Sentinel of the Sun

Chapter Six

-Canterlot Castle, Throne Room-

Both Luna and Nighitg Gale made their way towards the throne, only for them to stop at its base. Luna had a smile on her face, the two mares looking up at Celestia and Sun Guard, a golden barrier around them. “Is that… What I think it is?” The bat pony asked.

“A Silencing Spell? Why yes, it its.” Luna answered, noticing a blush on her sister’s face. “It seems High General Sun Guard is briefing out sister on recent events.”

Nighting Gale raised an eyebrow, before she looked at the princess. “But, my lady, I thought my, uh, counterpart took an Oath of Silence?” She asked, looking back at the gold and red clad unicorn stallion, confusion written across her face.

Luna gave a nod, before gaining a confused look of her own. “In all honesty, we do not understand it either.” She looked at the bat pony next to her. "Our sister discovered that, in his Oath, there is a loop hole. So long as it is with the one he serves, and they are within a place where no other may hear them… High General Sun Guard may speak, without breaking his Oath.”

Nighting Gale took a moment, realizing that such a thing would make sense. What good is a protector, if they couldn’t speak, right? When the bat pony looked back up at Celestia, she noticed the blush Luna had already seen. “Um, why is Princess Celestia blushing, my lady?”

Luna looked back up at her sister, remembering the older alicorn’s explanation for such a thing. “O-Oh, that, uh…” The Moon Princess soon gained a blush of her own. “How our sister explained it… Despite having such a fearsome exterior, High General Sun Guard’s voice was, and probably still is, the most heavenly voice she has ever heard for a stallion. Strong and commanding, as expected from a leader. Yet, also ever so tender and felt like a loving father saying some lullaby for his tired foal.”

The bat pony started to gain a blush of her own, just trying to imagine what kind of voice that could be like. To enchant even the most benevolent of ponies, Princess Celestia, in such a way? Her tail began to swish back and forth, her eyes lowering, as the mare’s mind devised what Sun Guard’s voice could sound like. “Princess Celestia is so lucky, to be able to hear such a thing, my lady.”

“We know, and we would be lying if we say that we are not jealous.” Luna’s own night sky-like tail started to swish back and forth. “Many times, we have tried to set up the same circumstances… But High General Sun Guard refused to speak each, and every, time.”

Before Nighitng Gale could respond, Celestia dropped her Silencing Spell and looked at the two other mares. A warm smile quickly formed, as she looked at the bat pony. “High General Gale.” Nighting Gale snapped to attention, when her name was called. “Sun Guard informed me of the spar between the two of you… Two hits? I am jealous of your martial skill, since I have only been able to score a single hit, each time the two of us spar.”

Nighting Gale smiled, and bowed her head. “Thank you, your majesty. I appreciate the praise you, and my lady, have given to me.” She said, as Sun Guard made his way down to steps, and joined the bat pony mare. When Nighting Gale stood back up, she could not stop smiling at the fact he was next to her. The mare kept imagining the made up voice talking highly of their spar, in her mind at least.

Celestia nodded, noticing how Nighting Gale was acting, and still smiled. “The two of you are dismissed, until further noticed. Please, spend this time getting to know one another.” She said, both High Generals giving a respective bow, before turning around and leaving the throne room.

The mare had a bit of trouble keeping up with her partner, the stallion having a larger stride than her. But, she tried her best not to let it be noticed by anypony. Once Nighting Gale had a decent, leisure, pace with him, the mare smiled up at the stallion. “Hey, Sun Guard, I had an idea we could use, since we’re battle partners.” The stallion flicked his ear some, giving off the idea that he was interested. “Like, you’re a heavy hitter, and your magic makes it a lot stronger. Mix it with my high velocity attacks, and we could do something devastating on the battlefield.”

Sun Guard instantly stopped, and looked down at the mare. The way he was looking at her, allowed Nighting Gale to know he wasn’t too keen on trying such a thing right now. What solidifying that thought, was when he pointed at her exposed bandages with his left hoof.

“Look, big guy, if I allowed a few injuries, that you pretty much healed, stop me? I wouldn’t be where I am today, nor the mare that I am.” She explained, which was something even Sun Guard could respect. “Plus, Princess Celestia did order that we get to know one another, and what better way…” The mare shot him a fanged grin. “Then training together?”

She got him there. Those of his order were known to train long side each other, to build more comradery. He already learned quite a bit about the mare, from their spar alone. For example, he learned that she would never give up fighting, no matter how badly injured she was. Nighting Gale would just try to find some way to keep fighting, something he greatly respected her for.

After a few moments, Sun Guard gave a nod. Nighting Gale returned the nod, and started to trot forward. “Alright! So, let’s get star-?” She stopped, when her partner had his Guardian Spear go in front of her. The mare looked back at him, with a raised brow. “What? Thought you were on board for the idea?” He gave a nod, indicating that the stallion still was. “Then why can’t we get started? Something come up?”

Sun Guard pulled his weapon back, nodding to her. Nighting Gale kept a raised brow, confused by the stallion’s response. Sensing her confusion, the senior honor guard turned his head towards an adjacent hallway. The mare followed his gaze, and her fur tipped ears instantly went back against her helmet.

At the hallway’s end, was a pair of heavy wooden doors, cast iron railing and barring making up their frames. Their handles were mere iron rings, making it obvious to deduce that the doors were heavier than normal. Flanking both sides, were two lit torches to help any visitors to see inside. But, what caused the mare’s reactions, was the single word over the entrance. It was written elegantly, as if to help visitors feel less deterred in going in. “Dungeons.”

Nighting Gale gulped, remembering who was down there, and looked up at the stallion. “G-Guessing I have to go with you, huh?” She asked, Sun Guard giving a nod before he started towards the door. “W-Why do I have the feeling… He is going to be testing me a lot?” The mare thought, before she galloped after her partner.

-Deep within the Dungeons-

Nighting Gale starred into the cell, seeing both of the remaining stallions that tried to rape her a couple of nights ago. They were chained to the wall, covered in both bruises, gashes, and burns; to show that the princesses didn’t show them any mercy with the beatings, even their horns were cut clean off. Both of the stallions just, silently, starred right back at her.

The bat pony mare, on the other hand, stood on the other side of their cell, with a torch in hoof. Sun Guard wanted her to stand, openly, in front of them, while he hid around the corner. She figured that he was trying to figure out their reaction towards her. To see how they’ll react, before he decided their fate.

“So…” Nighting Gale started, her thoughts of what these two almost did to her causing the mare to grow uncomfortable. “It seems High General Sun Guard decided not to enact his judgement yet.”

“Bet you’re thrilled to see him torture us, by making the two of us wait, aren’t you?” The first stallion said, the other remaining silent while his partner spoke. “What do you want, bitch?”

“That’s High General Bitch, to the two of you.” Nighting Gale corrected, narrowing her amber eyes, as she came up with an excuse to why she was down here. “And my new partner wanted me to come down here, and see if the two of you were worth saving, while he dealt with more important matters.”

Both stallions began to laugh. "They made you a High General? What, Princess Luna feel so sorry for you, that she gave you a promotion?” The second asked, smirking at her. “Pathetic, no one will respect the likes of you.”

“What you the two of you, and the other, did was completely, and morally, wrong. Your friend got off easy, if I had-?”

Her eyes went wide, when both stallions lunged forward. Even though their chains stopped the two of them, Nighting Gale fell back on to her rump, in surprise. “And we would do it again, too!” The first yelled, thinking it was just her down there with them. “Did you think we didn’t know who you were!? Captain Nighting Gale, the Lunar Guard Ace and younger sister to Captain Night Claw, the Lunar Terror!”

“We couldn’t believe our luck, when it was you we saw, alone.” The second started, both nicorns gaining twisted grins. "There are many ponies, in both branches, that wanted to knock you down a couple of notches, ya prideful bitch. You got lucky, when the High General showed up when he-?”

Their attention was drawn to Nighitng Gale’s right, as a bright golden glow started to grow. The two were far enough forward, to see around the corner and noticed that the mare was not alone in the dungeons. “The two of you, have sealed your fate.” Nighting Gale said, as she stood back up.

Their eyes were wide, as they saw Sun Guard glowing with his magic building up for an attack. Those blazing red eyes peering into their souls, while the Guardian Spear stoically stood off to his side. To the unicorns, that glow around his armored body started to seem more like some righteous, cleansing, inferno… Just waiting to reduce the two of them to nothing but ash.0.

Within the next few moments, the entire dungeon was draped within blinding, gold, light; as cries of pure agony echoed down the stone walls. The other prisoners were shaking, in fear, having seen the Sun’s Wrath pass by with some bat pony mare moments before. When the light dimmed, and the screams silenced, they were lead to one conclusion… It was a good thing that they weren’t on the receiving end, and their sentences weren’t all that bad now.

-Throne Room-

Princess Celestia, sensing a massive build up in magic, let out an annoyed groan. She knew where the buildup came from, and knew of only one pony with such power. This meant she had to think of something, before her subjects found out what had happened. “Sometimes… He is a complete knucklehead!” She didn’t voice that the Sun Princess no longer had two punching bags, to bent her frustrations on, anymore.

“What do you mean, sister?” Luna asked, looking at the older alicorn.

“Sun Guard already passed judgement on those two, and probably reduced them to nothing bust ash.” She grunted, annoyed by the stallion’s actions.

Luna’s eyes went wide. “That is what caused such massive magical buildup? It was High General Sun Guard’s doing?” When Celestia nodded, the Moon Princess placed a hoof over her muzzle. “Such power…”

“Yes, and that knuckle head often forgets to hold back… Which leaves me with trying to figure out a story to cover it all up.” Celestial just knew she’ll find some way to get back at him, and soon.

-Training Arena, Hours Later-

Both Nighting Gale and Sun Guard were breathing heavily, standing behind a large stone wall, which had a massive X split into it. The mare looked back at the damage they had both done, and smirked through the heavy breathing. “L-Looks like… We g-got that move down, p-partner.” She said, lowering her lance, between breaths.

Sun Guard lowered his training spear, and turned around to also inspect the damage they had inflicted on the stone wall. When he noticed that both devastating cuts, which formed the X, had the exact same amount of power put into them… He gave a nod, in agreement.

Nighting Gale removed her helmet, shaking the sweat from her mane, and allowed the icy blue hair to drape over the mare’s left eye. “I think the two of us earned a nice, hot, bath; right?” She asked, with a fanged grin, looking at the destroyed training room. “Plus, I don’t think our training room can take much more… And my fur is starting to stick to the armor.” She shook her body a bit, allowing the stallion to see the mare wasn’t making that up.

Her partner looked around, silently, and moved a bit to noticed his armor was actually sticking to him too. He gave a nod, feeling that the two of them deserved a break, and tend to their personal hygiene. Plus, where he bathes, it will take some time getting to.

With a nod, Nighting Gale headed out first. “I am going to meet up with Luna after my bath, there are a few things I need to speak to her about.” She noted, using her wing to wave goodbye. “See you sometime after!”

Sun Guard summoned a quill and parchment, writing what he was about to go do, in Istallion, as Celestia called it. Once done, he sent it to notify the Sun Princess of what his actions for the next couple of hours were, along with where to find him if needed.

-Throne Room-

Princess Celestia was a bit startled, when a note appeared in a flash of gold light. She quickly took it within her own magical hold, and quickly read what was written. “Huh… So, Sun Guard will be out, in attempts to ‘purify’ his body. Guess that means he plans to bathe in a private location-… Yep, right there at the bottom of his note, explaining where to find him if needed.” She thought, before a sudden realization hit her.

This one dreaded fact hit the alicorn mare, like a bag of bricks. In the thousand years that he has been in her service, the Sun Princess has never seen Sun Guard without his armor on. She doesn’t know what the color of his coat, mane, or eyes; are… Only the gold and red he always wore.

A trollish grin slowly appeared on her muzzle. Celestia knowing exactly how to get Sun Guard back for the headaches he’s given her. When a camera appeared, her mind sang. “Iiiiideeeeeaaaa!” Like a certain fashionista she knew.

-Castle Hallway, Thirty Minutes Later-

Nighting Gale felt refreshed, after taking a hot bath and getting all that sweat off of her. Though, she wasn’t wearing her armor because Luna asked if they could talk casually… ‘Like two friends’, as she put it. The bat pony didn’t mind, though it did feel a bit awkward. Luna, after all, was still her princess.

“So, the idea I had, my lady?” She said, smiling at the alicorn.

Luna thought for a moment, as they walked down the hall. “About the inter-branch training for the Lunar and Celestial Guard?” She asked.

“Yes. I figured it would help morale and build up more comradery between the two branches.” Nighting Gale affirmed, and explained. “I am sure Sun Guard and Princess Celestia-?”

The bat pony had to stop herself, as both mares noticed said Sun Princess tip-hoofing past them, not even noticing the two of them. What confused them the most, was that she was wearing forest camouflage and had a camera around her neck.

“U-Uh…” Nighting Gale stuttered, caught off guard by the display, and looked up at Luna. “We’re following her, aren’t we?” The Moon Princess simply nodded.