Remnants of an Empire

Chapter 1- Light in the Darkness

-Silksong-

I flew through the cold night, Basil at my side. We were searching for Lunar scouts, to kill.

My name is Silksong, a top ranking soldier for the Solar Empire.

It's been like this since I can remember, the enteral night and the Lunar Republic ruling. We never saw it coming. Nightmare escaped her prison. She captured our dear Princess Celestia, draining her of most of her power and banishing her. Even more blasphemous, some ponies sided with her, embracing a lifetime of darkness.

Evil.

Some of us missed the caressing warmth of the sunlight, and we bonded together. The Solar Empire, what we soon called our ever-growing group, tracked down the weakened Princess, taking her in our base. Her power drain was obvious- Celestia had been reduced to the size of a regular pony, her mane a pastel pink and still. Lyra, our medic, nursed her back to health, and soon the Princess was leading a modest resistance against the vicious traitors of the Lunar Republic.

Basil stopped in mid flight, her sage-colored ears twitching.

"Someone's here." She whispered.

I stopped flying. With a quick and fluid movement, I drew the knife holstered on my back leg. My blue eyes darted around the trees, and I knew were in trouble. Those cold-blooded night dwellers were adjusted to the darkness, they could move unseen and spy on us from the shadows. I hated to say it, but we were out of our element.

To our left, a branch snapped. Basil moved quickly, throwing herself in front of me as a dark purple blast of magic shot through the bushes and straight through Basil's chest. Staring in horror at the gaping hole in her chest, Basil fell several feet to the ground, hitting the fallen leaves with a crack.

Tears filling my eyes and blood staining my light yellow fur, I threw my blade where I thought her murder was located. The thunk of a blade hitting wood fell on deaf ears as I dropped down to Basil.

I gathered the wounded pegasus in my forelegs.

"Basil, hold on. I'll get you home. Lyra will heal you." I said quietly but desperately.

Basil was breathing fast, blood trickling from her mouth. She shook her head.

"Tell them..." She whispered. "Tell the others I said good luck..." With that, Basil fell limp.

I dropped her body in shock, coolness spreading through Basil's fur. I was hyperventilating, and I wasn't sure why. I hadn't been close to Basil, we could barely be considered friends, but I was still in shock. Earlier today, Celestia had sent us on this fateful mission. Basil had gratefully accepted it, not caring that she barely knew me. She sacrificed her life for me.

So I could live on.

Right then, everything felt real. This war had to be won.

Nightmare Moon had to die.