Life Is Never So Simple

“Indigo! Sombra! What’s up guys?” Sombra groaned and slammed his hoof to his forehead as Indigo smiled and turned spun around. A bat pony in black armor with equally black fur and a silver mane was approaching them. His yellow eyes glinted through his helmet above a cocky smile that showed off his sharp fangs.

“Night! Its been a long time!” Indigo pulled the bat pony into a rough hug. Nightwish grunted and chuckled.

“Nice to see you still favor violence. Sombra! Why haven’t you said hi to your old buddy yet?” Night put on a fake pouty face and poked Sombra in the side. He turned around, wearing a very forced smile and gave Night a small nod.

“It has been a while. I was hoping it would be a little longer. How go things in the frozen north?”

“Oh, they go. Not much interesting happens, except for a few incursions by roving bands of Diamond Dogs. This though!” he flung his arms around Indigo and Sombra’s shoulders and pulled them in close to him. “This is exciting! Going to help the griffins in their time of need, like brave heroes!” he smiled ridiculously big and Indigo sniggered. Sombra rolled his eyes and disentangled himself from the other two, leaving Night dangling off Indigo and almost causing the two to collapse.

“Hardly. We’re just doing what needs to be done. And, by the way, should you not be with your commander?” Sombra gestured to the mess of soldiers around them, all jangling and shuffling about as the brass struggled to organize them. The throng was very loud as the soldiers conversed noisily and laughed with each other.

“Yes I suppose. But who's going to find me in the midst of this madness? I think I’m good for a visit with some old buddies,” Indigo chuckled and lifted Night’s leg off his shoulders, making him stand on his own.

“And you’re always welcome to visit. Speaking of this madness, how did you find us in it?”

“I just looked to see where she was,” he inclined his head to Luna, who was several meters away surrounded by babbling generals and advisors. “The princess of the night is sort of hard to miss. Since you lot are so buddy buddy, figured you'd be near her. So! Gold Regiment just cracked open some barrels of hard cider! Who’s up for a drink?

“No thank you. I never enjoyed alcohol. And Indigo,” Sombra threw him a pointed look. “You are still too young to drink,”

“Yeah, I know,” Indigo grumbled.

“Hmm. Pity. Well, I want some buzz in my blood before I go marching into unknown country. See you fools later!” Night made a show of spinning around and strutting off into the mess of soldiers.

“Goddesses above I hate him,” Sombra whispered under his breath. Indigo heard him and snorted.

“Yes and you could only be more obvious about it if you screeched ‘I hope you burn in Tartarus,’”

“Am I really that unsubtle?” Sombra inquired as the two turned and muscled their way toward princess Luna.

“More so. You never were very subtle,” Indigo smiled as they pushed past a knot of guards and finally were standing next to the princess. She noticed them stumble up and smiled in relief.

“Oh, it’s good to see you two,” she waved off some captain or lieutenant trying to get her attention. “Do you have any idea what its like trying to coordinate an idle force of thirty thousand? It’s a logistical nightmare. We’ve been delayed in our departure by two days because of bad road conditions in the south,” she paused and finally listened to the hurried soldier. “Well, at least the last of the northern army has arrived. Perhaps we can set off and assign the southern regiments as our rear guard. If we daudle much longer more lives will be lost in the Imperium. I hope you’re listening generals!” she said loudly to the generals milling around her, who were starting to wander off or turn to their own advisors. They jumped at Luna’s sudden shout and whipped around, nodding quickly. Indigo sniggered and Sombra smiled.

“Listen! We are organizing the forces we have here and marching! Any regiments that have fallen behind will have to catch up to us or serve as our rear guard. Go! Assemble your soldiers! Certainly you must have a better hold on them than this!” she gestured to the increasingly rowdy throng stretching out far before them. The generals quickly nodded and moved off into the army, cutting a path through the soldiers like a hot knife through butter. A few moments later shouting and deep bellows resonated above shifting mass, and the soldiers very slowly started to move into place.

“This is going to take forever,” Luna mumbled to herself before spreading her wings and taking to the air. She stuck out like a beacon from the few bat ponies and pegasi flying around. From the ground, Indigo could see her horn glow before her voice rolled out like a wave across the army.

“SOLDIERS OF THE NIGHT GUARD! ASSEMBLE INTO YOUR REGIMENTS!” the soldiers quickly organized after that, and in a few minutes ten neat squares were arrayed on the ground. Closest to Indigo and Sombra were Gold Regiment, consisting of unicorns. Gold was the shining gem of the spell casters. The best unicorn wizards in the army would join Gold. Platinum Regiment was composed of earth ponies, and was primarily light infantry. The more cunning and quicker earth ponies enlisted in Platinum. Silver Regiment was pegasi and the most focused on combat of all the pegasi regiments.

Behind them were Iron, Steel, and Diamond. Iron regiment were the big guys. Made up of the biggest earth ponies, Iron accounted for the best of the Night Guard’s heavy infantry. Steel was where the speed demon pegasi went to enlist. Only the fastest and most agile were admitted, and Steel was often leading the charge in the air. Diamond was the more refined spell casters, those who focused on long or complicated spells.

Tapering off in the distance were Umbra, Somnus, Noctis, and Lunar. These were the oldest regiments in the Night Guard. Umbra was made up of ebon unicorns who specialized in astral magic as well as the art of dreams and mind manipulation. Theirs was often considered a dark art and they were often shunned by other regiments because of this. Somnus was pegasi, bat ponies specifically, as most pegasi in the night guard were. Somnus were the true masters of the sky. They specialized in infiltration and espionage, often going behind enemy lines days, or in their case nights, ahead of the rest of the army. Noctis, as the trend continues, was earth ponies. Or, rather, ebon terrans. This was the name given to earth ponies of the night. The stallions of Noctis were the great honorable warriors of the Lunar Regiments. They were the most skilled in combat and adhered to a strict code of honor. Lunar, as the name would suggest, was the princesses personal warriors. The very best of the very best from all three races could ascend through the ranks of the other regiments of the Night Guard and eventually join Lunar. Indigo and Sombra were both members of Lunar.

“It’s quite an impressive sight isn’t it?” Indigo mumbled sidelong to Sombra as Luna landed gracefully next to them.

“Especially considering we’re missing four regiments and the Solar army is three times this size. It’s a hard thing to grasp until it’s right in front of you,”

“That it is,” Indigo fell silent as Luna stood straight and cleared her throat. What Indigo was expecting was an elegant speech to inspire the army and instill bravery in the men, a great proclamation to last through the ages.

“MARCH!” the princesses booming voice rolled out. The soldiers were momentarily confused, but they were professionals. One by one the regiments began their march north west, heading for the one pass through the western mountains. Luna and her students stayed where they were until the first ranks of Lunar reached them. Colonel Fellhammer approached the princess and gave Sombra and Indigo a small nod. The two remained impassive as Fellhammer bowed to the princess. Fellhammer was an older stallion, with a graying blue coat and beard. It was nowhere as voluminous as Starswirl’s had been, but it was still very respectable. His stoic bearing and firm gaze betrayed a disciplined and seasoned warrior.

“Thank you for that, princess. The soldiers were becoming rather uneasy after so long sitting idle,” Luna smiled.

“Just performing my duty. Though I will say it was amusing to see their reaction,” Fellhammer chuckled and stood straight, ignoring the ranks parting around them.

“That it was,” he turned to Sombra and Indigo. “And you boys! How might you be doing?”

“Decent enough I suppose,” Sombra answered evasively. Fellhammer frowned and turned to Indigo. “What about you, boy? How go your studies? Oh! How’s that old rascal Starswirl doing?” Indigo frowned and hung his head. The smile quickly disappeared from Fellhammer’s face. “What’s wrong? Is it something I said?”

“No, colonel. It’s just...Starswirl died just before we set off from the castle. It seems his old age finally caught up with him,” the princess answered sorrowfully. Fellhammer seemed to deflate at the news and his gaze turned downcast.

“That’s...an awful shame. He was such a great unicorn. We will all greatly miss him. Well, princess, I believe I should get back to maintaining this damned massive machine of an army,” he adjusted his plumed officers helmet and threw a quick salute before melting back into the ranks, shaking his head sadly.

“Are you alright Indigo?” Luna asked with concern.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Indigo wiped at the tears forming in his eyes and cleared his throat. Sombra threw his arm around Indigo’s shoulders and gave him a sad smile.

“I think its best we march with the troops now. Come, Sombra. Indigo. Let me show you the tediousness of military life,” Luna gave a wry smile and set off at a brisk pace to the head of the column, leaving Sombra and Indigo to scramble after her.

Celestia above, Indigo’s hooves were killing him. They had been marching for hours, ever since night fall. By Indigo’s best estimate it was about four in the morning now. They had long since left Equestria’s western mountains behind them and were now pushing further into the heart of rugged griffin territory. The eastern expanses of the Imperium were vast tracks of rough wilderness, broken only by the occasional village or fort. The army had already passed through one village that was nothing but a burned out husk. Ash littered the ground there and everything was eerily quiet. They had searched for survivors but came up with nothing, not even any bodies. The sight had unnerved Indigo. If the rebels were working toward some goal of ‘freedom’ then why would they torch an entire town needlessly?

“How near are we to Avion?” Sombra asked Luna as he glanced at the landscape around them. An eerie fog was settling in and the jagged trees on the hills around them were menacing, especially in the light of the full moon.

“The city is not but ten miles ahead of us. We should reach it before daybreak if we keep up our current pace,” Sombra nodded and fell back into step to the left of Luna. The three were at the head of the Lunar column and therefore had some breathing room. It made Indigo uncomfortable how open they were, especially with how much the princess stood out. Were they to be attacked she would be a definite target.

Luna’s ears shot up and she whipped her head around quickly, scanning both sides of the road. Indigo jumped a little at the sudden motion.

“What is it?” Sombra asked worriedly.

“Get down!” Luna shouted as her horn flared up and a blue dome of crackling energy formed around the three. No sooner had she done this than several dozen spears came sailing out of the woods straight toward them. Most broke harmlessly on the shield while a few sailed into the ranks of Lunar. The soldiers reacted amazingly quickly, dodging the spears or throwing up shields of their own. Before the warriors could properly recuperate griffins came screaming out of the woods, converging on the princess. From his quick glances, Indigo could tell they were a haphazard force. Those that wore armor seemed to have mainly simple leather armor and leather helmets, if they were lucky enough to have that. Their swords and spears were weather beaten and it seemed to be mostly swords and spears. Only a few seemed to possess any other weapons. Several had nothing but knives.

The griffins hit the unprepared front rank like a barreling Hydra, and forced them back several paces. Luna and her students were now cut off from her guard. The shield still shimmered around them, which all three were thankful for. The griffins circled the shield, testing it with the tips of their weapons.

Sombra snarled and drew the sword from its sheath with a flash of magic. Indigo’s own blade slipped silently from its scabbard and floated poised at his side. The two crouched in a ready stance on either side of Luna. She herself gave a low hiss and two large spectral swords appeared in front of and behind her. The ornate swords were almost transparent blue and were entirely composed of ethereal energy. Wisps of energy trailed off the swords and dissipated into the air. Indigo grinned flashed his sword toward the griffins. Being forged with Alicorn magic, his sword was far superior to anything they possessed.

A thundering crack resonated and almost threw Indigo forward. Luna yelped and nearly fell as something exploded against the far side of the shield. In a matter of seconds the shimmering dome fell apart and the griffins rushed in, hollering their war cries. Four blades of Alicorn magic swung toward the tide of oncoming griffins. The Twins sailed through the weaker swords like they were nothing but air, surprising Indigo and Sombra as well as the griffins. The two quickly recovered and set their blades back into the griffin ranks, sending them flailing and squawking back.

Luna’s blades were even more devastating. Whenever they came in contact with another blade there was a small explosion that sent the griffins reeling. Unexpectedly, several more spears came arching toward the small group. None of them were prepared for it and the shields thrown up only blocked some of them. One spear sailed through a gap and straight into Luna’s side.

“LUNA!” Sombra screamed as Indigo flared his magic in a smaller shield.

“Is she okay?” Indigo grunted through the exertion of maintaining the shield as it was relentlessly pounded. Sombra had tears flowing down his face as he crouched next to Luna as she...stood. The spear had completely impaled her, stabbing her near the spine on her right side and sailing clean through to protrude from the bottom of her left sides. The princess didn’t look hurt, in fact she only looked mildly annoyed. A golden fluid flowed down the end of the spear and pooled next to her.

“That was unpleasant,” she stated nonchalantly.

“H-How did you…”

“Being an immortal Alicorn has it’s advantages,” Luna pulled the spear out with her magic and the wound closed before Sombra’s eyes.

The griffins quailed at the sight of the princess thought slain rising to her feet. The ramshackle force disintegrated out of fear and ran off back into the woods. Indigo gratefully dropped his shield. The second he did Sombra lashed out. He swung Tenebris toward the backs of the fleeing griffins. The squeal from the impaled griffin was quickly silenced as Sombra decapitated it, sending it’s warm blood spraying across the ground. Fast as lightning, he swung Tenebris and cut off the rear left leg of a griffin. The poor creature screamed and fell to the ground, completely helpless.

“SOMBRA, NO!” Indigo screamed as Sombra advanced on his helpless victim. Indigo threw himself in front of Sombra and grabbed Tenebris with his own magic as the sword descended toward the griffin.

“Sombra...stop,” Indigo struggled to push Sombra back as he was focused on the downed griffin with murderous intent.

“No. He. Must. DIE!” Sombra pushed harder both against Indigo and with his magic. Sweat beaded Indigo’s face as he too pushed back.

“Sombra, that is enough,” Luna said firmly. But her order fell on deaf ears.

Indigo looked back and locked eyes with the griffin. He expected to see fear, maybe even gratitude. What he saw was loathing. Indigo’s eyes widened as the griffins almost forgotten spear shot out and sank deep into his ribs. Indigo spluttered and fell, magic failing. Sombra sat in shock for a moment before he stared at the griffin with a look that truly made it terrified. Unbridled fury burned in his gaze. With a furious cry, Sombra directed his magic at the griffin. He channeled all the rage and bitterness he was feeling at that moment in a spell meant to inflict as much pain as possible to the recipient before killing them. Purple energy flared from Sombra’s eyes as his horn bubbled with more purple energy. A moment later a beam of roiling black magic leapt forth from his horn and enveloped the griffin. Sombra’s victim screamed until it’s muscles were torn from the bleached white bone and disintegrated. Soon nothing but a smoldering, blackened skeleton remained.

Sombra dropped to his knees beside Indigo and gently cradled his head in his arms as Indigo coughed up blood. More was pooling around him, drenching Sombra. Tears flowed down Sombra’s face as he gazed into Indigo’s eyes. Luna stepped up behind them and frowned, horn flaring. A moment later, Indigo fell into a deep sleep.