Vanguard of the Moon

Night Shade eyes shot open at the loud sound of the barks and orders of Vanguard Helon. It had been a week since she had first arrived at the academy and so far her hooves hurt, wings were soar and she found it hard to carry on but somehow she was coping. Dust Bow rolled out of her bed quickly making it as Sunset Shimmer floated down beside them quickly going to her locker to get her saddle bag and papers. Night Shade did the same and grabbed her bags and papers as Dust struggled with her bed. Without being asked Night Shade went to the other side of Dust's bed and helped her finish her bed.

"Thanks." Dust said smiling.

"Anytime now come on we don't want to be late for roll call." Night said. Dust nodded and quickly grabbed her bags and effects. The three quickly met up with Orion as they left the barracks and formed up infront of Vanguard Helon who waited 2 more minutes before he went into the barracks bellowing in anger at how slow the other cadets were. Orion chuckled getting looked from a few of the cadets already in formation.

"Wow i wonder what they have for us tonight." he asked quietly directed at Night.

"I haven't a clue. Just do what they say and everything will work out, i guess." she said.

"Riiight." he said slightly sarcastically.

"Shhhh." Sunset shushed them quickly as Vanguard Helon came out of the barracks chasing the last cadet out into formation.

"Squad left turn!." he ordered. The ponies quickly turned to obey. They cadets needed more practice in drill to look sharp for their graduation that was 3 months away.

"Forward March." Vanguard Helon ordered as he marched them to the first classes. Filing into a classroom they were quieted when the somepony called the room to attention and eveypony stopped moving instantly. A pony by the name Vanguard Blot walked into the room surveying the group.

"At ease." he said and everypony visibly relaxed.

"I am going to teach you the history of the Vanguard of the Moon." he said pulling down a white backdrop. Nodding to Vanguard Helon a picture showed up with old writing detailing the beginnings of the Vanguard.

"The Vanguard was created in response to the need of more troops to combat a rising problems of night time crime activity. The day guards were more tired and less effective after long days of work. Filling in at night we lightened the load on them making it a well balanced time in equestrian history for the guards." Vanguard Blot removed his helmet, his mane was a dusty silver color trimmed to a  short cut.

"After the problems were resolved the Princess Luna of the night saw use for us considering we are children of her doman so to speak." he explained walking down the aisle explaining. he looked to Dust and then looked to Night.

"Then our ancestors 1000 years ago followed our Princess who had fallen from grace and in doing so we had doomed ourselves to banishment for fighting along side nightmare moon." He said looking around drawing mixed emotion from the cadets. Vanguard Blot walked again to the front of the class.

"Does anyone have questions thus far we have only begun." he asked. Dust raised her hoof, he nodded to her.

"Yes..." he paused for her to give her name.

"Bow...Vanguard Dust Bow." she said.

"Yes Bow what is your question." he asked.

"How was it that the Vanguard followed Nightmare Moon when it was simply against the good of Equestria." she asked blatantly getting looks of shock and awe at her questioning. Vanguard Blot smiled.

"That is a fair question Dust Bow. The answer is that back in the day the Vanguard did not swear an oath to the country but to Princesses themselves so under oath the vanguard was bound to follow the princess to whatever ends good...or bad." he explained then continued.

"It was later after the imprisonment of Nightmare Moon that the guards in part would be incharge more for the safety of Equestria as a whole while only a select few would be the personal guard of the Princesses to stop any future problems." he said. Everypony looked around fascinated by how blunt he was not cutting anything out.

In truth many of the bat ponies had harbored a dislike of Celestia for banishing them from interacting with any other members of Equestria. Luna had changed that but still they were very set in their ways rarely did anypony other then bat ponies visited their city. Sunset Shimmer raised her hoof earning a nod from Vanguard Blot.

"So I am wondering one last thing. What are our duties now being in the Vanguard of the moon?" she asked. His response was first of laughter then looked to her.

"First you have to pass but ill tell you know to be a Vanguards of the moon means to be a member of the Princesses personal guard." He summarized.

"You all will serve in your own ways. If you pass you will be a Vanguard but only the elite will be Vanguards of the Moon." he said looked over the room.

"Now next slide." Vanguard Blot said and it flicked over to a more recent picture.

"More recent is our return four years ago. Our first Guard Captain was Night Veil."  he said as the picture of him slit up next. Night Shades chest swelled and her eyes began to brim with tears. She looked away trying to breath evenly but it was proving difficult, Vanguard Blot's instruction seemed to become a distant voice. Orion had been sitting beside her and he nudged her bringing her back to the class just before Vanguard Blot turned to look in their direction.

The lecture continued on till the afternoon then they were dismissed for lunch and the four of them walked to the mess hall getting food and sitting together.

"Hey Night what was that about?" Orion asked raising an eyebrow.

"What was what?" Dust asked sitting across from her beside Sunset.

"Its nothing ok." Night said taking a bite of her hay sandwich.

"You looked like you were about to." Orion continued but stopped short at her glare.

"Night Shade were here for you...you know maybe we have only known you for a week but i feel we can be good friends." Dust Bow said. Sunset nodded to her as she drank her apple juice from a straw.

"The stallion you saw in the pic...who was the first Captain of the guard for Princess Luna was my father." she said now losing her appetite.

"What?! No way your his daughter!" Sunset said surprised. Orion was not as enthusiastic.

"Sunset Shimmer Night Veil was killed in action during a changeling raid." Orion said putting a comforting hoof on Nights shoulder but she pulled away. Drawing a look of concern from her new friends.

"I have dealt with it." she said concisely. The group finished their lunch and went back to class for the rest of the night. As the Day came they all returned to their barracks Dust Bow tapped Night Sade on the shoulder before they went in.

"I dont know if i should thank you properly Night Shade." Dust said. Night looked at her peculiarly.

"What for?" she stopped and faced her.

"My mother is in the Vanguard. she wouldn't be alive if not for your fathers sacrifice." she said looked at the ground shamefully. Night Shade's breath was slow but her heart caught in her throat.

"I..I" she tried to speak, since the time learning of her fathers death she had to grow up not just for herself but for her mom. Dust hugged her unexpectedly. Night Shade didn't fight her, lifting her hoof she hugged her. She hadn't had a friend to lean on or talk to she had been to busy with studies to get into the academy but now she had a small group of ponies she had gotten use to.

"I am so thankful and so sorry..." Dust said as tears of sincerity brimmed in here eyes. Night shade didn't say anything for she couldn't. Nuzzling her she smiled.

"Its ok..." was all she managed to say then turned away to get ready for the next day of training.