Nocturne
A noise woke me up. A noise? Now? Impossible! Its far to early. I opened my eyes. A faint light shone on the wall from the slightly open door. The stasis spell was broken otherwise I would not been awake now. I tried to move but was stuck in a forcefield. I knew it.. I groaned as the guard came into the room. Ugly fuck. Here to mock me again? Have it been ten years already?
"Lucky day for ya prisoner." He mocked. Here we go again. "So how does it feel to be a free mare?" Wait what?
"Free?" I asked. He nodded and put his demonic claws on the wall. Blue magical circuits shone lightly and I floated gently down to the floor.
"We ave no official papers on it." He continued in his strange accent and his raspy voice. "But we ain't keeping ponies here for more then a millennium. Ah will show ya out. I tell ya som'thing never thought that I would let go of two prisoners in the same year least in the same week." He cracked. This got to be some trick or something! I tried a step, it was surprisingly easy to take. Must be the stasis. For being locked up with no movements whats so ever, had made my mane and tail grow but my muscles don't decay? I decided to stretch my wings at the spot. That was a little trickier but felt good at the same time.
"Ready ta go go missy?" The demon pointed a claw behind him, I nodded. "Good ah just need tha do this then." He snapped his claws and a purple spark and a small silver ring was between them. "No need for this anymoré." He put away the ring and waved me out of the cell. I walked carefully not to step on my now really long scarlet mane. I really need to get that fixed. I like my mane shorter. He stepped up on a platform with a rune on it. "Shortcut! Hehe just a teleporta to tha inner gates." I stepped up on the rune marked platform. I could easily tell that from here. I was not unfamiliar with magic in any regard.
The trip was instant I felt like I wanted to hurl but resisted it. "Lucky ya that ah'm here and not Tristro like on ya usual checkups. Big meany that one. Don't worry everyone feel like hurling the first time in those ones." He once again showed me the way this time to a red gate. It was quite big. He opened it with ease showing of the strength of a demon. Inside was a grand hall with a even bigger door guarded by a Cerberus. "Morning Kelly ya being a good girl?" One of it's heads barked. "Common now nah need to be afraid of little Kelly here if ya are with me." He said.
We walked trough the grand hall to the massive gate, the guard was fumbling with some kind of spell. The massive gate opened up slowly and when it's was big enough to walk trough with ease it stopped. "There ya go. Keep to the left and ya can't get ya self lost." He pointed out in a dim lit cave. I did not hesitate to go I had spent far longer in the dark so another five to ten minutes will do no difference.
When the door closed behind her, Kolman got a call. "Kol was it you that opened C6? Over"
"Ya cap. wardens orders on letting that Nocturne pony go. Wha ya wondering? Over" Never usually use tha insta coms why now?
"Just needed to know we had a breach in C7 five minutes ago. Just checking to see that we don't have more of a mess to deal with."
"How many and what rank?" I just had tha ask didn't I.
"Twenty all but five B rank and four A ranks." Better go help.
"And tha last one?"
"S rank. And ya not gonna like this. Its your brother."
"Just my lucky day." I said out loud. "I'm coming tha help with him." I said into the com spell.
"Secure that gate first, lock it to yourself and the chief."
"R'ger that." I sighed and got to work. He better not clear that cave before I get there or it can be messy.
Making it out of the cave was easy luminescent gemstones had littered the path and the cave was broad and wide to walk in. It was night when I first got the entrance, camping in the cave for the night was a good idea for now. Sleep did not come easy.
"Well that's fun.. He..He he." I said to myself as I read, I was genuinely scared. What had scared me was the sign outside.
[Warning Ursa cavern. The presence of a Ursa major dwell in this cave and extreme cation is advised. Issued by her majesty Princess Celestia.]
I was outside the cave but the thought about a Ursa major might had slept in my way was a little nerving or becoming lunch in in my sleep. "He could at least had warned me about that." I muttered while I looked to the sky, to my left I saw a trail of smoke. It could mean ponies lived there or a forest fire. I bet on the first and set my way to it in a trot. Not yet confident in my wings to carry me. I better practice with these soon. You see being looked up for a millenia did have it's advantages especially when your powers in the field of magic still progresses during the time spent. So I bet you can guess now that I am in fact a Alicorn. Yes it's new to me to. Wait who am I'm telling this to? I shook my head "Never mind."
I walk trough the forest for about an hour only glimpsing the smoke trough the cracks in the tree tops. When I cleared the forest I how to say? Stunned. The sight was not what I had thought at all. I had in mind a small town or village. What I got was one in flames. Houses was on fire, most of them already burnt down or crushed. I decided to go down to it. Somewhere in the back of my head something screamed at me to leave. The soldier inside me said otherwise.
Another demon jumped me, this was the third one sines I got to the towns plaza. I looked around me as more of them surrounded me I counted seven, two of them where bigger than the others. I struck them down when they came as there is no law against killing demons. Turning them to dust. At least when attacked by them and so far I know. maybe a thousand years had changed that but they will pay anyway. Killing ponies was unforgivable in my book. Another of the wolf like demons jumped my and this time it tasted a hoof to its temple. Bucking them had kept them away so far but I knew that it would not last long.
A shadow raised over me and I quickly looked back to see a big hunk of a demon make a throwing motion against me. I jumped away with ease thanks to my wings. A few white and blood red feathers was mixed in the dust from the throw.
"Ah almost two with one throw." The flying demon cried in laughter. "Not so though now little one! Now are you?"
To my surprise it came an answer from the dust cloud. "It's not that easy to kill me you son of a Woobajack." A blue blot of magic fired from the could an struck the demon in it's wing hurling it to the ground. The force of the shot had cleared the cloud and before me stood a small be winged bipedal creature. "Not so though." she mocked in a childish voice. "You there Alicorn you should get out of here." she said throwing me a glance.
"I can fight and seeing what these demons did to this town I will not leave in till they are all dead." I said this as I sapped one of the demons with lightning effectively stopping its heart and it started to become a dust cloud. The girl smiled at me. So far I had not seen her eyes.
"So i'm allowed to kill them? Well that changes everything!" She clapped once. "Time to wipe house." A unseen force kicked up dust around her, she raised her arms and quickly pointed them to the ground the paw like appendages on them standing outwards like she pressed the air around her. The seven demons that had surrounded me vaporized into dust. "Now for the big guy." She said. What in Equestria is she? "You get to that house I think there might be survivors there. I saw somepony slip into the cellar." She said this without looking at me. "And beware there is more of these demons out there." I just stared at her.
"Go that building might collapse soon! It's not safe for that foal and whoever more is in there." She pointed at what I presumed was town hall.
"Deal with that thing and get to me after then." I said no response. "And make sure it suffers for what it did." This time she nodded.
"Roger that." She said with a smile.
It felt bad somehow to leave the girl alone. I think its a girl anyway because of the voice. But did so anyway, this time I used my wings to get around quicker.
I found the cellar entrance shortly there after and used magic to open it when I found it locked. Down there I could here a low whimpering as somepony crying but trying not to. The whole building cracked and whined. Not good this place is coming down soon. The faint sound of fire could be heard above. The whimpering became louder as I made my way into the dark.
"Ohh sweet Luna" I looked away from the corpse in front of me. "Who do that to a dragon. Least It killed it's assailant." A small layer of demon dust covered parts of the corpse. Another whimper sounded almost next to me. I looked over to my right and saw a small unicorn filly pushing her dead mothers shoulder she was covered mostly by her mothers wing. She can't be older that. than? One, two tops. "Don't worry little one I won't hurt you." I said softly as I lowered myself to come closer. Nothing more intimidating that a big black and red Alicorn in the dark towering over you.
The white filly sniveled. "Mommy no move." She said a hiccup between every word. Poor thing.
"I know sweetie. Mommy won't move again... Are you hurt?" She shock her tear eyed head. "Good sweetie, now you need to say good bye to mommy it's not safe here." She looked at me for what felt like a hour or even more. Then she nodded and crawled out. Oh god. The filly was not a unicorn. "A natural born alicorn? If Celestia knew about this attack guards would be all over the place." I mumbled.
A loud 'CRACK' made me swoop up the filly and rushing out the cellar. I barely dodged a falling support beam. Shity shit.
"Great timing." The winged creature said as I stumbled up the stairs. She calmly walked over to the demon she had felled. It did not become smoke and dust. She went around the demon and it started to crumble. "Looks like the bigger ones don't become dust so fast more like a bristle stone." She crushed the demon with a light jab when she came back around.
"Are they all gone?" I asked. I got a nod from her.
"More demons came." She pointed to the plaza. "Guards they say. To be fair if I did not know that already I would had killed em." She fiddled with magic. "No more alive here. You two were lucky." The magical energy stopped.
"I'm not from around. Means this little one is the only left." She took a look at the filly.
"Natural born Alicorn? If Celestia knew I'm sure she would be here already can say the same goes for Luna.. Maybe." She said in her childish voice. Luna is back?
"What will happen now? To her I mean." I asked. Silly question I know.
"That's not really my problem seeing that I'm not a pony. Did not stop me before tho. I say you take her. I'm off to Canterlot, maybe they have records about her there seeing that she is a alicorn. That's a way to look for her family anyway." she said as she had taken an thoughtful stance.
"I'm going there myself so that's will be no problem and seeing that Town hall here is crushed and burning. I think that's our best shot. How long to get there?" I asked, I did not expect an answer.
"Three days in a slow flying phase, Five if you walk. Not that it matter to me I just need to be there before Saturday." She said.
"So it's what day today? I have kinda lived in a hole for a while." She looked at me weirdly and the answered.
"Sunday and if your going with me we go now. I had enough of demons for one day." She said and started walking. "This way to Canterlot by the way."
This is the weirdest thing that ever happened to me in a long time And what is she anyway? Is it even a she? And is Princess Luna free and ruling again? Does this mean my plans are not needed? It felt like only time would tell and that was something I had gained much of. So I set of after the creature. That screaming in my head was back and I was starting to wonder if it warned me about her. I did not want to take my chances with the ''guard'' demons. Not with this filly with me.
"Sir I have bad news. Over." I said trough the com.
"Hit me." crackled the com.
"All escapees are dead. Regulation 1.3.5 Sir."
"Outsider? Well I have to say the ponies can fight." I sighed before establishing my speech on the com.
"Not ponies. Som'thing else and Nocturne took em out. Called itself Angel. Me and tha boys did nothing. A whole town is lost."
"Damn... Clean up and fall back I have some nasty paperwork before me. Darn enclave town why does you house ponies and dragonkin." The communication died.
I sighed again. "All in a days work I guess."
I say to you now trekking trough forests is not my favorite past time. "How much longer to a road? or even a trail this is annoying." No answer. It had been like that for the past while, or since the girl had gone into the forest when we left the town. Never talking, heck not even a grunt. The only sounds other than steps and birdsong was a occasional low sobbing. It was something odd about her that I know. only once in awhile did she stop and that was only when I was lagging behind. she stopped again and to my relief I saw a road ahead. "Finally" I muttered.
"Well we won't go much longer today anyway." The being pointed at the sky and to my surprise the sun was setting. Only then I noticed my hunger. The girl, I still presumed that she was one walked right over the road and into the forest on the other side. I followed. What have I gotten myself into? Asking myself this now was a little late but still I did. I walked into a small clearing only ten meters from the road. It looked like somepony else had used it for camping before. The girl was making a small fire. Where she had gotten the wood from I did not know.
"So can you answer my questions now? Or are you going to be quiet again?"
"Two more to the list, the answers is Yes and No. You wanted to know what I am? Correct? I nodded. It was quickly getting darker so I sat down by the fire and put the filly that was now sleeping next to me.
"First I want confirmation about something." She said and paused.
"What is that then?"
"You are not a true Alicorn are you? And by true I meant not born as one." That's not of your concern. Why I answered the way I did still eludes me.
"That's... True I became an alicorn sometime ago."
"So.. How? It takes some great deal of magic to do that on your own. Who helped you? Another alicorn?" She asked.
"No. I did it myself." I said. Reluctant to tell the whole truth.
"How long?" She asked. What?
"How long what?"
"To do it yourself. Because it need so much power that it would get both the caster and target in a coma for at least some days. Saying that they survives the process." How does she know so much?
"Gluing permanent wings on takes that much power? No way!" I said trying to brush off the subject.
"Permanent wings? Being a Alicorn is not only having wings and a horn. But you know that already." She was pointing at me now.
"And what do you know about it?"
"Much I tell you. When it comes to being long lived I'm quite the expert and becoming an alicorn is not an easy task. I senses that you are a proper one to. But I also senses that you are not born one and mixing the magic of the three alone is a deadly task alone for nothing less than alicorn's and gods. Now tell me. How long?" She was stern but not aggressive in the least. Yet again I don't know why I answered that question like I did, i'll guess I was getting angry
"Fifty years. It took me fifty years of endless channeling, experimentation and pain. All for one thing but now that's not necessary anymore. First thirty it took me to get the spells right and build up power. Using magic hurt me but I did not care. The rest was even more painful and I pumped even more power into the spells. Only stopping every ten years for an hour of mockery."
"And how did you learn these spells? Transformation spells like that are hard to come by."
"Princess Luna, she is a master of transformations temporary and permanent ones." I was getting annoyed at her now.
"I know. She is such a pearl, One of the greatest of persons I have ever met."
"Person? you mean pony right?"
"Of course I meant pony. But there is more sentient beings in this world than ponies and all have a personality, thus person. But she is doing good so far I know. Just hoping that she is not angry with me." She mumbled the last part and it was har do hear what she had said. To any other ermm.. Regular pony that would be an unheard sentence
"And that's why becoming this is pointless now." I said looking down at myself as I now laid by the sparking fire.
I was getting in a bad mood, not because the days events or the outburst I just had. It was because all my planing I had done was null and void. She just had to remind me?
"Revenge is a strong thing, for those who use it there is only sadness and hate. I see in you that you want justice but vengeance is not that path." Does she read my mind? "Know this, Celestia was as hurt to lock away Luna as everypony else. Correction she was even more so. She lost her sister for a thousand years." Now I only stared at her. How did she know?
"How?"
"How do I know? Because I am Justice, that is my name by the way. Just as yours are Nocturne Rose, Just as hers are Licentia Rose." She promptly pointed to the sleeping filly.
"Licentia? Wait how do you know that?"
"Magic dear, much can be achieved with it. Her name is Licentia Rose. means freedom... Also It means licence and authority. In her case it's Freedom and yes you are related to her before you ask. Congratulation on motherhood. I was just stunned at the answer but that did not last long, a few minutes tops. She said motherhood right? I'm not ready for that. Was just some thoughts I thought during that time.
"Well now you answer my questions what and who are you? to begin with" I said when I had comeback to my senses.
"Very well, You did answer mine. I'm part of a person known as Nero. He is a human just like me but male, I am female if your still wondering. As you have seen I have red and white wings and no they are not natural, human usually not have wings. As I said my name is justice, If you want to be picky its Justice Lancer. She took a pause. I took my chance for another question.
"Part? You where part of some,one?"
"Yes, Nero. He needed something that resulted in him being split in five parts. I am one of them. Only me and one other have wings, we all can do magic to some extent and I am blind as a bat. Short, simple and this is me. There is not much to say because I only became what I am yesterday most of my memories are Nero's anyway so technically I am him. Sorry you must be hungry." She said when my stomach grumbled.
"Yes in fact I am. So who are the others? There was five of you." I asked. She handed me a peach, an orange and a banana all cut up in dices in a bowl seemingly from nowhere. Looking at her and not the fire I had been staring into, I saw that she had cut up the fruit on a small board and had another bowl for herself. Where did she get that stuff?
"Indeed there is, now eat and listen." So I did. She told me briefly about her ''siblings'', about Nero and why he ''split.''
"And here we are. I don't really know where the others are but we are all heading in the same direction."
"Okay last question before sleep." I said "Why did you not tell me this when we walked?" She looked to the side for a second.
"I don't really like talking when I travel. Head in the clouds and all. Now like you said you need some sleep before tomorrow its getting late." She said.
Right on time for the little filly to wake up.
"Hungry." She said while blinking into the fire and settled to squint into it for a while before trying to look around. She looked at me and once again said "Hungry." Justice answered her this time.
"Here you go Sweetie, you like bananas?" She nodded and a bowl settled by her. "Nocturne if you want to sleep I will sit up all night. I don't need sleep, looking after her will be no problem."
"No I can wait until she falls asleep, just let her eat first." The filly was headfirst into her bowl.
"Nore pwese" She said with banana still in her mouth, then suddenly. "Potty" She said and started to look around.
"Bushes are all over." Justice said.
"And she can go alone? It's a forest in the middle of the night." I said to Justice. "Common sweetie I'll go with you." The filly nodded. She seems really irresponsible.
A minute later we was back at the fire. Licentia was once head down in a bowl munching away. This time it ended with a low burp and a yawn. She laid down and snuggled up to me to try to sleep, I did the same putting a wing over the filly. An hour later I was still not sleeping an nether was Licentia. she had been tossing and turning all the time.
"Maybe singing her a lullaby will let her sleep." Justice suddenly said. The filly seemed to like the idea because she was no longer tossing and was looking at me.
"You want me to sing?" I asked her Licentia nodded.
"You have the mark for it so why not." She referred to my cutiemark. A cluster of stars forming a note on a blue blot symbolizing the night sky some stray stars was around the note. If you did not know it was easy to just confuse it to be only the note or even just a cluster of stars. My mark came from my love for the music and to be ironic mostly nocturnes.
"Not bad for a blind human. How did you know?"
"Once again. Magic. song?" I could not help to shake my head. I still decided to sing.
"Okay a song it is. It old I hope you like it." So I sang. it began like this. "Now let the day just slip away so the dark night may watch over you. Velvet blue..." And it went on. When I had finished the song, Licentia was softly sleeping under my wing.
"Beautiful. Truly beautiful." Justice said. "I bet Hope would had added music to that to make it stunning."
"Thank you" I said with a yawn and once again Justice told me to sleep, so I did just that. I fell asleep to a melodic humming that soothed my ears.
That night I had a dream, two humans both winged clashed in battle. The smaller of the two clad in red parried a massive blow with what looked like a saw but it did not bend like others did and the teeth on it where much larger. The bigger I figured was a male wielded a scythe and downed a azure cape lazed with gold. The Wicked blade struck with extreme precision still every blow was blocked an countered. The humans clashed in the air, ran up walls and jumped between pillars all while in constant battle.The battle only intensified with time as the two combatants went in for what looked like a final clash in the center of the hall but before they connected I woke up. And I could not for the world remember what I saw in that dream. Damn it it was only moments ago I saw that thing! Common Rosie you can do it. THINK!
"Morning, bad dreams?" Justice had not moved an inch from her spot by the fire that now only was prying embers. The sun was rising. "You better get yourself ready I want to be in Cherries Stead before eight That way we can be in Canterlot tomorrow night." Train take that long? From what I read it should be quicker.
"Really. Do it really take that long time with the train?" I got a straight answer.
"Yes. The train an rails are relatively new and such the ride will take longer. No direct route to Canterlot from here. Darn train need to go all the way to Ponyville before it goes to Canterlot. Our best option seeing that you don't fly yet. Tho flying would be much faster."
"Very well." I said and made myself ready to begin walking again. "I'm glad that the road will make this easier." I said when I was done with my ermm! Why am I narrating my personal hygiene in my head? Then when everything was ready we set out. I felt nice to have a road under my hoofs again.
Around lunch I had noticed an odd behavior in Justice, some time ago she had began to wander with her gaze to the general region of Canterlot. Right before I was going to suggest eating something she stopped dead in her tracks for a moment, then just began to walk again. "Justice maybe we should take some lunch? I'm pretty hungry and I think Licentia is to." This was comfirmed by a small stomach growl from where she was slumped on my back, the little filly had been awake for some time but had not bothered talking or crying. She was just laying there being sad.
"You can stay and eat just don't take more than an hour and continue in the same phase as earlier." She said
"You are not staying to eat?" I interrupted. She shook her head.
"No I need to fly to Canterlot. Something is happening there... Something BAD." she did not take her eyes from the sky.
"What about us? We can't board a train without money?" I was almost not able to finish that sentence before I got a saddlebag shoveled in my face.
"This will be all you need for the trip. The document inside will get you on board and into Canterlot itself without questions asked. Royal invitation and that mambo jumbo. Also hide that you are an alicorn or you will no be able to avoid any weird questions. Cloaks are in the bag if you need em." Then she took of into the sky. What the Buck did just happen?
Now when both of us was in a somewhat bad mode we ate a quick lunch in form of carrots and apples. I mostly ate carrots seeing that Licentia did not want much of those. For being such a small filly she ate a lot. After the lunch I found two cloaks in the the bag one a little big for Licentia and one that was a little small for me. I ignored mine and put the other one on Licentia she was ofcourse not happy about that. Children! But she still wore it. I hid my own wings with a quick concealment spell. Good was that I did that right after lunch.
Two hours later a group of tough looking Griffins and a pair of ponies. a unicorn and a pegasi. Creeped out of the woods before me an I heard more from behind. Really? REALLY?!
"Your bags and we might not hurt ya the unicorn said with a tough voice. The pagasi and the griffons let out a cruel laugh. "Might fine pi'ce a Flank ya got there hun." You speak worse than me mate. The pegasi said. "Not now bro. But if she resist I might share her." The unicorn said.
"You better watch it fellas or I'll kick your sorry rumps to next week. I have training." I said and somehow knew that it would not help much.
"Ohh Look boys a guards pony. What will we do a lone guard with a babby foal on her back." The gang of robbers laughed again and then a griffon lounged at me at the sound of a low whistle. Bad choice.
I cracked his beak with a front hoof at the same time I dislocated his yaw. The sheer pain alone made him fall unconscious to the ground. The unicorn started to shout orders and more of the griffons and the pegasi all got readdy to attack me. I felt a anti magic field take hold. I broke it easily while bucking two of the griffons into a third. And proceeded to ground the flying ones, Low thumps was heard when the five flying bandits hit the ground hard for I had a gravitation spell that held them in place and had increased the impact from the fall by five.
"Only you and me left sissy boy." I said when I took a step closer to the now terrified unicorn and he proceeded in soiling himself. I weaved a quick spell and made him lay down in his own embarrassment. Serves them right. I checked on my back and Licentia was only gaping at me. She had not moved an inch thanks to a spell of placement, useful to keep the usually sleeping foal on my back. Then she just said "Kooowl."
"I was not the commander over the 3rd Lunar regiment for nothing you know." I said with a smile while gracefully jumping over the unicorn.
Around five and a half hour later I was walking up to what somepony had pointed out as the train station. A pony in blue announced the arrival of the days last train. I read the document that Justice had left me scanning it for vital information. The document was indeed my ticket to Canterlot and supposedly showing this to any innkeeper in Canterlot will get me free lodgings until the wedding and for the rest of the weekend. I asked the conductor how long until the train would reach Canterlot and it was as Justice had said, a long trip.
When the train arrived I showed the document to the conductor inside the train right after I ''boarded'' If that now is the correct term and was shown to first class. I was presented a luxurious cabin and was told where the restaurant cart where. Me and Licentia almost made it a double for that cart. After a long day of walking and some small talk with Licentia I was tired enough to go right to sleep in the cabin after the meal. Bad Idea for I awoke early the next morning. WAY to Early!