poke*
OK this was getting annoying and I wasn't up to dealing with it
“Lucky” *Poke* “Get up Lucky” *Poke* “I want to play” *Poke*
I managed to roll over and stared at the big green eyes of the smiling filly, Summer was as adorable as ever. And as always she would get her way. Even in my state I'm a pushover for kids. Pulling on one of my hooves, Summer lead me out of the Log house, I was in charcoals house, my adopted home. The townsfolk watched me with concerned looks as Summer dragged me through the town to the southern gates. The fuzz in my head was making it hard for me to pick out details.
I was led out from the gate into the forest. Unable to focus enough to do more that follow, Summer led me to a small cave, obviously her little hideaway. I smiled despite myself.
“Come and see Lucky!” Her eyes glittered with excitement as she led me to a table set in the back. My shattered mind focused on what lay on the table. Roughly carved and badly painted lay a small wooden statue, a black alicorn with red hair, his wings curled protectively around the filly hugging to his chest. I took in the shelves around me, more statues lay in varying stages of completion. The time Summer had spent on them, every one was of me...
Why is it every touching moment in my life is tempered by danger or fear?
Summer screamed, terror in her eyes. I turned around as fast as my shattered mind would allow. Manticore's, Three of them. Part of me wanted to fight, to drive them away but it was overpowered by a fear, I didn't want to die. I couldn't move I was so scared, a stinger descended towards me with infinite slowness as time slowed down for me. This was it, I could die here.
No more pain, no more suffering. I could just lay down and give up everything.
“Lucky!”
Summer... she would be alone.
The voice of that young girl reached through the darkness of my mind, it pushed past the fears and grabbed onto the core of my soul. I was Starshot, I got through life by never giving up, by making myself the shield for those who needed it. My shattered mind reformed as it realised I would leave her alone with those creatures. Her voice became my lifeline as I pulled myself from the darkness within me. I once heard that to find out who you are you must first lose everything, I had nothing left to lose, now I could see my pain for what it was, a crutch, a way to break myself down. I was never the brightest, I was never the most noble. All I was was a Pegasus who had power thrust upon him because of the love and trust of a girl.
“Starshot, your pain will be with you always. Now you must choose, will it leave you broken? Or will you clutch it in your hooves and make it your strength?”
The words of a dragon who didn't care if I lived, the life of a child I loved as my own sister. I had a family now, I had a girl who loved me despite my many flaws. What would I choose? I was terrified to my core, the memories of my horrific death haunted me. Who was I? Why would I do all this to myself, why would I make myself suffer so much pain? Another voice spoke to me, my own.
My eyes snapped open, the stinger bounced of the silver armour my magic summoned. I glanced back to Summer, “Cover your eyes sweetie, I'm going to make the bad monsters go away” , I heard later summer tell of how my eyes burned with silver flames.
“Now! Feel the pain! Seize it and make it your strength! Scream it at the world!”
I drew in a breath and roared, all of what had broken me, all my pain and misery was harnessed into that roar. From my muzzle erupted an uncontrolled blast of silver flame. The fires filled the passage and tore past the Manticore's, pulling the air with them. The roars of pain was deafening, the flames cleared, all three were still alive but hurt. With a look of fear, they took the chance to flee. Luna stood in the caves mouth. They stood no chance at all.
The princess stepped over the bodies and trotted to me “Well Starshot, I hoped here you would find some peace, I never expected this!”. Summer clutched my leg, looking at Luna with more than a little fear.
“Summer, this is princess Luna, she s my friend” Summer hesitantly peered around me, then approached Luna. I smiled as Summer reached up to stroke Luna's star filled mane. My magic winked out and my consciousness followed.
<=====o00o=====>
I woke back in Charcoal's house. It had a feeling of, well home to it. This is the place my heart always longs for. But I knew I couldn't stay, not while that dragon abomination was still out there. I rolled onto my hooves and headed to the door. After a little searching I found Page and North Wind in the living room, summer lay asleep across Pages knees. Both girls looked at me with strange looks, I stared back for a moment, confused until North Wind spoke up.
“Now that is actually kind of hot”
OK kill me now, I could feel the blush across my face. Page giggled at me. “I love the new look Starshot”
“Wait, new look? What new look?”
Page levitated a mirror over to me, I peered at in with concern. What has happened to me this time?
With a smirk at Page, the earth pony mare wrapped her hooves around my neck.
“Welcome back big brother.”
That did it, I started to cry again. Page lifted Summer to one of the rooms sofa's with her telekinesis and trotted over to hug me too. “Don't scare me like that again dummy”
It was strange, I felt... at peace, my mind was free of doubts, the underlying fears that pushed me through my life, fear of failure, fear of losing those I care about, fear that I wouldn't live up to my promise. For the first time in years, I was just me. A scruffy Pegasus, just a little bizarre. Just the relief of not being burdened with all my fears and doubts left me feeling so much better.
To think, all it took was a..who am I kidding? My little sister, there I finally said it, it took my little sister calling out for me to push it all away. Through the dark and the pain, through the broken depths of my mind. Her voice pulled me back from the brink and gave me something back, she gave me back my own soul. I had to do something for her but what? Wait... I knew just the thing.
<=====oo00oo=====>
“I really don't think this is a good idea...”
“Page, you have said that a dozen times now. We get it”
“Come on lucky! I want to fly!”
Summer and Page sat on my back, tied down with thick leather straps and rope. Summer sat behind my neck, Page just behind her. The thick straps and ropes coiled around their bodies and my chest. I grinned at them both over my shoulder, my mane seemed to shine in the moons pale glow.
“OK girls, hold on tight!”, I focussed and summoned my silver wings, the shine lit the front of Charcoals home. The pony himself smiled faintly at me from the doorway.
Page poked my side to get my attention, “Starshot, I changed my mind, I don't want to do thiiiiiiiissssssss!”, Her objections turned to a scream as I launched into the air, Summer screeching in delight. My magical wings beat, lifting us towards the clouds, after a few moments we burst through to the sight I wanted them both to see.
The clouds spread out below us like a sea, my wings light making them shimmer as we glided. The stars spread out above us as Luna's night was displayed in all of its glory. The gasps from both Page and Summer made me grin. Silence followed us for a few minutes. I felt I had to speak, to voice my feelings... something I have never been good at.
“Girls, I... I'm sorry. I made you worry about me,I'm not a smart pony, I couldn't face what had happened to me. I bottled it up until it broke me.”
Summer threw her hooves around my neck, “Its OK big brother Lucky, we still love you.”
I think I had a single tear on my face as sad as it seems, Page gave me a prod with one of her hooves. “Starshot, I know your so used to being alone... but we are your family now, you don't need to be alone.”
<=====oo00oo=====>
We had landed back at the town a little over an hour ago, Summer following her sister around the house, chatting about the stars. Page had snuggled up under my wing on a sofa, snoring softly in her sleep. Charcoal sat opposite us on the other sofa, smiling at us. “Son I'm happy for you, you found a special pony who loves you and it looks like I'm getting a new daughter” Those quiet moments will stay with me forever as some of the happiest in my life.
Red light flared in the window, The room was bathed in a crimson glow. In the distance a roar echoed, an all to familiar noise to me. “No...please not here...”
Charcoal looked to me with concern, “Son what's wrong?”, I looked to the window with wide eyes. I was terrified of what it could mean, please don't let her be here, not near my family, not near Page again. I lay Page down gently and trotted to the door.
Charcoal laid his hoof on my shoulder. “Starshot, its bad isn't it?”
“Sir..Dad...if I'm not back in an hour, get to Canterlot, get the town there as soon as you can. Promise me.”
Charcoal looked at me with dread, clearly disturbed by how I was acting. Finally he nodded. I galloped from the house and leapt into the air, wings beating as I gained hight. The glow came from the north. I flew as fast as my wings would let me, the area became more and more familiar as a flew. This was the area I had protected... Flames licked from burned buildings, fields were in flame. The fires seemed connected, I gained height and looked down. My fragile emotions hardened at what I saw, every dwelling for miles was burned, the flames connected in streaks. They created a star burst, just like on my cutie mark..it was a message to me.
<=====oo00oo=====>
I hammered on the door, I was back in Canterlot at the palace and I was furious. Finally the door opened.
My voice sounded dangerous and low, “Teach me how to kill a dragon.”
Winter Sky looked at me with surprise in his eyes then smiled widely, “Welcome to the Sky Archons Private Starshot.”
Chapter 6
Fighting Fit
Luna had teased me that all trainee Archons cry in their first week, naturally I thought she was just teasing me but I learned for myself it was true.
The first day I was measured for armour, then put to training on how to control elements, I soon found that drawing lightning from a cloud was a lot more difficult than it looked. Drawing the lightning was easy, any Pegasus can do it, the trick was learning to control where it went. After been shocked unconscious for the eighth time I realised I had no skill with lightning.
The second day was dedicated to channelling the lightning. Simply put, Pulling it from the clouds my fellow Archons brought for my training and using myself as a lightning rod, then using that bottled lightning as a weapon. I spent half the day having electrical burns healed.
By the third day I was sure I had it, I stomped down on that cloud, the lightning crackled around me...and I woke up in the medical wing again. Everypony tried to help me, teaching me all they knew, Lieutenant Silverheart practically took me under her wing. It didn't help and the constant electric shocks had me twitching as I walked.
It was the fourth day that broke me, three days of being constantly electrocuted had my mane standing on end and a lot of random twitches. That days lesson was to use multiple clouds to try and create a powerful attack. It went wrong from the moment I tried to draw the lightning. The electricity froze me in place and danced across my whole body, I couldn't even scream as my flesh began to blister and char. The cocky Pegasus with the fireball cutie mark, who I later learned was named Hotshot, saved me. With no fear he body checked me off those clouds. I could only lie in a heap and sob in pain as the medical ponies were fetched.
“He's crying.”, Hotshot looked down at me in sympathy then handed a small pouch to Winter Sky with a frown. “I thought he would have broke yesterday.”
Silverheart looked down at me with a frown, “Captain, I don't think Starshot should continue the lightning training, He has no talent for it and its only getting him hurt.”
At this point three unicorns galloped into the hall and began throwing healing spells across me. Almost instantly the pain faded and a cool, soothing feeling spread across me. After a moment I was able to stand once more.
I glared at Hotshot, “You had a bet going on how long it would take me to cry?”
The red Pegasus grinned at me, “Of course! Its a tradition, Every Archon cries during his first week, don't let Blue Rain know I told you this but he didn't last two days.”
Winter sky called out, “Private Starshot, Fall in!”
Ill admit, its pretty tough for a free spirit like me to get used to having his life controlled by others but the discipline was doing me good too. I trotted to my commanding officer and stood to attention.
Winter Sky paced back and forth in front of me, “ Private, you are without a doubt the most incompetent weather manipulator I have ever seen. Now before I decide to have you clean each piece of armour in the armoury with a toothbrush I will give you a single chance to prove to me you have what it takes.”
Oh pony feathers, There was hundreds of suits of armour in there! Please don't let me screw this up!
Winter Sky was giving me a very odd look, as if he was considering something. “Starshot, I would like you to try a little experiment. Hold up a hoof, close your eyes and imagine air being pulled to that hoof, imagine a crystal forming above it.”
OK what? Am I turning into a combat jeweller? Still if the big guy says to do it...
I closed my eyes as instructed and lifted my right front hoof, in my minds eye I could see it, a blue jewel above that hoof, I could see the air swirl around it, my focus was total on that image. Even when the snow began to chill my face I refused to..wait snow?
My eyes snapped open and stared blankly, a swirling snowstorm blew around my hoof. Spinning in its centre was an ice crystal, almost exactly the same as the jewel I had imagined. Hotshots jaw was on the floor, Silverheart smiled at me, even Winter Sky gave an approving nod.
“Sir, what's going on? Why do I have a blizzard on my hoof?” I was understandably confused.
“Private Starshot, Lightning is the most common of elements for a pegasi to control, As such all Archons are trained in its use. It is uncommon for pegasi to control ice and snow as I myself do.”
Winter spread his wings, almost instantly the hall was engulfed in a roaring blizzard. The roaring winds and snow made it impossible to see my hoof in front of my face. I knew as the commanding officer Winter sky was powerful but this was insane!
Silverheart called out, “OK captain you made your point!”
The white-out subsided, leaving the great hall buried with a few feet of snow.
The captain smiled at me, “OK Private, I'm taking the Archons out on patrol, you have until we return to clear the snow. If I find any water in here when I get back your cleaning the whole hall with a hoof brush.”
Is he serious? Wait this is Winter Sky, he is always serious....
I saluted and watched as everypony left, how the hay was I going to clear this?
Hmm..I wonder.
Glancing around for a moment I checked the coast was clear and took in a deep breath. Focusing on the pain within me that had first brought this power out, I roared out a sheet of silver flames. The piled snow flashed to steam almost instantly, unfortunately it also left me dizzy and staggering.
“Hey I thought I was the fire pony here!”
Shaking my head to clear the dizziness I glanced around, Firewall stood in the doorway at the far end of the hall, sucking on one of those paper rolls of his.
The fiery unicorn trotted over to me with a grin. “Hey brony, what's with the snow?”
What's a brony?
I signed, “Winter sky was demonstrating how powerful his ice control is, I just found out I have some skill with it so I think he wanted me to know how it can be used.”
Firewall grinned and slew out a stream of smoke. “Luna once gave me some advice on magic, just expect it to happen and it will.”
I gave him a blank stare, I am not a smart pony.
Firewall blew out another stream of smoke and sighed, “OK, what have you been training?”
“Well I was trying to control lightning but all that happened was I kept shocking myself”
The ash coloured unicorn laughed, “I bet you just don't know what went wrong eh?”
I grinned back at him, “Oh I know what went wrong, I have no skill for it.”
Firewall looked towards the vaulted ceiling with a sigh, “Why is it only Luna gets my jokes?”
That was a joke?
My fiery companion waved at the piled snow, “Well buddy, I think this is Sky trying to make you realise your a Pegasus so a natural weather pony.”
I looked past him, taking in the snow and thinking back, The captain has brought it here with wind so maybe he wanted to see if I could figure out how to do the same?
Slowly I spread my wings, trying to feel any magic I could use within me, other than the draconic magic I was now used to, I felt nothing. I was going to have to scrub the hall with a hoof brush.. I hate the military now.
Firewall gave me an odd look, “Just use a tornado or something to clear it out, Rain-blow Dry the place.”
Why do ponies always throw names and terms at me I don't know? I've been out of the loop for six years, I CANT know them! Fortunately Firewall seemed to understand my confusion and decided to give me some explanation, Firewall style.
“OK my little brony, Your going to fly an circles, as fast as your little wings can take you. With a little luck you'll create a whirlwind that will pull all the snow into it, then just fly outside and the snow will go with you.”
After a moment of looking at my blank stare, I'm not a smart pony, he finally relented and gave me the short version.
“Fly in circles real fast to make a whirlwind then drag it out the window”
Oh, why didn't he just say that?
I spread my wings and beat them down, lifting into the air. Picking up speed I circled the hall, taking tighter and tighter turns. Slowly my tailwind began to form the small twister Firewall had assured me would come. As the tornado began to gain strength I found it harder to keep the circling up, the winds were blowing me off course and the snow being drawn in was making it hard to see.
Snow billowed out, spreading out in the air, the sunlight glittering across the flakes as they fell.
After a minute or two the air was clear again and I winged back inside, the hall was clear and dry again. Wow it worked!
Firewall gave me a wide grin as I danced on the spot, the excitement of pulling off a trick like that was making me giddy. As I keep saying, I'm not a smart pony but I understood then that this was a test. Winter Sky wanted me to realise that I was so focused on my draconic magic, I was neglecting the magic I was born with, I was forgetting I was a Pegasus.
“Firewall, Winter sky asked to to help me didn't he? He wanted me to learn what I can do without the magic of the stars?”
Firewalls grin was threatening to remove the top of his head, he raised a hoof and made a loud buzz noise. Not really sure what that meant.
“Well my burly black buddy of brilliant breaks.” I face hoofed at the bad pun, “Sky told me, Firewall if you interfere with that bucks training I will tell Princess Luna who trashed the kitchens last week.”
I thought back, Luna had been very cross that somepony had managed to smash a cabinet of crockery and break half the shelves in the pantry... Yikes, if she realised it was Firewall, the crazy pony would be in for it!
“Firewall, if you don't mind me asking... why are you trying so hard to help me? I mean I'm not important, I'm just a scruffy Pegasus with a strange power.”
The fiery unicorn gave me a smile, then pulled out another of his paper rolls and lit it with a spark from his horn. “Starshot, I saw your memories. I know what its like to have to fight for what you hold precious. You fought against something so far out of your weight class you might as well have bucked an Ursa major in the teeth. I have a soft spot for any buck who fight to protect other ponies.”
“Actually I should thank you Starshot, ever since Page began to hang out with Luna, she's really come out of her shell. She finds it tough to make friends because she's a princess.”
I was confused, to say the least. “You know Luna well?”
The ash coloured unicorn laughed, “Well you could say that, she's my girlfriend!”
Well shut my mouth, I never thought Luna had a special somepony. Now I think about it, Firewall would be a good match for her, both use a lot of funny comebacks and love annoying me.
“Well catch you later brony! I have got to go see my favourite troll.”
With a lazy wave, Firewall cantered away and left the hall. I flapped my wings, lifting myself up as I flew to one of the openings in the wall. I looked out over the city of Canterlot, The great city spread out before me. Hundreds, thousands of ponies living their lives, free of worry and pain. I felt jealous but I was at peace. All my life I had felt alone, I had been in silent pain, terrified of what was happening to me. Just to feel the peace of simple acceptance was something I never believed would be mine. I had friends, I had a girl who loved me, even with my many faults. I had a family who loved me and wanted me to be with them always.
I closed my eyes, feeling the wind stir my silver mane. The colour change had taken some getting used to, I had tried to dye it back to its original crimson but Page had told me she preferred the silver. Besides, it refused to stay any other colour than that.
On a whim I leapt out into space, my wings beat down as I ascended to the skies. My mane and tail whipped around in the strong winds, I felt so free. I had never really appreciated being a Pegasus, I just accepted it as a fact of my life. I had to admit now that the freedom of flight, just riding the winds and seeing the world spread out below me was intoxicating.
I found myself thinking of the snow, up here I couldn't do any harm so I decided to experiment a little. In my minds eye I pictured a sphere of swirling winds around me. I felt the cold winds stir, flakes of snow beginning to form, glittering in the bright sunlight. The air chilled as the weather responded to my pegasi magic. Silverheart had told me on my first day that what I was learning was just basic weather magic on a much smaller scale. Well this was turning into something a little bigger. The winds and snow had gathered around me, spinning around as if in a blizzard. With a grin at my success I released the magic, watching as the snow filled winds broke away and scattered.
*** ***
Winter Sky had returned a little over an hour ago and had me creating items out of ice to train me in its use. Everything from crystals to cubes and even an ice rose that I hoofed to Lt. Silverheart, much to my fellow Archons laughter. Well at least until she glared at them, silencing the laughter instantly. That girl is one tough pony.
Finally The captain decided I was ready to spar using my new found icy powers. Surprisingly the first pony to volunteer to spar with the rookie was Blue Rain.
Just like last time we faced off in the middle of the hall, the Archons lined up on one side, only difference was Hotshot taking bets on the fight. I wasn't too happy with the way the bets seemed to be in favour of Blue Rain, but then again he DID have years of experience on me.
I stretched out my wings, recalling the captains words to me. “Starshot, in this fight I want to see you use what you have learned. If I'm satisfied at your progress we will move onto the next phase of your training.”
Blue Rain glared at me with... almost like hate. Guess he was still sore that a rookie had kicked his flank in 10 seconds flat.
“Wait! Wait! Don't start without me!”
I glanced over my shoulder to see Firewall galloping across the hall, The crazy unicorn skidded to a halt behind Hotshot. Panting with exertion the ashen unicorn hoofed the red Pegasus a small bag.
“I'm putting 200 bits on the rookie, and another 500 same way from Storm Wing.”
OK THAT got a bit of a reaction, Firewall I understood, he liked me but the idea that Storm Wing, one of the toughest ponies I had ever saw thought I could beat a seasoned veteran a second time? My mind is now blown.
I looked down and took a deep breath, closing my eyes. My eyes snapped back open, locking gazes with Blue Rain. His eyes... I could see anger in them, was he going to try to seriously hurt me?
Winter Sky brought his hoof down to begin the fight.
I leapt into the air, ready for anything. Well except for my opponent flying at me, trailing electrified smoke and body checking me so hard I crashed into the far wall with bone crunching force.
I staggered back to my hooves, more winded than hurt as Blue Rain called out across the hall to me, “Well it seems your not as tough as you believe yourself to be, without surprise you have nothing. Time for me to show you where a rookie like you sits in the pecking order.”
He was right, it was time for me to show him how I survived all this time against everything Equestria could throw at me.
“Hey Blue Drizzle! You going to flap your gums at me or are we going to fight?”
I flew at him, The blue Pegasus launched at me again, trailing electrified smoke. I brought both of my front hooves down onto the floor hard, creating a wall of ice right in front of my opponent. With no time to dodge, Blue Rain crashed through, meeting my back hooves coming the other way. The impact sent him crashing back through the remains of the ice wall. I followed fast, sweeping his legs from under him with a wing as he tried to stand. My wing slammed down into his stomach on the backstroke, driving the air from him and slamming his body back into the marble floor. My right front hoof swung towards Blue Rains face, my ice control forming a long icicle as it descended. I pulled up short, the frozen point an inch from his face.
“I'm sorry, I know you don't like me but I respect you. Your a hero of Equestria and I'm just a buck with strange powers. But there's too much riding on me getting a lot stronger for me to worry about pecking orders. Besides, its not always the most experienced fighter that wins, sometimes its the smartest.”
I stood back and shook off the icicle. I reached out, offering a hoof to Blue Rain, hoping he could at least respect me. After a moment he took my hoof and I pulled him back upright.
“Hey captain!” Blue Rain called out, “I've changed my mind, I'm curious how far this buck can go. Besides, he's tough but has a good heart, I like him.”
Well shut my mouth? He liked me? Then why the hostility? I glanced at the Captain, Winter Sky was smiling? Oh...he set this up... I remembered hearing around the castle when I tried to find out more about the Archons that Winter Sky didn't care about being abrasive and underhanded if it trained a better Archon, so he had gave me a target to focus on to make me learn fast how to take on a stronger opponent? Well I must say it worked, I had never once thought of my wings as a weapon unless edged by my draconic magic.
It sank in then why Winter Sky wanted me for this group of his, it wasn't my size, or my odd magic's. He wanted me because I was a Pegasus who refused to stop, one who would never quit fighting for what he cared about. Plus it seems that with the training I was working through I was turning into a real bad flank. Heh, that's actually kind of funny even to think, the shy Pegasus with no confidence, the young colt who was bullied every day, has grew up to be a member of Equestria's most elite fighting force. Winter must have seen something in me that I never saw myself.
“Starshot! Stop daydreaming and fall in!” My body was moving before my mind had even registered the captains order.
I stood at my place in the front row, behind me and to my left stood Night Feather. She was my unofficial partner, as the captain said, I'm the worst at weather control he's ever seen, my combat skills are way above average though so I was assigned the role of a Sword Archon. My role was to hit the target while my partner used the elements to attack from a distance.
“Archons!” Winters impressive voice boomed across the hall, “Who here believes this recruit is ready for the room? All who agree step forward!”
In unison each pony stepped forward, even Firewall oddly enough. Wait, what the hay is the room?
Winter Sky led me through the Halls of the Archons, the pretentiously named area we trained in... wow that was a big word for me, Page's smarts are rubbing off!
After a few minutes of walking we reached a heavy metal doorway. The Captain opened it with a hoof and led me inside, it was so very dark. The light from the doorway barely lit a few hoof steps into the chamber, what little I could make out consisted of glittering gems set every few feet into the floor, a light glittering in the dark made me think that gems were set like that into the walls and ceiling as well. Oddly there seemed to be broken pillars of all shapes and sizes stretching away into the gloom. Winter Sky gave me a stern gaze.
“Starshot, this stage of training is much different from any you have experienced before. When you enter this room the training will begin, you will have to spend three days in there. I will warn you now that you will see things, some good but most will be disturbing but most of all this will test your endurance to its limits and beyond. If at any point you decide you have reached your limits then call out 'I quit' and the training will end. Oh and one rule, no using that dragon magic of yours.”
Lt. Silverheart trotted over and laid a hoof on my shoulder.
“Starshot, you have shown great promise. If you think your not ready for this then say so now and we will wait a week before trying again.”
As an answer I trotted through the door. The light was cut off completely as the door slammed shut, leaving me in total darkness.
“What's the worst that this place could be?”
One of these days Page's smarts will rub off on me enough that I would stop asking such stupid questions...
A bolt of lightning arched down from the ceiling, striking me between my wings, I screamed in agony as a second bolt shot from the darkness to my right and hit me in the neck. I took to the air, narrowly dodging the third bolt as it arced from the floor. I span, swooping low to avoid more bolts as they arched at me at random from every direction. With a grunt I ran straight into a pillar, then screamed as two bolts caught me at once.
Time for me stopped existing, all there was was the strobe lights of the lightning shooting from the gemstones and the darkness. There was no pattern to learn, the lightning was purely random, sometimes it came in bursts, sometimes it stopped for a while, once every gem fired at once, wreathing the room in cracking energy and forcing screams of agony from my lips.
The attacks I could handle, it was the periods of total darkness that got to me. I began to see things, the burning towns I couldn't save, I saw Page crushed under stone ruins. I saw Nightmare Blaze sneering down at me, I even heard her odd duel toned voice mocking me.
“Little foal? Do you really believe this will make you strong enough to face my power?”
“I will find you and I will kill you, You hurt ponies I cared about and threatened the girl I love. You died when you did that, all that remains is for me to find you.”
Wow, even I was surprised at the hate in my voice.
The visions became warped memories that cut me to my very soul, I saw Page standing over me as I lay crushed under rubble, a sneer of hatred on her face. I saw Sunspot and Page standing over my grave. Some visions were too twisted and warped for me to even describe.
The time passed slowly, I was in constant pain, tired to the point of exhaustion from constant flying and dodging. Even in the times I had to rest I was racked with those hallucinations. The room suddenly lit up, I braced, expecting another storm of lightning but nothing came.
Two unicorns galloped into the room, looking panicked as they headed towards me. I took a stop forward and promptly fell on my face, as I passed out a single thought came to me.
“Yep, That's my limit.”
*** ***
Groan...
If I woke up in this medical wing much more they will give me my own private bed. Now I could finally see I checked out my injuries. Burns covered me in random places, I had a hole burnt through the feathers of my left wing. Some kind of cool mist surrounded my bed, soothing my burns. I settled down, hoping for more sleep when Luna's voice made the walls shake.
“YOU DID WHAT?”
“Princess, please calm down, the royal Canterlot voice will wake my patient.”
“I'm sorry doctor, now Captain Winter Sky, you will explain to me why you sent a barely trained recruit into a training room set for ten year veteran Archons.”
“Princess, As an Archon he will have to overcome impossible odds as a part of his duties. I must also point out that he has already reached a point in his training where I would promote a five year veteran.”
“That doesn't explain why you never even warned Starshot that you were advancing his training!”
“Princess, As you yourself will have noticed, if we don't tell that pony he shouldn't be able to do something, then he never finds out.”
“I'm not sure I get your meaning captain.”
“He should not have been able to take on a dragon, he should not have learned to control an element like starlight, he should not have been able to beat a veteran Archon with a century more experience than him once let alone twice. He was not told this and he never found out. I never told him that he would not be able to pass this stage of training for another ten years and he never found out.”
There was a soft sigh. “Captain, I am aware you know the best ways to train an Archon but I feel what your doing with Starshot is excessive.”
I rolled painfully to my hooves and walked towards the voices, I found Luna and the captain in the hall outside my treatment room, both seemed shocked I was up.
“Luna, I know you care if I get hurt but I need this kind of training if I'm going to be ready for when Blaze shows herself again.”
I gave Winter Sky a nod, “I must get back to training, I'll see you both later”
I took two steps down the hallway before my legs gave out and dropped me on my face. An indigo light surrounded me as I was gently lifted by Luna's magic. With care she took me back to my misty bed and lay me down.
“Starshot, I understand why your pushing yourself like this but if you kill yourself training then who will be there for Page?”
Oh Luna, that was low...
I knew Page was scared to sleep alone now, but I had been away from her for days at least.
“Luna...How long was I training and how long have I been in here?”
Luna stared down at me with sad eyes, “You really don't know? You where in there for almost a week before Page sought me out, You've been away from her for almost seventeen days...”
I tried to stand up again, seventeen days? How could I leave her for so long without telling her what I was doing? What was wrong with me?
Luna pushed me back down gently, “Rest now, when your healed you can go to her.”
I tried again to rise, I had to see Page and apologise. Luna sighed, her horn flashed and all my strength failed me, I felt myself fall back into unconsciousness.
“Sleep now, She will be there when you wake.”
*** ***
I stood outside the door to my room, for the first time in months I was actually afraid. What is she didn't want me any more? What if she had found somepony else? I couldn't take it if she left me, I would deserve it for what I did but it would break me again.
I swallowed nervously and knocked, feeling a little foalish as this was my room.
“Who is it?”, Pages voice tugged at my heart, my fears of losing her rushed to the front of my mind. With a shaking voice I called back.
“P..Page?...Its me S..Starshot...”, What a time for my old habit of stuttering to return.
“And what do you want?”, Her voice cut to my heart, I felt myself begin to cry. I had hurt the girl I loved.
“I...I'm sorry Page, I was....obsessed, I let my need to protect the ponies from that thing out there distract me from...from the girl I'm in love with...I..I'm sorry...”
Silence came from behind the door.
“I'll go now...”
Page's voice called out, “Oh no you don't! You have to make it up to me, get your flank in here now!”
I fumbled with the door handle, suddenly as clumsy as a newborn filly. Page wasn't in the sitting room, I trotted into the bedroom and froze. My jaw hit the ground as I began to sweat.
Page lay on my bed, her glasses were off, her pale green mane hung loose across her shoulders. Her legs were covered in deep purple socks that rode all the way to her flank, with a smile she beckoned to me with a hoof. I don't think I have ever been so scared and confused.
“Oh my gosh...”
Shortly after that for me, Equestria moved.
*** ***
I awoke with Page curled up against my chest, I had to get up but I was so focused into the afterglow of last night, Page had been understanding of my inexperience, she took control and led me through every action. It had to have been the best night of my life to date.
I carefully climbed out the bed, making sure not to wake page. I drew the blanket over her sleeping form and planted a kiss on her cheek. I wrote her a note, letting her know I was going to the Halls of the Archons, and with a sigh I left to return to my duties.
I knew something was up the moment I walked into the main hall, every Archon, Well all but Winter Sky, was smirking at me. Firewall stood next to the captain with a grin so wide I expected the top of his head to fall off.
Hotshot slapped me on the back, “Well looks like our rookie is all grown up now!”
They knew..me and Page had...
With a groat I dropped to the floor and covered my face with my hooves, why Celestia? Why do you do this to me?
“Fall in!”
Without thinking all of us formed up into our lines and stood to attention. Winter Sky paced back and forth in front of us before speaking.
“Today we will be patrolling the area between Trottingham and Canterlot, there has been reports of a large green dragon attacking settlements. You are to find it and force it out of Equestria's borders. Private Starshot, You will not be on this patrol, you are going to spend the day in the royal library. By the days end you will bring me a list of every captain the Sky Archons have had since we were formed. Night Feather, you are to head to the armoury and collect Starshot's armour. You have your assignments, consider yourselves dismissed and testing my patience.”
That's the captain for you, all business.
As the other Archons filed out I headed back to the hallway, Firewall fell in beside me. His smile was getting to me, I KNEW he was going to annoy me about last night. Finally the ash coloured unicorn turned to me.
“So..you and Page huh? Bow Chicka Wow Wow!”
“Bow chicka what? What do those noises mean?”
Firewall shook his head at me. “I mean you and Page finally got it together. I'm not trying to troll you buddy, I'm genuinely happy for you two.”
“How do you all know about it anyway?”
“Two reasons Starshot, First Page isn't a quiet pony...”
Oh pony feathers....I could feel the blush on my face spread.
“And secondly, Luna helped set it up, those socks were hers!”
Yep, that will do it, Celestia just kill me now and end it all.
With a lazy salute, the fiery unicorn headed off towards the royal apartments and I headed into the library....oh no...
The library was massive, five floors of books towered above me, shelve after shelve stretched into the distance. Looking up at the skylight set into the distant ceiling made me feel dizzy, pretty ironic as I fly every day. With a defeated sigh I began to wander the shelves.
“Hmm lets see.. Archons, Archons, arches, arrows, armour...zebras?”
I had not even got halfway along the first shelf and I was confused, how the hay did anypony find anything in here?
“Can I help you?”
I turned to find a unicorn staring at me with an oddly appraising look. A thick brown mane hung in lank locks to one side of his face, his coat was an off white colour, red scars criss crossed his body and face. Green eyes, flecked with silver stared hard at me. Something about those eyes seemed sad, I got the feeling this stallion had seen a lot of horrible things in his time.
“Hi, my name is Starshot. I'm looking for something on the history of the Sky Archons?”
The scarred unicorn gave me an odd look, then slowly smiled and broke into laughter! With a grin he pointed a hoof at me.
“Your a new recruit right?”
Now I was confused, Why in Equestria does everypony know everything about me before I even meet them?
The scarred unicorn gave a chuckle, “Princess Luna warned me you may be sent here, from what I understand its a tradition. There is no official history on the Sky Archons. But the Princess has left some notes, she said it was to make up for the training room?”
I grinned back, lifting a hoof to show some of the bandages I still wore around my more serious burns.
The white unicorn winced, with a smile he held out a hoof, “Davy Downpour, resident librarian.”
I bumped his hoof with mine, “Starshot, resident butt of every joke.”
With a friendly smile, Davy led me deeper into the enormous library, huh so he had a pencil cutie mark. An artist? We stopped at a long table and Davy motioned me to a pile of paper set on top of a thick book.
“OK Starshot, I must get back to caring for these books. Especially that book...”
I almost missed the last few words they were spoken so softly.
“There's one book you look after more than the others?”
“Well...Yes, Its not one that you will have heard of. The Necronomicon is not well known.”
I recalled a horror story I had read as a colt, There was an evil book that created zombie ponies, what was the name?Oh yes, The Necronomicon ex equine mortis, book of the pony dead. Nah, it couldn't be.
With a friendly wave, Davy left me to my reading and disappeared among the shelves.
The pile of paper had a handwritten note clipped to it,
Starshot,
I left you the information you will need in these notes.
First look at the marked page in the book, I have been doing some research of my own.
Luna
With a wing shrug I flipped to the marked page, there was a picture of two ponies on one page. A midnight black earth pony of incredible size, blue eyes and a white mane gave him a look of power. Next to him stood a small Pegasus mare, Her grey coat shone, her red eyes and mane was tempered by a heart warming smile. Why did Luna want me to read this?
I looked at the writing on the other page, blah blah guardsmen, something about a marriage... My mind froze as I read the words before me.
Celebrations in Trottingham today as Lt. Starfall of the Trottingham city guard, and his wife Skyshot of the Equestrian Skyguard celebrate the birth of their son. The young colt, named Starshot has been called a joy to behold. The black coated Pegasus child has inherited his mothers red mane and eyes and is hoped to join the town guard when he grows up.
“Mom..Dad..”
The parents I never knew looked back at me from the page, now I knew what I was seeing I saw parts of myself in each of them, my fathers huge build, my mothers eyes. Tears fell on the page, I knew I must have looked strange but at that moment I couldn't have cared one bit.
I turned the page, A newspaper article covered the spread, a small note was pinned to the bottom of the page.
Tragedy in Trottingham
Horror struck today in the city of Trottingham when the attack of the rogue dragon Hell-fang claimed the lives of hundreds, most noticeably was the husband and wife duo of Starfall and Skyshot.
These two ponies held back the dragons attack for almost ten minutes, saving the lives of hundreds. Both later died of their injury's.
The deceased have left there son, a two year old named Starshot without immediate family, With no relatives to claim the colt he will be given to the custody of the Trottingham Orphanage.
The town mayor had this to say, “These ponies showed incredible courage and strength, even when hurt with wounds that would have dropped any other pony, they still refused to quit. If not for them, the town would have been lost.”
My eyes fell on the note, written in Luna's neat hoof writing, was a simple message.
They would have been proud of you.
I hugged to book to my chest, tears flowed down my face. I wasn't abandoned, my parents loved me, they fought to protect ponies and died for what they believed in, I was more than proud, I was honoured that I was their son. Starfall, Skyshot.. even my name was a part of them.
I must have looked funny, a huge Pegasus, member of the most elite force in Equestria's history and I was crying like a little foal. I swore to myself I would never let this book go.
Composing myself, I began reading Luna's notes. Even with my dislike of reading I found myself interested, The Archons had existed for well over two thousand years but only two captains where listed.
Winter Sky
I read the names of each Archon with wide eyes, Silverheart, Hotshot.... bar a few name, the roster was identical to today's Archons..that means...
The Sky Archons were immortal? How was that even possible?
I glanced up to the skylight, The sky was fading to orange.. oh pony feathers! if I didn't shake a hoof I would be late! Taking the book and notes in my mouth, I galloped out of the library and down the halls.
I sprinted through the doorway into the Halls of the Archons and skidded to a halt. The hall was empty bar Night Feather and Lt. Silverheart, The lieutenant waved me over.
“Private! Good timing, The dragon has been found, Support is needed and Winter Sky wants all Archons mobilised, get suited up and back here in 10 minutes.”
Night Feather flew towards the armoury, I joined her, excited that I would finally get a suit of that cool white armour. I pulled up short as I passed the door, Night Feather stood next to a huge suit of barding, It was crafted in shining silver metal, edged with white, intricate dragon scales was etched into the shining metal. The helmet was incredible, scaled like the chest plate, long plates covered the sides of the muzzle, a thick plate curled over the top, split down its middle to allow my horn access. Leg plates left the hooves bare, a note was pinned to the side.
Starshot,
This armour is different from our standard issue, the hooves are bared to allow you to use your magic's as required, now stop admiring it and move out!
Winter Sky
With help from Night Feather, I got armoured up.
“Wow, you look good!”, Night Feather grinned at me as she bound my tail in the same metal ringlets as my mane.
I gave a grin back, “Thanks I guess?”
“You sure your up for this? I know you never got a lot of sleep last night!”
Oh please no, not her too!
Silverheart's shout came from the hall, “No time for chitchat, Move it!”
with the lieutenant in the lead we flew from the castle, the weight of my new armour took a little adjusting too. Still maybe it will stop me from being hurt in every fight.
The flight took almost an hour, I knew we were getting close as the flashes of flame and noises of battle loomed in the darkness. Patches of woodland burned, lighting the fight in flickering light. The great green dragon was backed against a cliff wall, preventing the Archons from flanking it.
“Night Feather, assist in distractions, Starshot. Your to attack directly. The palace has authorised lethal force.”
With our orders fresh in out minds, we attacked, Night Feather flew in close and blew the dragon a kiss, A bolt of lightning struck down, blinding the creature for a moment, Hotshot flew in from the left, smashing a hoof across the dragons face, I repeated the action from the right.
The twin strikes seemed to stun the beast for a moment and the rest of the Archons struck. Blue Rain slammed his back hooves into the dragons gut, Hotshot dropped from the sky like a stone, all four hooves slamming down on the dragons muzzle, I came in low and with my hooves trailing frost, smashed both front hooves under its chin. Everything was going so well..
Night Feather swooped in to try another flash, That's when it all went wrong. The dragon blew a stream of fire, tracking Hotshot with its attack. Blue Rain was forced to dodge skywards as the flames crossed near him. The flash of light from the attacks burst blinding my partner, The dragon swung a claw at Night Feather, There was no way for her to dodge in time. I did what I always did and body checked her out the way. The claw smashed me from the sky. I bounced from the force I hit the ground, feeling a leg break, Then a claw pressed down, slowly crushing me into the broken stone. I tried to force my way up, my magic and my strength pushed upwards slowly before the dragons weight forced me back down. I felt my armour begin to bend under the pressure and felt a rib crack.
Silverheart shouted orders, trying to rescue me before I was crushed, “Night Feather! Hit it with lightning, Blue Rain! Hotshot! Hit that thing with everything you have! Get it off Starshot!”
Darkness edged my vision as I began to black out, The dragon lowered its face down to me and spoke.
“Pathetic, once I have killed you and your friends I will hunt down those you love. Your family will die screaming. All because you were weak!”
He was going to kill Page, my family? I saw them all in my mind, Charcoals stern face, Summers sweet smile, the smirk that never left North Winds face, Page with her clumsy advances...
Something in my head broke, fire burned through my limbs as a presence began to force itself into my body. The invading presence took control, I was too weak to stop it.
My voice spoke but it wasn't me talking! “You will not touch them...”
Silver flames erupted from my body, the dragon reared back in pain and surprise as my body slowly stood. I was trapped inside my mind, seeing the actions but unable to control them. The flames died away, all but my mane, which now seemed to be made of the silver fire, armour covered me, not the magic I was used to, this was dark. Sharp edges covered every surface, two horns curled from the helmet down to my muzzle.
The other me stared at the dragon as I felt my broken bones knit back together, what the hay is happening to me?
The green dragon attacked, a claw swinging down, with almost like contempt, one of my wings flicked out, the magic sheathing it sliced the beasts claw from its arm. I couldn't do that!
My body trotted to the whimpering form of the dragon, and with a smile that had me screaming inside my mind, reared up and brought two hooves, trailing silver flames, down on the dragons injured arm with a sickening crunch.
I battered against the other presence, trying to regain control as my body took to the air and began to slam my flame wreathed hooves into the dragons head again and again.
“Starshot! Stand down! Stand down now! That's an order private!”, Silverheart's plea was ignored as my body continued to beat the beast slowly to death. Blood covered my hooves to the knees and was splattered across my face. Still I was wearing that sadistic smile. Please somepony stop me!
Shut your whining now.
Wait what?
I said shut up, you don't have the stones to do what's necessary, I'm tired of watching you hurt our body because of your incompetence.
Who or what are you?
I'm you, I'm the you where your soul and Alganon merge.
No! your not me! I'm not sadistic!
You are now.
Chilling laughter echoed in my mind,this other me was strong, far stronger than me. How could I regain control?
You cant.
I watched in horror as my hooves came down a final time. The dragons head was now just chunks of blood and bone. Gore dripped from me. Oh Celestia did I feel sick.
The massive shape of Winter Sky flew at me, my body just laughed and swung to attack. Please no!
The big Pegasus seemed to fade as he neared and then slammed into me. I was thrown backwards, bouncing across the ground as I fell limp. As my vision began to fade I saw the twisted version of my silver magic's floating above me, before fading away. Before I lost consciousness I heard Hotshot ask the same question I was asking myself.
“What in Equestria IS he?”
Broken Wings
Chapter 7 : A Reason to Fight
I was a prisoner once more. This time there was no bars, no cell. The only guard was myself. I was trapped inside my own mind, A prisoner of my dark half, a creature that called itself 'Psychoshot'. Each day a fought against that thing, each day I was beaten down.
It had been almost two months since the dragon. A time of suffering as I was forced to see the hateful side of me try to destroy my friendships. To see Page hurt and cry out for me...
I needed help, I needed it soon.
I was slowly losing myself to Psychoshot as I was forced deeper and deeper into the back of my own mind. He had cut me off from my senses, I couldn't feel my limbs, taste, touch. All I was left with was my sight and hearing. He enjoyed my suffering, enjoyed hearing me silently scream for help to those I called friend.
My body was imprisoned, legs shacked together. My horn was wrapped in those weird anti magic rings the guard used on dangerous unicorns. No less than three Archons and ten unicorn guards watched the monster in control of me at all times.
I watched my eyes turn to the still form of Night Feather, one of today's Archon guards.
“So, You're a cute little thing. How about you an I have some fun? You do owe me for saving you from that dragon after all.”
Night Feather glared, “I don't owe you anything. I owe Starshot and you are not him, As much as you pretend to be, you are nothing like that great pony! He earned our respect! HE saved me not you!”
Me? A great pony?
I don't see it either, you are weak and pathetic.
Shut up and leave my thoughts alone, You took my body already so you can at least leave me my mind.
You still don't get it? I am you! I am what you always secretly wished to be, powerful, confident! You had the potential to be as powerful as an alicorn but your doubts and weakness held you back! I don't have your faults, That's why you will never take this body back. That's why I will always beat you.
My eyes snapped to the opening of the cell door, as the majestic form of Princess Luna and the beautiful Page trotted in.
You can do better than a nerd with glasses.
No, I really can't.
The sight of Page was tearing me apart, her mane was a mess, her eyes red and puffy. I watched as she turned away from my sneering body to the princess.
“Luna, please tell me that's a changeling there, Please tell me its an imposter...”
“I'm sorry Page, but all of our tests prove it. that is Starshot.”
“That thing is not my stallion!”
No... Page. you don't deserve this. You cant suffer for me.
Gag, how a weakling like you ever won a fight I'll never know. Did you sweet talk them until they gave in?
You cant be me, I do not take joy in suffering. The very idea sickens me.
Maybe not, but what I am is what you also fear, power personified without the guilt to hold me back.
Luna was giving my body an odd look, after a moment she pressed her horn against what was once my head.
“Your still in there, aren't you?”
“No pretty filly, That weakling is gone forever.”
Luna's eyes lit up, her voice became deafening as she bellowed into my mind and the world.
“Silence monster! I do not speak to you!”
Luna... Help me...
“I can hear you my friend, I'll find a way.”
She heard me? She actually heard me?
Page's eyes lit up, “Luna? he.. he really is in there? Starshot isn't gone forever?”
Luna looked back at my body with a frown, her eyes clouded in thought. An odd smile came across her face as she turned back to the mare I love.
“I felt the pony we know inside that creatures mind. Starshot is still alive in there but trapped. That thing has him imprisoned somehow.”
“Please Luna...” Page's tear filled eyes tore at my soul, “I'm begging you... help him... I cant do this without him...”
Do what? Is she hurt? I rattled at the cage of my mind, desperate to gain enough control to see if Page was hurt. To ask her what was wrong. Psychoshot enjoyed my struggles.
Luna seemed lost in thought, then she spoke almost as if to herself. “There may be a chance... I can create a mind scape, a world inside a ponies mind. I will have to control it myself so my own mind will not do and I cannot ask my sister. This may take days and she will need to raise the sun and moon for me. What I need is a unicorn of some power... somepony who Starshot considers friend to host us in his mind.”
Page almost tripped over her own hooves in excitement, until Luna dashed her hopes.
“Page... this will be very dangerous, the host could die. I will not lie to you, Starshot must fight this dark creature for control, the battle could destroy the host unicorns mind. I know how you feel but your just not strong enough to deal with that kind of strain.”
Page dropped to the floor, sobbing into her hooves.
“I'll do it.”
Everypony turned to face the door as a largely built, ash grey unicorn with an insane mane trotted in. Firewall pulled one of his paper rolls from somewhere and lit it with a spark from his horn.
“I said I will do it. I have some power and I'm tired of seeing Storm Wing and Winter Sky upset. I don't like seeing my friends hurt... besides, I want my newest friend back.”
If I had any control I would have hugged him. The crazy unicorn was one of my closest friends and I was honoured he felt the same about me.
Luna magicked up a scroll and quill, with quick strokes of the quill, the moon princess wrote a message. The scroll rolled itself up and floated over to one of the white pegasi guards that filled the castle. I guess I should have learned what they were called. after all, how long have I lived in the palace?
Luna smiled at her colt friend, Firewall gave her a wink, then before anypony could react her magic lifted my bound form and slammed it into the floor with stunning force. Even with that thing in control, my mind was almost concussed. Luna's voice shook the castle, the terrifyingly loud power of the Royal Canterlot Voice shaking the very stones.
“DO YOU TAKE ME FOR A FOOL MONSTER? DID YOU THINK I WOULD NOT GUESS YOU HAVE THOUGHTS TO STOP THIS?”
Luna's eyes shone with light, the magic of the alicorn princess erupted from her horn. three beams of light shot forth and linked us all together, three more beams leapt from each of our horns. The magic of Luna connected each of us to two others.
There was a weird sensation of being pulled apart as the world turned black.
<====0oxo0====>
I was not in Equestria any more...
I lay on my side staring at the sight before me. Grass plains stretched away into the distance as far as my eyes could see, snow capped mountains ringed the grass fields, broken by strange triangular buildings and a green statue of some bipedal creature holding a torch aloft. Rectangular structures, sheeted with glass, reflected the bright sunlight of the cloudless sky.
I pushed myself to my hooves and froze, I was moving my body...
Sweet Celestia, I was moving! I danced around, flapping my wings in excitement before muffled giggles interrupted me. I turned with a sheepish grin to the three ponies smiling at me. I sped to Page, all but ignoring my friends as I swept her into a hug. We both sat there in that strange place, crying onto each others shoulders. After a moment Firewall nudged me with a hoof.
“As much as I love seeing you crazy kids back together, you have an issue to deal with here. I don't know much about this spell but I'm guessing you have to beat the Equestria loving friendship out of your other half.”
Luna gave a frustrated sigh, “Firewall, you stole my big moment again. Starshot, I apologise for the sudden switch. but for you to have any chance succeeding with this, 'Psychoshot' cannot have any time to prepare. We cannot help you here, you must win this fight alone.”
“Win? This weakling will be lucky to land a hit on me.”
I spun about, my eyes searching skywards for the source of the voice. For the first time, I saw myself as anypony else did. Red eyes, seeming to challenge the world. A coat as black as the night, huge wings. A long mane of rippling silver hair. a long scar over one eye, giving a look of danger. but the look of mine ended there, the muzzle was twisted into a sneer and those blood red eyes stared down at me from with contempt.
“You really wish to fight me? just surrender control of the body to me and we can skip yet another beating you took. let's face it, you could not stop me inside your own mind!”
My wings spread out, shielding the ponies behind me. he will not get to them. I reached out with my magic to summon my armour, against this monster I needed every advantage I could get.
“No little pony, you are not strong enough to wield my power. This other you is, I give the magic of the stars to him alone.”
Luna was looking around, something in her eyes seemed haunted.
“Alganon? is that really you old friend?”
“Ah! little Luna is all grown up, how I missed our talks.”
“Please old friend, don't give your power to this creature. he is a danger to Equestria and all around him.”
“Luna, still so concerned with those who struggle and fight when the world beats them down. I am sorry but my power will remain with this dark one unless Starshot proves he is worthy. my heir must be freed or killed and I am not convinced the little pony has the will to do this.”
Psychoshot sneered down at me, “As I said, he is a weakling. the power is mine and once I destroy Starshot, I will have complete control of all of his power. there is so much he could achieve, the dormant power within that body could rival and defeat that of the alicorn's. but don't worry princess, you will be spared. I will need servants after all.”
The impact of my hoof across his muzzle caught Psychoshot by surprise. star powers or not, nopony threatens my friends. I span, my back hooves connecting with my dark halves face with a a loud crunch. my eyes narrowed as Psychoshot slammed into the ground.
“I don't care if you are a part of me, I don't care if you are stronger than me. nopony threatens my friends!”
Psychoshot pushed himself to his hooves and rubbed his muzzle with a hoof.
“So the weakling has some fire after all. there's hope for you yet. unfortunately it will not be enough.”
With a flash of silver, my dark half summoned the twisted version of my starlight mail. the shining metal armour seeming to glow with power. the face of that twisted version of me sneered with contempt. with a sudden flash of light, Psychoshot flew at me with a blur of speed. Hooves wreathed in silver fire smashed me from the air. the impact with the grassy field of Firewalls mind scape knocked the breath from my lungs, On instinct I rolled to my right. a stream of sliver flame burned the grass to ash where I had lain but a moment before. Painfully, I pushed myself back up to my hooves and looked up at the smiling face of my dark side.
“Do you understand now Starshot? you are too weak to hurt me. you cant even keep up...”
I never even had time to blink before the blows connected, ribs broke under the impact of his hooves and I felt my back left leg snap as I bounced and rolled across the grasslands. I lay there, unmoving, staring at the cutest pony I had ever seen. Page stared back, tears in her eyes.
“I'm...s-sorry Page..., I'm not strong enough... I failed you...”
Luna was nudging Page incessantly as the metal clad form of Psychoshot stalked towards them.
“For Equestria's sake Page, Tell him!”
Pages eyes locked with mine, her voice was so low I couldn't hear but I read the words on her lips.
“I... I'm pregnant, your going to be a father.”
Luna smiled at me, “It's a boy Starshot, you're going to have a son.”
I...
I'm going to be a Dad? I'm going to have a son?
My mind was reeling, this was my personal fantasy, to give my own child the life I never had. to give my son a safe world to grow up in, free from the misery I had dealt with.
“A child? excellent! I will see him raised in my own image, he will inherit the world I create from this pathetic excuse for a kingdom.”
My son...
he wants to twist my son into being like him?
Something inside me stirred, something old and neglected. from my heart came the true source of my strength. not the power of the stars, not the ice powers taught to me by the Sky Archons. what stirred was the spell given to me by my first love, by the pony who made me who I am. the magic of Sunspot roared through my veins. Finally, the Guardian spell truly awakened.
My broken bones pulled together with faint clicks as I slowly stood up. I felt my mane whipped around myself in the still air, caught in its own gale. the grass around my hooves rippled away from me in rings. every muscle on my body trembled with the raw magic roaring through me.
This was my son! My child! this mutant monster thinks I would lay down and allow him to corrupt my child? he thinks I would let my boy become a monster? being a member of the Archons, friends, my new family... everything took a second place to the unborn child within Page. I threw my head back and screamed, the raw magic sparking from my horn.
I almost passed out as the magic Sunspot had given her life to infuse in me ran wild. Finally, with my whole body feeling like it was burning, a bolt of raw magical lightning erupted from my horn, striking the ground between Psychoshot and my friends with enough force to leave a crater. My dark half turned back to me with genuine surprise, after all he had beaten and broken me in seconds. why would I be on my hooves?
What shocked me though was the mare who climbed out of the crater. purple coat with a violet mane, haunting golden eyes looked into my own. The mare smiled at me in such a familiar way, with a smirk, she turned, showing the cutiemark on her flank. a heart, surrounded by a sunburst.
“Sunspot?”
“Hello silly filly! goodness you got big! I'll speak to you later Starshot, right now I have to speak with your fillyfriend, oh and be a dear and get rid of that thing will you?”
Without even a backwards glance, my first love trotted over to Page and before long I could hear giggling. I had to smile, the two ponies who opened their hearts to me, both chatting about the strange buck they fell for.
“Sweet but pointless, each one of you will soon be dead. and once I'm free, Equestria will be mine for the taking.”
“Back away from them, now!”
Psychoshot turned back to me, with a weary sigh the psychotic Pegasus flew over to me and stared straight into my eyes.
“Why do you even bother with this? you don't have any hope without the magic of the stars. just surrender the body to me and you can be a part of me.”
It was a blow I would always remember, it was a blow many times stronger than anything I had ever threw. with the raw power of Sunspots spell behind me, I spun and planted both back hooves under his jaw. the glass of the structures surrounding the fields shattered from the shock wave. Psychoshot sailed through the air, before crashing to the ground some distance away.
“I don't care about the magic of the stars, I don't care about your goals. but you just threatened my unborn son...” The ice powers taught to me by Winter Sky went wild, spikes of ice exploded from the grass around me, many times my height.
My eyes closed as the magic of my friends focused inside me. Guardian and ice magic rushed to me as I focused both with my limited control. frost spread from my hooves, shimmering in the sunlight. my eyes narrowed as I snarled at the prone Pegasus, I will fight and I will beat anypony who threatens my son bloody.
Psychoshot slowly stood, then spat out a mouthful of blood. the dark Pegasus seemed pleased for some reason. a grin spread across his muzzle as he took to the air.
“So you do have some power beyond that of the stars? show me what it is capable of, I wish to see all this body has to offer me.”
I never had time to even blink before that streak of silver smashed into my face, sending me crashing through one of the spikes of ice. I rode the hit as Bright Shield had taught me and landed on my hooves. Psychoshot hovered above me, a look of strange happiness on his face. his wings lit with silver light and swept forward. an arc of silver magic swept towards my, I threw myself to one side. the odd magic sliced through an ice spike like it was a hot knife. I launched myself at him, silver speed and starlight strike flashed, the two spells making the sadistic monster dodge my attack and smash me from the air like it was nothing. I struggled to rise to my hooves and before I could even stand, Psychoshot dropped onto my back with all four hooves. something broke inside me and I screamed with the pain. my vision began to dim slowly, the pain was too much to bare.
“I want to name him Orion...”
Almost whispered, Pages words reached me. it wasn't me I was fighting for, it was not even for Equestria or my family. I was fighting for my unborn son, I pulled everything I was, everything I could ever be together and smashed it into the wall Alganon had raised to block me from the power of the stars. the wall held...
I couldn't do it, By myself I'm not strong enough...
Before unconsciousness began to claim, me I heard my friends call out to me. to this day I'm unsure if it was a dream but I saw them all. Winter Sky, Storm wing, Firewall, Luna, Hotshot, Redwing... Sunspot. Each reached out to me, laying a hoof on my own, giving me a portion of their strength, their magic. with my friends and my family behind me, the combined strength smashed through the wall. the magic of the stars flowed through me.
“The little pony is stronger than I thought, I may have to change my choice of avatar. this pony took the power I removed from him when it was needed... impressive.”
I pushed slowly to my hooves, ignoring the pain, my body was quivering with raw magic. Every lesson from Luna, each of Page's tutorials, every lesson learned. each flowed to me. my starlight mail surrounded my body, the usual glow of magic now roaring silver fire.
Psychoshot began to back away slowly as my mane and tail were engulfed in the silver blaze. every magic I was forced to bear came to my call, guardian, the ice magic of the Archons, the starlight magic of the last true Dragon mage. it was more than I could bear, I took a single step and the mind scape quaked with the raw power flowing through my body.
“Lets not get carried away here Starshot, you need my skill to control Alganon's magic!”
I roared with the pain of all that magic, my muscles were on fire. pure agony swept through me as I stared at the pony who had taken my body and stolen my life.
“Wait! without me you will never harness the power of the stars!”
The fear in his voice was obvious, all the magic roaring trough my body was tearing me apart, I felt my muscles burn, my nerves fray from the strain. With all this power I could stop Nightmare Blaze... but at what cost?
It was intoxicating how much power I could draw from at that moment, the raw magic behind me. I could challenge even Celestia if I so wished. one word kept me from becoming a bigger monster that Psychoshot.
Orion...
My wings spread out, ice magic filling the air with hundreds of icicles. the look of raw terror on Psychoshot's face was horrible to a gentle soul like mine.
“Kick his flank Starshot!” The words of encouragement from my friend Firewall, spurned me to action. each icicle lit with the starlight magic tearing me apart from within. two words came from my lips as I finally named a spell of my own.
“Starlight Stream.”
The icicles flew forward, each moving in a streak of light. each glowing icicle seeming to follow the monster I faced as he tried to run, the landscape was engulfed in a roaring sheet silver flames, seeming to shake as everything burned in the multiple explosions of silver fire. after a minute of glaring flames, the fire receded. the grass was burned to ash, stretching away from my hooves, charred away into the distance as far as I could see. in the middle of it all was a blackened body. Psychoshot lay screaming with pain, one wing burnt away completely while the other was nothing but charred muscle. his skin was split and bleeding under the burns.
Luna called out to me, “You have to end it Starshot or we will be trapped here forever.”
The horrific burnt body of my once captor lay before me, I don't even remember walking over to him. my own red eyes stared up at me, filled with pain.
“P...please...end it...”
I reared up, my hooves burning with silver flames. I shuddered from the crunch that came from under my descending hooves. Slowly I paced back to my friends, swaying as the uncontrolled magic within me tore me apart from inside, bloody hoof prints followed my every step. I felt like I would explode from the raw powers tearing through me.
Sunspot trotted to me and pressed her horn to my own. the magic seemed to drain away from me as my first love saved my life a second time. her horn flashed and a bolt of magic flew into the distance, striking the odd green, two legged statue with the torch. silver fire annihilated the statue and the buildings around it.
Sunspot jabbed me in the ribs with her horn, making me shriek with surprise. “How has my big and brave guardian been? did you miss me?”
“Sunspot, how are you a mare? when I died a few months ago you were a filly!”
“That was just to save some time, silly filly! would you have believed it was me if I looked like this?”
She had me there. as much as I wanted to talk with Sunspot, another mare grabbed my attention. Page stared at my bloody and swaying form, her eyes staring into my soul.
“Is it true Page? I'm going to be a dad?”
With a smile and tear filled eyes, my true love gave me a small nod. I rushed over to her and swept her up into a hug.
“I love you so much Page.”
“I love you too, you big, stupid lump.”
Luna watched with a smile and gave Firewall a nudge. “Why cant you show affection like that?”
Firewall gave a big grin, “One word princess, troll.”
Luna swatted at Firewall with her wing. all smiles. Firewall broke into song,
“Maybe I didn't troll you
Quite as good as I should have
Maybe I didn't annoy you
Quite as often as I could have
Little things I should've said and done
I just never took the time
Luna is inside of my mind
The troll is inside of my mwf!..”
Luna had jammed a hoof into Firewall's mouth.
Sunspot let out a loud sigh, “Looks like my time is up, take care Starshot.” she pointed a hoof at Page with a grin, “And you, keep an eye on this buck will you? he has a habit of getting in over his head, trying to help everypony.” Page smiled and nodded.
The golden eyed mare began to fade, slowly turning transparent. “Goodbye my dangerous looking colt...” Her eyes widened for a moment as my first love almost vanished from sight. “I almost forgot, Starfall and Skyshot asked me to give you a message. you make them prouder every day...” her words were barely a whisper.
And with that, she was gone.
Page gave me a curious look, “Skyshot and Starfall? I know those names, they were the ponies who died stopping the dragon who almost destroyed Trottingham... why are they sending you messages?”
I stared up at the blue sky above me, “They were my parents...”
“The son of heroes, looks like the apple didn't fall far from the tree!” Firewall gave me that wide smile of his.
I gave a sigh, “I'm no hero.”
Luna tilted her head to one side, “There is over a hundred ponies that I found who owe you their lives, you saved the life of a sky Archon. you protected Equestrian citizens from timber wolves, diamond dogs and even beat back what could be the greatest threat to the kingdom in Equestrian history... yes, no hero like actions there.”
Why was everypony so sure I was a hero?, all I was doing was keeping my promise and helping those who needed it. this time it was me who needed help, my friends all came to my rescue, each came to my aid without hesitation. without them Psychoshot would not be gone at last.
I'm not gone.
Wait what? you're dead! I killed you myself!
Your not very bright are you? none of this is real, what you did was defeat me, the body is yours once more. I will always be a part of you, for now you have control. all I can do is advise and hope you will listen.
So your always going to be a part of me?
Think of me as your anger, that dark rage that let you kill those timber wolves when you first met Summer. I will always be here, bubbling under the surface... ah, our mutual friend makes an appearance at last.
I felt the air begin to ripple as the winds began to bend around something unseen. glaring silver light blinded us for a moment as something revealed itself. filling the plain was the most terrifying sight I had ever seen, the beast was of such immense size that even its claws were bigger than me. I jumped in front of my friends, wings spread. the colossal dragon leaned down and placed its huge silver scaled head on the grass before me. eyes bigger than Page stared with an almost bored expression. Luna pushed me back and smiled up at the silver dragon.
“Hello old friend.”
It all clicked for me then, I knew who the giant dragon was. a chunk of his skull was lodged in my head after all.
“Alganon? you're the dragon voice in my head?”
Vast black eyes stared down at me, I'm no coward but I was terrified. it was strange, other than the monster that had killed me I had not met another dragon but I could read something within this creatures eyes. pride.
“Little pony, you never fail to amaze me. your bonds are your strength it seems. when any are threatened, you tap into the vast pool of magic around us all. you transcended all challenges I set. I lived for thousands of years yet your raw potential astounds me. with the right catalyst, you could harness all the power of the stars.”
I stared into those eyes, feeling like I was being judged for my worth.
“I'm sorry Alganon, as much as I want to be some kind of hero... an heir to your powers... I don't want that power, I don't want ice magic or the guardian spell. but I will take them and use them all to protect my son, my mare and my friends. Equestria has guardians much more suitable than me for the job.”
“That is what makes you a hero little pony. you do not wish for power and strength. you wish to live with your partner in peace. you will fight if required, that is what makes you special. I, Alganon, the Starlight Dragon, do bequeath unto you, Starshot of Trottingham, all my power.”
The great beast breathed out, silver fire roared from the muzzle and engulfed my body. Page screamed in horror, even Luna seemed shocked. oddly I felt no pain, the flames showed me so much. Alganon's magic, one of the most powerful of the Dragon Magi who ever lived, flowed through me. I saw it all, the magic was like water. it flowed, all it needed was for me to channel it, to shape its flow. My Starlight Stream was one way I had created, all that was stopping me from harnessing an almost unlimited source of power was my own morals. I could bring Equestria to its knee's with the raw power I was shown, but all I saw was new ways to protect those I care about.
My eyes grew hot as the flames began to force their way into my skull, knowledge and experiences flowed into my mind against my will. I screamed as the knowledge of thousands of years forced its way into my skull. finally, the flames died down, leaving me standing untouched in a sea of ash. In my friends eyes I could see my reflection. dragon like metal plates covered my body, my eyes and mane were engulfed in silver fire, my wings were clad in scaled plate mail, giving me dragon like wings. my hooves, usually shining like a star, burned with fires of starlight magic.
Seemingly in perfect sync, both the giant dragon and myself threw our heads back and roared, blasting out roaring streams of white fire. I lowered my head, feeling like I had gone five rounds with Storm Wing. the silver magic of my new armour flaked away, taking the fires of my eyes and mane with them, my strength failed me and I fell back to my side.
Luna looked from my shivering form to the colossal dragon. “Alganon? what did you just do to him?”
Alganon crossed his claws and rested his head on them, “Little Luna, do you recall I once spoke of my magic as a part of my soul? this brave pony is bound to me through similar magic. one who loved him poured her very soul into saving his life. his horn is a part of me, he has been tapping into my magic when he fights, tasting a little at a time. now the limit is what he calls upon.”
I looked up from where I lay into the eyes of that ancient creature. “Why give your power to me? I'm not anything special, just a buck with a rough life.”
“That is exactly why I chose to give you power, you have had life beat you down to the point you should lay down and die. any other creature I have met in my existence would have given up, you instead fought back. you took the terrible life given to you and made it something special, you helped those in need, you did what needed to be done with no thoughts of reward. you have no idea how rare it is to find a creature like you.”
Page wrapped her front legs around my neck and actually gave the giant monster a cross look, “Keep your claws off him! Starshot is mine!”
The dragon actually laughed? Luna and Firewall gave each other a look of confusion. I felt myself smile, then the sheer ridiculousness of that moment hit me. a small unicorn was telling an ancient dragon of incredible power, to back off...
I couldn't help it, I tried to stop the laugh from coming out but the image of the glasses wearing librarian, staring down a dragon that big, it was too much! I roared with laughter, getting odd looks from everypony and a light beating from Page. I lay there while everypony watched me laugh my plot off while Page beat me with her front hooves. it took some time but I finally composed myself and pushed Page away as gently as possible.
“I... I know I'm not what you wanted for an heir. I know you hoped to pass on your knowledge to the dragon the Nightmare is possessing... I swear on my soul, I will keep your power safe until you can pass it onto one more deserving.”
The great beast stared down at me with a sad smile, then just as my magic armour does, broke up into a shower of silver flakes. I watched, unblinking, as my dragon mentor faded away. is this the last we will talk?
“I am still here little pony, we will still talk when you need it.”
Thank you, I'll need your council in the days to come. Blaze will come and I don't know if I can stop her...
“Little pony... Starshot. you have all you need to lay my descendant to rest, what you lack is the conviction. you obsess over your closest friends and your mare friend. you don't see the bigger picture around you. when you see the world as it is you will finally gain the true power bestowed on you..”
Firewall looked around with a wide grin, “so we won? this things over?”
I smiled and gave a nod back.
“Great, I've been dyeing to try this!”
Firewall balanced an his back hooves and pulled his front hooves to his left side.
“Ka-me-ha-meeeeeeeeeeee...” Luna swatted him with a wing.
“Enough of that, we should leave.” The look the lunar princess gave my ash coloured friend booked no arguments. I struggled to laugh as Firewall pouted at Luna, then summoned a table and flipped it over. The princess winked at me and gave a smile. with a flash the world disappeared.
<===0oxo0===>
The light seemed blinding when I opened my eyes. my limbs felt sore but it was a good pain. being able to feel anything but despair again was amazing. I could feel the magic given to me still, flowing through my veins yet still just out of reach, like an itch I could not scratch. with a lurch, I rolled to my hooves and stretched out. odd metallic sounds made me glance down. the chains... I had been bound with enchanted chains to keep Psychoshot from running loose, somehow I had broken them without even noticing. my eyesight chose that moment to clear, Winter Sky and Storm Wing stood before me, blocking me from the still unconscious forms of Luna, Page and Firewall. Unicorns spread out around me, horns glowing with magic.
“Um... private Starshot reporting for duty, captain.”
The feelings of hostility around me did not seem to lessen, I gave a sigh and lay down, folding my legs underneath me.
“I know you're not convinced its me in here so I'll sit here like this until the others wake up.”
Everypony stared at me like I had gone mad, then again everypony thought I was still that sadistic monster. Firewall chose that moment to leap to his hooves, scaring the hay out of everypony. the ash grey unicorn pulled one of his paper rolls out of nowhere and lit it with a spark from his horn.
Firewall inhaled deeply then blew out a long stream of smoke, “Ah sweet nicotine, how I love thee.”
I smiled as my crazy friend smiled up at the vaulted ceiling with a look of contentment. “Hey Firewall, did Luna explain how long she would be out to you after this? I think we will need her for this.”
Firewall gave me a grin. “Not a clue Star, you know as much as I do.”
A groan made us glance over to the mares still out behind Firewall, Luna sat up and rubbed her eyes with a hoof, Page woke a moment later, and with speed that would have made an Archon proud, barrelled past every guard and tackled me with a hug.
A pale green glow surrounded Page as one of the unicorn guards tried to pull her away. I stomped a hoof down, the Archon magic coming into play. a spike of ice erupted from the ground, the point stopping just under the unicorns chin.
My voice was as cold as the ice, “Let her go now, nopony touches my mare.”
Winter Sky was giving me an odd look, “Its really you in there again isn't it?”
“I can attest to that Captain, Starshot has regained control in no uncertain terms. in fact, if he can control the powers he displayed in that battle, we may just have a secret weapon against Nightmare Blaze.”
Firewall gave a grin, The Starlight Archon is back in town!”
The what? why did I get the feeling that nickname will stick?
Firewall leaned back towards Luna and staged whispered to her, “I don't know how to break this to you princess, but you have a bad case of bed mane.”
<====0oxo0====>
It was around an hour after Luna had finished beating Firewall, Luna had insisted that I was back to my old self but to be safe I was being brought before Celestia for some kind of final test.
The throne room was crowded with guards and the entire force of the Sky Archons. if Psychoshot was in control and tried anything, there was no chance of him escaping. I was impressed with how much care was being taken, even the windows had magic screens covering them. Winter Sky stood next to Celestia and Luna on the raised platform the thrones sat upon. Luna was arguing with her sister about something.
“Tia! you cant do this, he is not a threat!”
“Luna, you know what his power is, you know what would happen if his other half took control once more.”
“Please Celestia. don't do this to him, he has sacrificed too much for Equestria already...”
“Luna... I understand but I cannot let this be a threat hanging over us, not in times like this.”
I was getting more than a little scared, if what Celestia had planned upset Luna like this then what was going to happen to me? Images flashed through my mind, being banished to the moon, turned to stone. if Celestia considered my magic to be a threat, then she would do whatever was necessary to protect her subjects.
I sat at the steps, looking up at the two princesses. Luna looked down at me with sadness in her eyes. I could not read Celestia at all. after a moment the princess of the sun spoke.
“Young Starshot, you have suffered so much. you sacrificed everything, even your life and mind, all to protect the ponies of Equestria. that is what makes this so hard.”
Celestia's eyes seemed to almost tear up as she laid down her decision.
“As much as I hate myself for doing this, I cannot let such a threat to my little ponies continue, it is my decision that your draconic magic's will be sealed away. you will still have access to the magic gifted to you by Sunspot and the pegasi magic you have learned from the Archons. but its my judgement that the starlight magic is far too dangerous to be left loose.”
I felt betrayed but I understood, if Psychoshot ever got complete control of me then Equestria would suffer. I bowed my head and closed my eyes as Celestia aprouched, Luna followed he down the steps, still pleading.
“Tia, please don't do this! we need him for when Blaze attacks!”
“Luna, we have Twilight and the rest of the Elements of Harmony. one young pony will not be equal to their power.”
I looked up into Celestia's eyes, seeing sadness and regret echoed back.
“I am truly sorry my little pony, but for the good of Equestria, this must be done.”
Celestia's horn touched to my own and there was a flash of golden light. my body filled with warm light, then it slowly faded, leaving me feeling incredibly cold. I lost my balance and fell to my side, shivering uncontrollably. Page wrapped her hooves around my neck and hugged me tight. my teeth chattered as I shook. Celestia looked down at my shivering body.
“The coldness will pass, it is a side effect of losing such a strong magic.”
Page stared at the sun princess, her eyes flowing with tears, “He suffered all his life, he gave up that life to save me. all those years of pain and suffering, all for your kingdom and you do this to him. I hate you...”
Page's words cut at me, I tried to speak but all I could manage was a grunt through the shivering. Celestia stared at Page, a single tear ran down her face before she turned from us and slowly trotted from the throne room. Luna seemed shocked, I don't think Celestia had ever had anypony say she hated her before. I was desperate to call Celestia back, to tell her I understood, to explain to Page why it had to be... but all I could do was lay there and shake uncontrollably.
<====0oxo0====>
Three days had passed, I had been laid up in the medical wing while my body adjusted to the loss of the magic I had held since I was a young colt. the voices in my head had been oddly quiet, both Psychoshot and Alganon had been sealed by Celestia's spell it seemed. my shaking had stopped but I was still unable to talk, my voice was simply gone.
The medical ponies seemed at a loss to the reason, on the plus side, it meant I had improved my hoof writing as I wrote out my conversations with everypony who came to visit me.
I was walking to the Hall of the Archons, nothing else could be done to help me in the medical wing so I went back to training.
“Private Starshot! Front and centre!”
There was no mistaking that voice, Winter sky stood next to Lt. Silverheart in front of the lined up Sky Archons. I galloped over and stood before him and saluted. Winter Sky stared down at me, his eyes unreadable.
“Private, I have spoken with each Archon involved in the dragon indecent and it is my opinion that something must be addressed.”
Now I was scared, with Psychoshot in control I had attacked other Archons, killed that dragon and disobeyed orders.
“During that fight Silverheart tells me you displayed skill and teamwork on par with seasoned veterans. however, you disobeyed orders and broke formation to protect a fellow Archon.”
What did he have in mind? was I going to spend a month cleaning armour? scrub the halls? a hundred laps of Canterlot?
“After discussing this with the Archons I have reached a decision...”
I lowered my head, awaiting my punishment. I just hoped it didn't take me away from Page too much.
“You are hereby promoted to Corporal.”
I looked up, blinking in surprise.
“Corporal, you put the life of a fellow Archon before your own. the mission is important but if your team mates die, then there will not be another chance if the mission fails. in my Archons you look after your partner or I boot your flank out. you continue to impress me with your dedication to protecting everypony who needs it, regardless of their strengths.”
The thundering of hooves made me look behind me, the lines of Archons applauded me. at the far right of the lines, Night Feather smiled and whispered something. I read her lips with ease.
“Thank you.”
I tried to thank everypony but my voice was still missing. being mute was tough.
We spent the next few hours training in the Archon style of hoof fighting, the way the slightest change of your bodyweight was enough to redirect a strike or send a much bigger opponent sprawling was amazing. Silverheart trained with me as I needed a crash course, though I must say being tossed halfway across the hall by a pony half my size and a mare no less with very humbling. Still, she took it easy on me and my ego took a bigger bruising than my body. Winter Sky dismissed me until dawn.
I was tired and hurting but it was a good kind of hurt, I found myself glancing down at the grey band around my leg, the two bands picked out in gold. Corporal... Page was going to explode with excitement when she saw it. I glanced into the library as I passed and froze. Celestia was talking to a lavender coated mare. for a moment I thought it was Sunspot, then I took in her large purple eyes and a straight blue mane and tail with violet and rose streaks. Celestia vanished with a flash of light, I began to turn to leave when a voice called out.
“Perfect! just the pony I was looking for.”
I turned back and looked at the mare from before, her eyes shone with excitement.
“My name is Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia has asked me to find a way to give you your voice back... you are Starshot right?”
I nodded, Twilight smiled and trotted to a nearby table. two light blue saddlebags lay on top. rolls of parchment had spilled out across the tabletop, along with quills and bottles of ink.
“If you need to say anything please write it down, I'm so excited to meet a pony with dragon magic! I have so many questions!”
Twilight was quite the excitable pony it seemed, I grabbed a quill in my mough and scribbled a message.
The princess... does she hate me now?
“Princess Celestia doesn't hate anypony... but you does feel guilty.”
I want to tell her I understand, that I agree with her choice... but I cant even speak, I cant find the words to say that she was right.
Twilight gave me an odd look, “Then why don't you write her a letter?”
That was such an obvious thing it had never occurred to me, it took several hours but with Twilights assistance I had a letter I could be happy with. during that time I learned a lot about the purple pony mare, she was the bearer of the Element of Magic... whatever that was, she was Celestia's personal student and a genius in magic. she reminded me so much of Sunspot it made my heart ache a little. It was dark outside so I bid Twilight a goodnight and left for my room, I hoped Celestia would read my letter and forgive Page...
Dear Princess Celestia.
Today I learned that sometimes to do the right thing you must make the hard choice. You must consider the kingdom before your own feelings even if it means breaking your own heart.
I know what Page said hurt you but please understand that she never meant it, she was just upset. I want to thank you for giving me a chance to become the pony I am today.
The crimes I was accused of, the dark side of me that killed that dragon...
You were right to bind them away, any other ruler would have simply banished me, instead you have taken me into your home, let me join the Sky Archons, helped me find true love.
You and your sister have made me happier than I could ever have dreamed possible. I know you must be hurting now for what you had to do, just know that I forgive you.
Your faithful subject
Starshot.
A hero?
I’m no hero. In fact, to be honest, I'm a coward. I have zero confidence and I'm terrified of violence... so why is it now that I stand here, bloodied and broken, against the Nightmare?
Love is a powerful thing.
But let me start at the beginning- my name is Starshot. An epic sounding name, I think you will agree, but for nearly as long as I can remember I've been called Luckybreak. I’m also a Pegasus. And an orphan. A midnight black coat and a fiery red mane gave me the dangerous looks that should have had the mares lining up to be with me... if it weren’t for my fear of being rejected that led me to be the target of every bully, and when you're being picked on by orphans you know you have sunk to the bottom. The way I was around girls really didn’t help either; I tended to gain a stutter and the inability to even look them in the eyes.
When I was a colt, I became friends with a unicorn. Her name was Sunspot, and she was the best of everything... a serious overachiever, top marks in all of the classes, a genius in magic.. and Great Celestia, was that girl sweet. I never once heard a single bad thing come from her mouth. She put everypony else first. She had the looks that nopony could ignore, a pale purple coat with a violet mane, and golden eyes that you lost yourself in. She gave off a quiet sense of grace that made her stand out from the crowd. I'll admit it, I was smitten- heck, I was head over hooves for this filly. That sweet girl gave me the one thing that I never had as I grew up... a true friend.
It was just another day to me. I sat at my desk during class, not really paying much attention to the world around me, as always, when a bright and happy voice spoke up.
“Hi Starshot! I’m Sunspot! Want to have lunch with me?”
Needless to say, when I looked up at her my mind shut down in shock. A thousand things began to spiral through my mind... was she mocking me? Was this some kind of awful joke?
“M-m-m-me eat w-w-w-with y-you?” I stammered, cursing myself for the stutter.
Sunspot tilted her head slightly and beamed a radiant smile at me.
“You’re too nervous to eat with me? That’s so cute!”
Sunspot, the cutest filly in my class and all round overachiever, had just called me cute... If this was a dream, I had no intention of waking up. The friendly grin on her face widened and her horn began to gleam. I was suddenly surrounded with a purple glow and lifted into the air by her magic. I gaped.
“You’re going to eat with me if I have to drag you there myself!”
The laughter of my classmates echoed around me, directed at me as usual, but for once I wasn't hurt by it at all. It’s hard to concentrate when you’re floating upside down. I will also be the first to admit that being pulled along like a pony balloon by a filly half my size was more than embarrassing.. but when that girl set her mind to something, she would get it done. No doubts about that.
As we passed the door i heard a voice snicker.
“Looks like Starshot caught a lucky break for once!”
I should have known that the name would stick after that. Things like that always seemed to happen around me. Little did I know at the time just how much of a lucky break I was in for..
Sunspot floated me outside before dropping me at the base of a tall tree with a giggle. As I nervously wondered what to do, she sat down facing me and began to lift sandwiches and a pair of salad bowls from her previously unnoticed saddlebags. What was it about her eyes that made me forget everything else around me?
I stared down at my ebony hooves for a while, feeling too nervous to even look up, when I began to hear wing beats. I sighed a little, knowing my classmates would be lurking in the branches, just waiting for a chance to mock me and ruin my perfect dream come true.
“Next time you ignore me I'll give you more of the same!”
You know, I never enjoyed being bullied, but the gentle teasing of that girl is one of my fondest memories. It's what made what happened next bearable to me.
“Oh heck!”
The shout was followed by a dangerously loud crack. I glanced up and saw with dismay that one of the branches we were being spied upon from had snapped, seeming to fall in slow motion towards us, as a green pegasus flew from it to safety.
To this day I have no idea how long I was out for. All I remember clearly was fading in and out of consciousness, each time accompanied by a soft sobbing. I remember hearing two voices that I couldn't quite identify, talking quietly.
“Just tell me! Will he be alright, Doctor?”
“...We are not sure at this time if he’s going to wake up. The impact fractured his skull and caused a serious concussion at best... I’m so sorry.”
The quiet sobbing got louder, and I felt small hooves clasp mine. I gave one a faint squeeze, trying to comfort whoever was crying. A voice I knew spoke up in excitement... why couldn't I put a name to it?
“Doctor! Doctor! Starshot squeezed my hoof! I think he’s...”
The darkness claimed me once more.
Slowly, and painfully, I opened my eyes. No, wait, only one eye? Lifting a hoof to my face, I felt bandages wrapping one half of my head. I tried to lift another to check myself over and stopped. Because there, clutching my hoof as if afraid to ever let it go, was the sleeping form of Sunspot.
The poor filly looked awful. Her mane was a tangled mess and I could tell by her eyes that she had been crying, and even while sleeping her face held an expression of grief. It hurt me more than I liked to admit to see her like that. She was the first pony ever to treat me like a normal pony and not an outcast. But what happened next ripped my heart into two... just a few words muttered in her sleep shattered me down to my core.
“I’m so sorry, Starshot.”
She blamed herself....
That thought brought me together in a way I never thought possible. The quiet, scared Starshot died, in that moment, and a new me emerged.
You ever been tackled by a small person and it knocks you off your feet? That is almost exactly what happened as Sunspot threw her hooves around me, hugging me so tight I struggled to breathe-
“You're alright! You're finally awake!”
After a few awkward moments, the filly pulled back and began to stare at her hooves.
“I’m so sorry Starshot, if I hadn't dragged you out to that tree this would never have happened... and you got hurt, and it’s all my fault, and... I... I understand if you hate me...”
I didn't think, I reacted.
“Sunspot, I want you to make me a promise.”
I saw a little fear in her eyes as she nodded. It was breaking my heart to see it, but... this had to be done.
“I want you to promise me you will never see that accident as your fault again. Sweet Celestia, girl, I took the hit of my own choice!”
Her eyes widened as she stared into my one uncovered eye... then the dams broke. I hugged the poor thing to me and held her gently, as she sobbed out all the sorrow and guilt she’d stored up while I was asleep.
“I’m so sorry I worried you, Sunspot..." I whispered into her ear. "I may not be the biggest pony out there. And I may not be the strongest. But I swear, by Luna and Celestia, I will protect you for as long as I live!”
Fate mocked me in that instance in ways that destroyed everything I was... more on that later.
Flash forward, to three months onwards.
I had spent all that time in therapy, building up the muscles that had wasted away as I lay in bed unconscious. Thanks to no small part to a certain unicorn’s prodding horn, I had not only gained back the muscles I had lost, but for the first time ever, my frame had bulked out to what it should have been. No longer was I the weak and underdeveloped Starshot I had been before my accident. No, I felt like a stallion now. But I swear, if Sunspot hadn’t been there to poke me with her horn when I tried to quit, I would have never lasted to the end of the training! To this day I think she might have also added a spell or two to the ones my doctors used to rebuild my wasted frame, though when I asked her about it all I ever got was a smirk in response.
It was finally time for me to leave the hospital. I felt like a million bits. I was stronger, faster and more confident than before the accident, and now, I even finally had found somepony who cared for me!
I was waiting for Sunspot; she had promised to meet me so we could have a picnic, to celebrate my release. I paced back and forward in my hospital room. She was late. She was never late...
With a sigh I walked to the window and studied my reflection, grimacing slightly at my face. The falling branch had left its mark, a long scar ran from under my left ear to just below my left eye. The fur around it had turned white, making the scar stand out more. My eyes, once a faded orange, were now a deep red, almost matching my mane. The black coat completed the look perfectly.
“I look like one of the ponies the Equestrian Guard arrest...” I sighed.
The door opened and soft hoofsteps echoed behind me. I turned around with a happy smile.
“Hey there Sunspot! I was starting to...” I froze the moment I saw her face. She had been crying, that much I could tell, but the way her mane was brushed to cover one side of her face? That sent warning bells off in my head.
“Sunspot... what happened...” I could not recognise my own voice in that moment, it was so devoid of emotion.
“I... They...” The poor thing was terrified of what had happened. It was tearing me up inside.
“Please, Sunspot! Tell me!”
“Well... Redwing has been saying mean things about you and I.. I told him he was wrong and he... Starshot, he hit me...”
Every muscle in my body tensed up as she continued.
“He has the whole class calling you Luckybreak. ...He says I was lucky only you were hit by that branch.”
Anger began to build up inside me as I pictured Redwing, a self satisfied scarlet pegasus with a love of bullying anyone who refused to stand up to him, and anyone who did. He had a way of sucking up to the teachers that looked after us orphans that would make them take his word at a moment’s notice. Sunspot looked up at my face, my body quivering in anger.
“Starshot...? Are you okay...?” The hair fell away from her face. Sunspot’s eye was swollen and black almost to the point of being forced closed.
Something in me snapped. If I ever had a breaking point I had just passed it.
“Doctor!” I yelled out as one of the hospital staff walked past the open door, “Can you take a look at her eye? I will really owe you one if you can!”
The doctor, a grey coated stallion with a grey mane and tail, wearing a white coat, looked in at me with a frown before wincing at Sunspot’s eye.
“Come with me, little filly. We’ll take care of that now.” He looked back to me with a glare, as if I was to blame.
“Starshot! Are you coming with me?”
“I’ll catch you in a moment, girl!” I smiled back, still fighting to keep my rage in check. “I just have to take care of something real quick. I’ll be there soon, I promise.”
I left the hospital, took a quick breath and leapt to the air, building height and soaring over the town. It wasn’t long before I spotted the rooftops of the orphanage and tilted my wings to spiral downwards. Scanning the schoolyard I soon spotted my target, who was shoving a small, white coated earth pony with a green mane against the same tree where the accident had occurred.
“Redwing. You and I need to have a little talk. NOW.”
The arrogant pegasus never even turned his head to look back at me.
“Well, well, well, if it isn't Luckybreak. Wait your turn, foal. I'll get to you in a moment.”
Now think of it from his viewpoint. A pony he had bullied for years and mocked when he was seriously hurt had just arrived behind him, scarred, more than twice the size and glaring down at him with blood red eyes filled with anger... Oh, and he had also just hit a girl that it was common knowledge Starshot cared about. You know, looking back at it, I'm surprised he never wet himself.
The young earth pony took this moment to gallop away screaming “Teacher! Teacher!”
“You hit Sunspot.” My voice was cold and flat.
“Um... well.. you see... Wait! It was a misunderstanding!” Redwing stammered. I could see the fear in his eyes, and he was beginning to sweat. Not that I cared.
“YOU HIT SUNSPOT!” I roared in his face, the anger taking over. Redwing backtracked as fast as he could, only to run into the same tree he had used to bully that earth pony.
“No... no... I... I... TEACHER!”
“Starshot, stop!” An adult's voice echoed across the schoolyard, and still my eyes never left Redwing’s for a moment. Instead, I reared up, determined to buck the bully’s face in. But a face popped into my mind, a beautiful violet face with golden eyes. She would never forgive me if i did that.
I lowered my hooves with a sigh, the anger draining from me quietly. I breathed deeply, turning to leave and return to Sunspot.
“I knew it! Too scared to do anything with a teacher around, eh?” Thinking himself safe, Redwing sneered at my back.
I kicked back with one hoof, narrowly missing his head and shaking the tree, chunks of wood and bark flying from the impact.
“No, you stupid foal!” I shouted, rounding on him. “I'm giving you a chance to make it up to her and every other pony here you bullied! You have till the day’s end to apologize to every single pony you’ve ever teased, hit or hurt. And if I hear one word of you picking on anyone else ever again, you’ll be lucky if “Lucky Break” doesn't come back and break you in half!”
The sheer terror in his eyes made me feel a little ashamed of myself for a moment, but the idiot needed a major shock in order to get it through his thick skull as to how just how miserable he made ponies’ lives.
“...Starshot?”
I looked to our teacher, an elderly cream mare with a peach mane named Winter Snow. She was staring at the tree in what seemed to be shock. I glanced back and had to do a double-take myself. My hoofprint was clearly visible... almost a foot into the trunk of the tree. What had Sunspot's magic done to me?
Without another word I took to the skies again.
Heading back to the hospital, I landed in front of the main doors as Sunspot came out. Her eye, though still bruised, looked a lot better. She stared at me with a frown.
“Where have you been? You told me you were going to stay with me!”
“I... uh...” I had no idea what I should say.
“You went and hurt Redwing, didn't you?!”
“I had every intention of more than hurting him...” I admitted with a sigh, “But I knew you would never forgive me or yourself if I did. I did scare him a bit though! Hopefully he’ll take the hint that his bullying isn’t going to go unnoticed any longer.”
She looked a little relieved, but still concerned as she looked into my eyes. I looked back into hers, and steeled myself to ask the question on my mind since the tree incident.
Those beautiful golden eyes stared into my soul, and I almost looked away. I couldn't hide my fear of what was happening to me from her.
“Something happened, didn't it?” she asked in a quiet voice.
“Well... I found I can control my anger if I think of you. And I saved a young colt from Redwing. Oh, and I'm suddenly strong enough to buck a hole into a tree.”
Her eyes widened and her mouth split into a wide grin that left me blushing.
“It... worked! It really worked!” she cheered happily. I watched in confusion as Sunspot practically danced on the spot, the sheer happiness coming off her in waves.
“Sunspot! WHAT worked?” I asked in annoyance.
“Well... Remember the visit we had a few years ago, to the Royal Library in Canterlot?" I nodded, remembering being bored out of my mind the whole trip. Reading had never been something I was particularly good at.
"Well... I sort of snuck into the Starswirl the Bearded section and read some of the scrolls..."
“Go on...?” I was beginning to feel a little nervous about where this was going. The Starswirl the Bearded section was only open to ponies who had Celestia’s special permission to be there, and it was heavily guarded. The magic contained within those scrolls...
“I read about a spell that Starswirl never finished developing, named Guardian. It was supposed to give power to a pony to protect those around them. I made a copy of the scroll... and I've spent the time since completing it.”
At this point my mind completely shut down. Sunspot, a quiet young filly, had completed a spell started by the greatest unicorn mage of Equestria of all time. I was in awe. I was terrified.
“Sunspot! Are you mad? What will it do to me?” The fear in my voice finally seemed to get through to her.
“Don’t worry, Starshot. It won’t hurt you, if that’s what you’re asking. The spell increases your own physical and mental attributes in a way directly proportional to your desire to protect others.”
“Okay. No, wait, what? Can you explain that in a way that doesn’t make me feel like an idiot?”
Sunspot giggled. “Alright then. Basically? The more you want to protect others, the stronger you get. Easy enough for you?”
“Yeah. Okay. So... you made me a protector for all the ponies at the orphanage?”
“To begin with!” She grinned at me cheerfully as I sat down in defeat and tried to puzzle out this mess. I fidgeted; she knelt down beside me.
“Sunspot... What made you think somepony like me would be a good protector for anything?” I couldn't think of a single reason why.
She looked down and spoke softly. “When I was in about to get hurt under that tree... you never hesitated. You put yourself in harm’s way without a second thought. Just to protect me... Thank you, Starshot. Thank you.”
And then she kissed me, and nuzzled her neck into mine.
A beautiful little filly had just given me a kiss, a heartfelt thank you and a pony hug. I’d stood up to a bully, and let him go. I could kick holes in trees. I was..
I was bewildered. But I was happy.
Six months onwards, the orphanage was almost a completely different place. The fillies and colts here had become far more relaxed and happy since it had been whispered around that I had some sort of incredible powers and could seriously hurt anypony who gave trouble. Redwing had changed the most, though. Once a self-centered, arrogant bully, he now spent his time quietly helping the younger pegasi learn the basics of flying.
My relationship with Sunspot was official, and I was the envy of most colts of the school for it. I never could shift the nickname LuckyBreak, though. Still... I had never been happier.
I had changed, too. Though still technically a colt I was almost as large as the stallion teachers and towered over my classmates. As such, I was continually being volunteered by Sunspot for any heavy lifting. That girl always had to annoy me for giggles... not that I minded too much. Her delighted giggles and cheerful smile made it worth it.
Which brings us to why I was standing at the back of the class, laden down with saddlebags, with a certain young unicorn grinning at me and giggling as usual. It was time for our class’s yearly field trip, and this year we were off to visit the Dragon's Maw, a sprawling cave network lined with the bones of ancient dragons. I will admit, I was pretty excited. Just the thought of seeing all those old bones had me grinning, much to the laughter of the fillies and colts.
“Alright! Can I have everypony’s attention please?”
I looked to the front of our noisy group to our awesome tour guide. She was a unicorn named Dragonfire. A pretty unoriginal name for a pony, but she definitely looked the part. An orange coat, red mane and tail with cyan tips to the hair... Great Luna, did she look cool! Heck, even her cutie mark was a fireball trailing flames! Sunspot nudged me in annoyance. Perhaps she was getting jealous? ...Nah.
“Okay, everypony! Today we're going to be traveling through the caverns of the dragon mages. Some background for you first! Once every thousand generations, a dragon with the ability to use magic is born. Not unlike a unicorn, actually.” She began to walk to the cave entrance. The caverns were north of our town, nestled in a deep and quiet valley. Lush and very tasty grass grew as far as the eye could see, dying out as it reached the cliffsides. Bisecting the sheer stone walls was a wide cave mouth, which was, oddly enough, almost perfectly round... I got lost in the scenery for a moment. Dragonfire pawed the ground with a smile.
“Come on, guys! We can’t just stand around here all day, you know. Don’t you want to see some dragon bones?”
"Okay. So, as some of you might have guessed already, this isn’t a natural cave system. You can tell from the way that the stones don’t seem to be worn down, despite their age." our guide explained. "No, this cave was cut into the cliffside by dragons to create a place for their honoured dead.”
I raised my head. “I thought dragons didn’t honour their dead? They’re solitary creatures, aren’t they?”
Dragonfire smiled at me. “Yup, that’s right! But dragon mages are special. You see, when a dragon mage is born and comes of age, it attracts dragons to itself... power attracting power, if you will.” She shook a little dust off her coat. “Now, when a dragon mage dies, it is the belief of its followers that the mage will one day return, and therefore, its body must be protected. They create these caverns to house the mage’s greatest followers and its treasures. And no, before I am asked, the treasures have long since been taken by other dragons." Everyone looked a little disappointed at that.
Our class followed in wonder as she led us deep into the cave, explaining the history and pointing out interesting things as we went. We passed through caverns filled with huge skeletons and colossal skulls. I’d never seen anything so awesome in all my life.
Finally we reached the chamber of the Dragon Mage itself.
My jaw bounced off the floor as we took in the sheer scale of the bones before us. I'm pretty big, but the smallest claw on that thing dwarfed me. It was incredible. Slightly yellowed, the skeleton was untouched, curled up with the tail almost touching the skull. I stared up in awe.
“Sunspot! Will you stop with that?!” Her response was to fall over laughing.
“Did I scare the big, brave guardian?” she giggled at me.
I sighed loudly. “You know how uncomfortable I am being called that.”
Sunspot close behind, I wandered over to get a closer look at the giant skull with Redwing and his trainee pegasi. Sunspot looked at the bones with an odd expression before reaching out carefully to touch them with her magic.
“Wow!” she exclaimed. “There’s a LOT of residual magic in these bones. That’s interesting.”
Dragonfire called out from the cavern’s entrance. “Okay guys! It’s time to move on, there’s still heaps left to see!” Redwing, the young pegasi, Sunspot and I lingered reluctantly for a little as the class filed out, still drawn to the remains of the dragon mage before us. Redwing eventually gave a small wingshrug, breaking us out of our contemplation.
I will forever despise irony for that moment.
The walls and floor of the cave began to rumble, quiver and then shake violently as rocks and grit began to dislodge from the roof and fall around us. Fillies yelled in terror and pelted everywhere at once, and somepony fainted. Dragonfire scooped them onto her back and yelled.
“Earthquake! Everypony out! This way!”
We galloped towards the entrance. Redwing was in the lead, followed by his pegasi, myself and Sunspot. Dragonfire looked really anxious, and everyone was panicking. And then...
Everything began to slow down. Glancing up I saw a large boulder begin its descent. And I knew where it was going to land; not on top of Sunspot this time, but right on top of Redwing and the little pegasi...
My body took over in an instant. I darted forward, wings flaring, to put myself into the path of the boulder. Redwing leapt backwards, almost colliding with the kids as the rock smashed into my back with a sickening crunch. I felt something inside me break and my vision clouded in an instant with agony. More rubble fell, blocking off the chamber’s exit but for the rock I held up.
“Redwing... get. them. out...” Even to breathe was a struggle. Nothing had ever hurt this much. Ever.
“No! Lucky, we can’t just leave you like this!”
“GO!” I snarled between gritted teeth.
After another moment's hesitation he scrambled under my legs, followed quickly by the children. I could hear Dragonfire’s relief from the other side, and terrified sobbing from some of the fillies.
“Starshot...” Sunspot hesitated. “Let me help! I can take some of the weight!”
“Please, Sunspot.. please go... I can't hold it much longer!" I was whimpering.
The earthquake got worse, throwing Sunspot from her feet.
I could only watch in horror as another massive boulder dislodged itself from the cavern roof and crashed into the dragon skull, sending shards flying in all directions. One splinter flew towards me. I blacked out.
Groggily I opened one eye, my other refusing to respond. The earthquake was over, the cavern now pitch black and ominously quiet. The weight across my shoulders told me I was buried up to my neck in rubble. I reached up with my one free hoof to check the pain in my head... and almost screamed in agony as my hoof brushed against a splinter of bone that had impaled my skull. That explained why my body was half numb, then. Or was that because my spine was fractured? I couldn’t tell...
“S.. Starshot...?”
I froze. I knew the voice. It had to be her. But it couldn’t! But... the pain in it... No! I couldn't think of her like that! I wouldn't!
“I knew you would still be a... a.. alive. ...Starshot.” I stared in horror and dismay as she coughed weakly, blood flying from her mouth and splattering on the floor. The massive boulder lay across her back.
“NO! Sunspot! You'll be ok! I'll get you out!” I struggled uselessly against the rubble.
“Hold.. still...” she called in a weak voice. She still somehow managed to smile at me, a trickle of blood running from one corner of her mouth.
“Please, no..” I was sobbing freely now, the tears almost blinding my one working eye.
“Hush, silly colt, we both know I’m not... going to make it...” She seemed to gain strength from the acceptance. Her eyes. Her beautiful golden eyes, melting my soul, as they always did. I wanted to see those eyes again tomorrow. “Listen to me. I can't be saved.. but you can.”
"No... Sunspot, please! Don't talk like this. Come on.” My sobs began to wrack my body, awakening more pains deep inside.
“I said hush, Starshot.. The magic I gave you will help you stay alive. But it won't be enough. I... I’m giving you all of my own magic as well...”
“No! Please! No, Sunspot take the magic back, you haven’t done anything wrong... You should be the one to live, not me!”
“Starshot! I don’t have long! Don’t argue! Listen, the bone.. the bone stuck into your head... will focus my magic into you.."
My sobs had become wails of despair.
“No, no, no, please, don't do this, please, use it to heal yourself!”
“Too late, silly!” she laughed. A thin purple bolt darted from the pale glow of her horn to strike the shard impaling my skull. I screamed in agony as the magic entered my mind... it felt like fire.
“Starshot...?” Those eyes. Her beautiful eyes. “I... I... I love you..”
They glazed over as the light from her horn faded, leaving me in darkness and my grief.
It had taken almost 2 days to dig me out from the cavern. I had been found unconscious, my hoof stretched out to the limp form of Sunspot. I never found out where they took her, or even where she had been buried. I lost a big part of me that day. I lost the girl who loved me. And worst of all... I lost the chance to tell her I loved her too.
My recovery went fast, thanks to Sunspot’s magic. In less than a week I was well enough to stand, not that I really wanted to. What was the point? But still, I could stand, and walk, and that was something to be thankful for, I supposed. It was about then that I began to notice the angry glares and hate-filled muttering. I couldn't understand it. Surely I wasn’t held responsible for her death? It wasn't until I overheard two doctors talking that I understood.
“Do we really have to treat that monster?”
“Yes, unfortunately. Don't worry though, he won’t get away with it. The Equestrian Guard will be here tomorrow to make him pay for what he did to that poor filly.”
...I was in shock. How could they think I'd hurt her?
“Taking her life to try to become an alicorn. What a foal.”
I galloped to my room, horrified. Why did they say such things? How could they think that?
I spent the rest of the day crying with the room's door locked, desperate to block out the hatred being directed at me. When night came, I knew I had to leave. She had given me a gift to save my life and some adults decided I had taken it from her... it was too much to bear.
My mind made up, I trotted to the window and opened it, stretching my wings experimentally. A few twinges of pain... but nothing i couldn't handle. As I leapt from the window, wings spread, a thunderous knocking followed by a stern voice echoed from the room.
I never looked back.
