A Knights Duty

As Silver awoke he looked around he was lying in a bunk bed, there were several more of them in the room in an orderly line, there were two windows on a stretch of wall and by the wall were a couple large wooden tables with candles, lit. It was dark outside... Silver hopped down from the bed, the floor and walls were wood and made him feel at home. Silver smiled examining the room, intrigued by its design but made his way to the window, and stared up at the full moon. He put his hooves on the window to get a better look.

"Wow~" he said as his eyes sparkled with joy for the first time in years. He had never seen the moon so clearly before, nor the stars, his mouth hung open in amazement. "So many stars in one place," he said as he drifted into a trance. It was soon interrupted by someone standing behind him.

"Ahem," the pony said, "We are glad to see you awake small one, we were worried you would sleep for eternity," she said tilting her head slightly.

Silver turned around and then remembered the same pony who saved him. Seeing as it was the pony who carried him, he felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him as he realised he had been staring at her, His ears drooped and he shuffled his hooves "U-um sorry for falling asleep," he said.

Luna shook her head slightly "you do not need to apologise If anything we should be asking forgiveness of you" she said walking closer to him "You must have been exhausted you've been asleep for a long while now" she smiled and patted silvers head.

Silvers's ears pricked up "Wait, a long while?" he asked tilting his head "how long have I been asleep?" he asked.

Luna put her hoof to her chin "A couple days, although..." she said staring off then shook her head "No, it is nothing" she said but Silver tilted his head more, like a puppy wanting a biscuit. "I hope you have noticed where you are," she said a smile slowly forming across her face.

Silver looked around "A wooden room?" he said, but Luna shook her head "A...sleeping area?" he guessed again, taking another look around the room.

"Not quite," she said moving a stool from one of the tables to the window "Think of it as a game, if you win you get a prize," she said smiling.

Silver began rapid firing answers "A room, a room for sleeping, a sleepy room, dining room, a room room, a moving cart, a castle, a box, a box in a castle, a room in a box in a dream in a castle in a table in a dining room for sleeping" he said out of breath but Luna shook her head once more, he was determined not to give up, he took a deep breath then fired more answers " home, the moon, a field, a chair, a room in a chair, a tree, a tree trunk, a squirrels house, sleeping tree box, a boxed tree of sleeping, a boxing tree with a chair, a tree boxing a squirrel sleeping in a chair in a trunk in a castle?" he collapsed onto his belly lying down like a rug, he pouted "alright I give up" he said, admitting defeat.

she patted onto the stool gesturing him to sit, she stood next to the window able to look out it with ease, Silver couldn't help but stare at her composed next to a window the moonlight reflecting off her skin, he shook his head and got up. He trotted over to her and stood on the stool to look out the window and his eyes widened with joy as he realised the answer.

"Do you know now," Luna said with a smile looking down.

Silver nodded "is this Canterlot!" he said joyfully as Luna nodded and chuckled.

"Welcome to the Capital of Equestria," she said, "Canterlot" looking down she saw different species of ponies helping each other and simply talking instead of fighting or spitting words at each other. She smiled remembering something Celestia had told her. She opened her mouth and repeated the line her sister had said "Canterlot stands for the beginning of harmony returning to Equestria, while it also serves as a capital base it's also the symbol of a new start, a new life...no matter what pony you are" she said as Silver stared out the window, captivated. She looked at him his eyes full of hope and patted his head again. She turned around and began walking towards the door.

Silver, taken away by the moment almost didn't notice, "where are you going?" he asked stepping down from the stool.

Luna turned to face him "I must leave you now, I have important duties to which I must attend," she said.

Silver looked down at the floor "oh...".

Luna put her hoof to his chin "Do not be sad little one, If you wish to see me again then I'm sure it is fated to be, but, for now this is farewell" she said, silver still looked unhappy. looking into his eyes she made a suggestion "We can do anything you want when we next meet, how does that sound" she said with some enthusiasm. Silver's ears perked up slightly.

"Anything ?" he asked "Even fly?" as his eyes glistened once more, Luna nodded.

"Yes of course! we can soar up into the skies where the clouds are the floor and the stars the ceiling" she said smiling.

Silver perked up "Okay! it's a date!" he said hopping around Luna then stood in front of her "My name's Silver Crescent" he said cheerfully then made circles with his hoof "Everyone made fun of my name in my village but here it's going to be different! nice to meet you".

Luna smiled "I think it's a lovely name, you may call me Luna," she said puffing out her chest.

Luna left the room and silver continued to stare out the window while thinking about her last words.

"This place is the barracks for the night guard, that's why you won't see anyone here at night, mostly," she said walking closer to the door "The guards may look intimidating, but they're nice ponies when you get to know them,". She stood at the door and began to open it.

"Goodnight!" Silver blurted out.

Luna stopped, then turned her head "Goodnight Silver, sleep well" she said before walking out the door and closing it behind her...

Silver took one good long look at Canterlot "Things will be different" he told himself, and nodded "Things will be different..." he moved the stool back to its table then hopped back into his bed "Yeah, different" he said before slowly dozing off as his eye's shut once more.

"Luna...huh" he mumbled before a small smile crept on his face and he fell back to sleep.

***

Luna closed the door behind her and took a sigh of relief, Celestia chuckled

"Not as easy as you would assume is it," she said standing close to Luna as they began to walk at a slow pace down a corridor

"How can we lie to them, surely they must be told the truth?" luna said pondering what good lying to them this early would achieve

Celestia calmly retorted "When they are young they should be concerned with schoolwork and mundane tasks that make up ordinary life, not war and vengeance for loved ones lost,"

Luna hung her head "I suppose...," a look of frustration crossed her face "I can't believe that's another village lost, that's the fifth this week"

A concerned expression grew on Celestia's face "yes, their attacks are becoming more frequent it all points to they're advancing on canterlot," she sighed "I'm surprised we've lasted long enough to complete its construction"

Luna smiled "well we only had to defend one place, and with our strength there's no way we could possibly lose," she said puffing out her chest and looking proud.

Celestia chuckled "I suppose you're right," she stopped and admired the view as the hallway had led to a balcony section of the castle

the sisters walked to the railing of the balcony Celestia smiled proudly "we built this you and I," she said whimsically "we're taking in as many as we can but until we find more able bodies we're only projecting our power"

Luna looked at her sister with a look of confusion "but we have the numbers to attack the changelings, we have armies,"

Celestia shook her head "but having them able at any moment is draining on them. a large sum of them went with you and as I saw they were all exhausted, lack of sleep, irregular eating... they were drained," she turned to a more stern expression "If the changelings attacked it would only be by our magic that they are kept at bay"

Luna hung her head "oh, I see..." she contemplated firing a retort but knew her sister was right, the soldiers were only equestrian, they get tired and hungry just like anyone else.

Celestia softened her gaze "but, I suppose you did well...you did save a few ponies" she turned to luna "I'm sorry the small one must be in your barracks, with the surplus of ponies you brought back with you shelters are full and stretched thin as it is,"

Luna shook her head "I hardly think one bed being filled will upset the night guard, but what bothers me is you could have used your barracks why choose mine?" she asked, what bothered her was the fact that Celestia would offer her own bed if she could in a heartbeat, so using her barracks was the next best thing.

Celestia smiled back "I thought it would be better if the sister who saved him was the first face he saw while I would have loved to do the orientation he has more of a connection to you than me. Not to mention in your night guard there are some bat ponies," luna's brow furrowed.

"and what does that have to do with anything?" she said firmly, Celestia looked out to canterlot

"do you know how many ponies we have found" Luna looked up surprised

"well not the exact number but we've saved earth ponies, pegasi, unicorns-"

"and how many of those we've saved are bat-ponies," Celestia interrupted "the answer is none..." a sorrowful look spread across her face "I talked to your guards, the ones who are bat-ponies say that they have no definitive home or community, or if there is one they haven't heard of it...they told me that aside from their parents and the bat-ponies they met here, they haven't seen another one of their kind"

Luna's eyes widened in shock "That cannot be, surely they had a hometown that-"

"That's just it," Celestia said cutting her off again "...one of your guards, the captain was from a bat-pony village"

Luna's mouth opened to say something, but she thought better of it and listened closely.

"he said that they fought changelings regularly because of the location, they couldn't hold back the staggering amount that attacked them, so most of the villagers left to all corners of Equestria to find a better environment to raise families or start anew, he told me where it was, and i left to see it for myself.

Luna gulped forcing the words out of her mouth "what did you see" she could see Celestia's expression change.

Celestia's face changed to a glare of anger "the whole village was..." Celestia steeled her mind as the image itself was too horrible to put into words "the village, was completely taken by the changelings, the buildings warped beyond recognition, ponies hanging like fruit from trees" Celestia stopped when Luna placed her hoof on her shoulder.

"you don't need to explain, I understand," luna said comforting her sister however she could

Celestia embraced her sister "war...is such an ugly thing". as the two sisters stared out at canterlot illuminated by the moon the two began to move indoors.

***

Silver was still asleep by the time morning had rolled around. but interrupting his peaceful sleep was a soft female voice.

"Rise and shine little guy," the voice said then a thump was heard and something fell to the floor.

"You idiot that's not how you wake a young'un up," a gruff voice said, "this is how you wake up a young'un, just like grandpappy taught me" who was then interrupted by several other voices.

"No! the child is innocent and pure. we don't need you corrupting the poor thing" a mare's voice called out "you need to wake up it's morning" she said gently.

Silver grumbled "mmmm...no," he said rolling over.

the mare groaned "Oh come on! we've been at this for an hour" she said as her steps trailed off and thud as she sat down.

the door swung open a stern voice could be heard over the others bickering "Would you be silent" he said as everyone in the room seemed to stop talking immediately. "What's the problem? you can't wake up a young colt?" there was mumbling around the room.

"well we 'ad many good'uns but Flare just said oh it's inhumane to hurt the wee lad," the gruff one said.

" Hey! at least I thought whacking him with a bottle wasn't a safe idea, Celestia forbid that anyone tell you your ideas come straight from your arse!" the mare said mockingly.

"quiet the both of you! I have a simple harmless solution that will wake him up and not cause any permanent damage" he said as there were mumbles of concern.

Silver felt himself lifting up he was having a pleasant dream about flying with princess Luna then all of a sudden he felt himself falling rapidly and landing in the ocean, he woke up immediately sitting up in front of him were four guards wearing purple armour and one with silver none had their helmets. Silver looked around where he was he was in a river just outside the barracks it was shallow but deep enough for half of him to be submerged. he blinked trying to piece together what had transpired.

"well you can't argue with results," the mare said, "but I'm not being the one who has to get the bed sheet," she said pointing to the sheet which was floating off into the distance, the large stallion with a bushy beard groaned.

"Oh I swear ya do this for fun!" he said as he charged after the sheet

"Oh remember that if you lose the sheet you pay for it!" she yelled back to him.

The sterner one helped silver out of the river "I believe you are at a loss, correct" the colt said

Silver nodded examining the three ponies: the mare was a pegasus with crimson mane and creme skin with a set of matching daggers strapped to her sides, the stern looking earth-pony had a jagged black mane and light grey skin he had a single sword strapped to his side. As silver turned his head he saw the muscular earth pony, with a bristly beard and short auburn mane the blanket rolled into a bundle in his hoof he had a great axe strapped to his back carved into its blade where fire-breathing dragons on each side with the edges tinted crimson. he noticed silver staring at his axe and his eyes seemed to sparkle.

"Oh aye you noticed me axe" he said holding it aloft with one hoof as if it were simply a stick, a smug smile across his face "ya see this 'ere is me special axe, it's good for a lot of things, it can tear the hide's of monsters asunder in an instant, it can make the very ground tremble with its power, you see these red edges? they constantly keep at a searing temperature that burns the unworthy if they so much as touch it, it can-" he was interrupted by the pegasus.

"Yes yes yes and it can dice onions without crying and cook an egg without a pan, don't bore the poor thing with your over-sized kitchen tool," she said as the stallion put his axe away.

"I just wanted to show the lad my axe" he grumbled

"yes I'm sure you'll take any excuse to whip out your axe and brag about it to anyone when it can't even cut a tree," she said with a smirk on her face

"It was one time Flare when are ya gonna let that go," he said disgruntled

the other pony present creased his brow

"Enough! you are not here to have a pissing match, you are here to tell the boy the rules, and regardless of who's tool is bigger and better you still will not escape your duty to take him to school am I clear," he said glaring at the two of them who mumbled a yes sir "Now then princess Luna gave you two this important job and if you don't like it then I can always call the weapon fairy to dump your weapons into the waste pile"

the two ponies jumped backwards holding their weapons with looks of shock "how could you say such a thing, my weapons might hear you" the pegasus said

"I really hate that fairy, a' you got her number?" he said with a puzzled look on his face

"Now then, no shirking of duty, or else, Silver, The Crimson-haired pegasus currently fondling her daggers is flare she is the most trustworthy person you could talk to and makes a surprisingly tasty sandwich"

"wait, what-"

"and the burly fellow who has an obsession with his axe is Brutus while that's not his real name he could split most things in two but, if anyone ever finds out what it is its document level would be classified because of how horrendously stupid it sounds"

"Hey, that's-"

"But anywho I have business to attend to, take care," he said before disappearing in the blink of an eye

Silver looked at the two guards just as they looked at him they had a look of annoyance on their faces then silver spoke "you're cool ponies" the two of them looked at each other then the sky and their expression changed to one of compliance "well it is the captain's orders" Flare said

"And I'd rather not risk losing my weapon to the blasted fairy" the two nodded as if negotiations had concluded and shook hooves

"To the school!" they both proclaimed in unison a truce had been called and they were ready to face their duty

It then dawned on silver "it would be an entirely new school...with new people...and new everything" he mumbled then had his anxiety kick in and his head began filling itself of what it would be like, he couldn't say no but now as they slowly began to make their way to the school he hoped it would take a long time to get there.