A Knights Duty

1000 years ago Equestria was a much different place, It may seem inconceivably long ago... but I assure you, it was as different as night and day. Keep in mind that the world did not have the peace and harmony that we praise for having today. As I look around at you all, I can see none of you have seen battle... and as much as I hope you never have to raise your blades, it would be foolish to think that you could live a life without conflict. My story starts 1000 years ago, give or take a few years, back then Changelings ran rampant, claiming more land than we could secure. I was at the time in school learning the basics from my teachers, but I wasn't particularly popular due to my race.

It was a cloudy day with strong winds, the leaves were torn from their branches and forcefully smashing the windows, the wind whistling through the cracks like a moaning wildebeest. Barely any grass was left on the ground, it had all been replaced with trodden dirt roads,  the only signs of greenery were the few weeds leeching off the buildings partially covering them like a parasite. Ponies of varying colours were walking up a short set of steps into an old wooden house, the steps creaked under their hooves. But just before walking up the steps a young bat pony of grey hue and light blue mane took a deep breath, his mane flowing down, it was tied into a ponytail with white ribbon and slung over his shoulder.

"Don't be nervous don't be nervous, they can smell weakness" he said to himself, he put his hoof to his chest "It's just another day, of class, as soon as it's over you can go home, so bare with it" he muttered to himself as he took another deep breath then stepped onto the first step, which creaked loudly, he looked up and moaned.

"Oh I can't do it" he said turning around and walking away from the building then stopped "Oh yes you can, you walk in there and show them that you have the courage to face another day" he then turned to the building again "But they'll make fun of me" he turned around again "Are you a soldier or not!" he told himself then stood up, puffed up his chest and walked forward. Once up the stairs he then continuously told himself "get to your desk, just let me get to my desk, no incidents, just let me get there" he mumbled as he speed trotted to his desk, he sat down and breathed a sigh of relief and revelled in his small victory.

The bell rang breaking his moment of relief. A stern old pony with triangular glasses walked in, her white hair tied in a bun and her age showing through her wrinkles.

"Mrs Warren" the fillies muttered as if it was a forbidden word.

She smacked a stick against the front desk making the ponies jerk upright.

"Now class," she said with a sharp voice "I'd like to remind you that you are responsible for your own actions". She walked back and forth in front of the class, Patrolling the aisles making every pony nervous. "So I want the names of the culprits who decided that it'd be a swell idea to break my, custom printed WINDOWS! " she yelled, smacking the ground making every pony jump, her hoof-steps could be heard on every individual piece of the floor that moaned as she slowly walked over them.

"Silver Crescent!" she said smacking her stick on his desk.

" Y-Yes ma'am," the bat pony said standing up to attention.

"A young little whelp like yourself wouldn't think about harming my new windows now would you," she said.

Silver looked her in the eyes which seemed to carve straight to his soul, "N-No ma'am I wouldn't I-I couldn't" he said looking straight at the wall in front of him, paranoid that if he stared too long he would be turned to stone, he could feel her gaze drilling into his skull.

"Hmm is that so..." she said.

he gulped then heard a bunch of fillies and colts snickering in the corner, Mrs Warren glared at the corner, the several fillies snickering immediately stopped and stared at the wall.

"Is this humorous to you!" she said walking over to them.

Silver looked out the window and gradually sat back down, the winds were strong he had a bad feeling about today. His mind couldn't shake this nervous feeling he had, but soon he drifted into imagining himself as a guard, he had heard about a place called Canterlot that had recently been built and that two beautiful princess's ruled there, rumours said everyone is happy there and that every pony no matter what you are is welcome there... he wanted to believe such a place existed, but he didn't even know where to start looking.

"I wonder if that place exists, I wonder what the princess's are like" his train of thought came to a grinding halt as he noticed everyone staring at him with Mrs Warren glaring at him.

"I've been told that it was you who broke my windows Silver" her voice containing a pent up rage behind every syllable.

Fear gripped Silver's heart racing down to his hooves.

"W-what that is a LIE!" he shouted in protest, then his regular bullies smirked behind Mrs Warren.

"Oh no it was definitely him I couldn't forget his stupid looking ears and wings," he said.

Silver looked around Panicking as everyone nodded and agreed.

"Oh yeah definitely him, no-one else looks as ugly" one of them said.

"Yeah yeah, now I remember it was him!" said a colt nodding in agreement.

Silver was hurt at how everyone was dumping the blame on him, pushing him into the firing line. Mrs Warren was furious and kicked away his chair.

"So tell me why you did it Silver lying to my face no less, you must be PUNISHED!" she roared.

Silver shook his head and panicked, looking for an escape, scanning the room, he bucked her aside and ran, he darted down the aisle as the shouts of Mrs Warren could be heard from behind, he kept running and bashed the door open. sprinting down the hallway as voices piled up on each other behind him. He burst out the front door and was greeted by the strong winds. He couldn't fly away he was too small and the winds would push him around even more, he panicked hearing the voices getting louder his heart was bashing against his ribs, wanting to explode out of his chest. He ran towards the path that would take him home. But some guards we're running away from that direction, one of them wounded, they opened their mouths as soon as they had entered the village, shouting the same word over and over.

"CHANGELING'S!" they bellowed "CHANGELING'S ARE COMING!" they said desperately.

As Silver looked behind the guards, he could see a swarm of blue eyes and white fangs.

"Oh no," he said as fear tightened a noose around his heart and felt his body stop moving staring at the swarm.

He could hear ponies screaming from behind him as well, he turned his head quickly to see changelings invading the school, a different guard pulled him away.

"C'mon kid we can't win this, there's too many of 'em!" he said sprinting towards the town centre with Silver in tow.

Silver was dumbfounded with shock and fear "w-what's happening, where are we going, what happened, am I going to die!". he blurted out as the guard shoves Silver down next to a fountain where several other guards are present each of them fending off several Changeling and getting swiftly overrun.

"Keep yer head down and ya might make it". he said shoving Silvers head into the dirt as the guard grabbed a spear and yelled as he charged into battle.

Silver looked around people were being captured with some sort of goo and then being carried off, he saw people he had known be carried away to be used as the Changelings food. He looked down again and began to cry "This can't be real, this can't be happening" he said as the guard that had saved him was being pinned down and overwhelmed, his eyes widened and looked at a nearby spear and tried to grab it, but his hooves were shaking uncontrollably and he kept dropping it. He slowly turned to look at the guard who was now being encased in the strange substance to be carried away, Silver yelled, tears still in his eyes and hurled the spear, closing his eyes, covering his ears and slamming his face in the dirt... but then the noise stopped, he opened his eyes... and everyone was still, looking upward, the Changelings had even stopped their assault and stared towards the skies.

Silver stood up and wiped away his tears, he looked up, the skies had a hole in them revealing a clear starry sky, a full moon and a beautiful mare who's mane and tail flowed like the night sky and twinkled like the stars, her wings gracefully holding her aloft.

"I am princess Luna and thou shall leave this place or suffer our wrath!" she proclaimed, as the clouds cleared and soldiers filled the skies wearing battle armour.

As the Changelings dispersed they took the ponies they had bagged with them, hissing as they retreated. As the moonlight shone Silver couldn't take his eyes away. Luna looked at him softly and flew down to him, she picked him up.

"You are safe little one, we shall take you to Canterlot," she said in a soothing voice.

Silver was speechless, he wanted to cry, but, he couldn't... instead he said thank you, over and over again while clinging tightly to Luna. Other soldiers and guards with Luna helped anyone who was still in the village onto large carts and were carried away... but Silver was carried by Luna personally. He wouldn't let go, if it was a dream he did not want to wake, as they took off above the clouds, the skies were clear as Luna gracefully flew at the front. the clouds were a white ocean beneath them and the stars shone brightly above, as the moon lit the way. soon Silver's eye's grew heavy and began to close...

"Sleep little one, you will be safe in Canterlot... I promise" she said softly as silver's eyes shut and he fell into a blissful sleep.