Darkness rolled over Canterlot. With the Princess of the Night's return, it brought a peace and beauty that had been missing for the past thousand years. Not to speak ill of Celestia, but her skills where never in the realm of night.
Donut Joe had just finished closing up shop, completing his nightly ritual. Cleaning the coffee maker and prepping it for the next morning. Gathering the soon to be stale donuts in a box; which he'd drop off at the local shelter on his way home. Finally he checked his supplies in case he needed to pick anything up for the next morning. Thankfully for tonight, he was fully stocked.
"Rest well old girl." He said to the shop with a smile, just as he did every night. "I'll see you in the morning."
With the donut box on his back, he flipped off the lights with his muzzle before locking up. It was true that most unicorns would simply use their magic, but one of Joe's age needed to be careful on what he wasted his magic on.
The air was cold tonight and there was a hint of fog all around. It didn't bother Joe at all, for he was used to nights like this. The walk to the shelter from the donut shop was always one of his favorite times. It allowed him to reflect on days passed. Friends made and friends lost.
His thoughts were on Twilight Sparkle tonight. It had been good to see the young mare again and having finally made some close friends as well. Having seen her grow from a shy, head always in a book teen to a level headed young mare was a treat; a reminder of mortality.
As he inhaled the night air, it occurred to him that it was a night much like this when he had first met the talented purple unicorn. She had been looking for a quit place to study into the night and hadn't realized a night predator had begun following her. It was pure chance that she happened to come across the donut shop. Joe had been closing up like normal, but seeing she was in need of help he let her in and even made a fresh batch of donuts and coffee for her. After that Joe began keeping the shop open late for Twilight who came by for years after, studying late and sometimes even having small talk with him.
It was a nice time in his life.
Now however, with Twilight moved to Ponyville there was no reason to keep the shop open late. Everything was back to statuesque.
It didn't take long to drop off the donuts at the shelter. No words were ever exchanged between him and the pony that ran it in the night hours. Just an acknowledging nod between them was shared before Joe was back in the night air.
With a heavy sigh he looked up at the moon, its gentle glow lighting up the night. It had been just over a year since Luna had returned and yet nothing had gotten easier. Joe had hoped with the long awaited return of the night princess that the realm of little light would again have order. It did not.
Case and point was the shadowy figure of a pony coming up behind Joe. He merely stood there, acting as if he didn't know as his soon to be assailant readied to strike.
It happened fast, so fast that any onlookers would have not been sure of what took place. As the attacker sprang at the calm maker of donuts, Pony Joe leaned on his left legs, tilting his head to allow his paper hat to slide off, freeing a dagger which had been hidden underneath it. The dagger slid off his head and in one fluid motion, Joe caught the dagger handle in his mouth as he turned, slashing the dagger's blade across the throat of his attacker.
Crimson blood erupted out from the fresh wound, splashing onto Joe's face and running down the front of the soon to be dead pony. The blood was not warm, it was cold, like the blood of a corpse.
Joe eyed the pony before him, still standing there in shock from the mortal wound. It was a mare and she was young; not even Twilight's age he'd guess. Her mouth was open to show her teeth which had been transformed into fangs. Her black, predatory eyes glared into his, showing a vast array of emotions. Hunger, fear, rage and sorrow.
This filly was no longer a pony, not anymore. Some fowl night creature had taken her life and left her as this mindless killer. Still, it didn't mean that Joe didn't feel sorry for her.
Her legs were weakening, causing her to collapse. She tried to speak but only choked on her blood.
"Hush now." He spoke to her softly. Laying the dagger down before kneeling next to her. "It was a cruel fate you were dealt, find peace in death and may Celestia's light shine on you in life after this."
He didn't know if she could still even understand his words, but he spoke them for his sake as much as hers. But the task was not yet complete. Like this she could still come back and kill, or Luna forbid, turn a pony into something like her.
Joe retrieved the dagger, gripping it between his teeth again, looking at the face of the mare. His thoughts went to Twilight once more, how easily this could have been her. Joe had never told her that a bloodpony had been stalking her that night, she never knew how close she had come to death or a fate worse than that.
This poor mare wasn't as lucky as Twilight had been. Joe couldn't save everypony. Sometimes this was the only way to save them.
Leaning down he thrust the dagger into her chest, piercing her heart. The mare's mouth opened in a silent scream before her body went limp and eyes closed forever. When Joe pulled the dagger free, her body burst into a brief flame before turning to ash. What was once a young mare, now just blew about as dust in the night wind, wiping around Donut Joe as he rose to his feet. It was still an early night and he had work to do.
"Where are you my lady?" He uttered, returning his gaze to Luna's moon.
She had come back, she was freed from being Nightmare Moon, why hadn't she called for him? He had waited, carried out her command for a thousand years. Where was she?
"Have you forgotten me Princess? Has a millennium of loneliness, madness and despair caused you to forget your knight?"
There was no answer, no glimmer from the moon nor any shimmer from the stars. He wanted to believe she could hear him, needed to know she was watching over him. But the night was still and silent, as it had always been since Luna's banishment.
Donut Joe thought back to the last time he had seen her. The real her, not Nightmare Moon. She had been worried, maybe even afraid. He hadn't known at the time, but now looking back he realized she knew what was about to happen. Somehow she felt the
presence of the force that would soon possess her.
Why hadn't she told him? Did she not trust him enough to help? If he could have stopped it, saved her from that nightmare then maybe she wouldn't have been imprisoned. Maybe the creatures of the night wouldn't have been out of control now.
Sometimes he thought it was the worst thing that no pony knew of the night creatures, never had a chance to defend or be prepared for what might happen. But then other times, he understood. Better for the ponies of Equestria to sleep in peace at night, rather than be in constant fear of what may be lurking at their doors.
So that's how the balance worked. The ponies never knew and Donut Joe kept them safe, slaying the night creatures that
threatened the innocent. He was the candle in the darkness, appointed by Princess Luna herself over a thousand years ago, the Night Guard, the Watching Knight.
He carried out his sworn duty, night after night with vigilance and faith. He had to have faith, trust that when his Princess was ready, she'd call for him and restore order to the night at long last.
Until that night, he would continue to stand watch, alone. And of course, make damn good donuts.
Author's Note
Originally written back in 10/21/2011, I decided to do a little update on this and post it here on fimfiction. Hope everyone enjoys, feed back and criticism is always welcomed
