The first rule, and the most important, was to always keep a clear mind. We were taught this before all else. Always keep a clear mind and your opponent will never break your defense. This of course applied both on and off the battlefield, but I was always bad at following the rules. Deviant, they always called me, a good for nothing foal not even fit to work the fields. I resented them for that. Only the most elite ponies were ever allowed a place in the town guard. The day that the elder handed me my blade, I held it high before those that had doubted me. I called out triumphtly, having proven each and every one of them wrong. And what did they do? They clapped for me. I never could understand other ponies...
"Levar, where the hay were you?" Flint-hoof called out as I slowly trotted through the village gate. "The captain has been trying to get a hold of you for almost two hours!"
"I realize that." I curtly reply as I brush past Flint-hoof. "I'll go over there now. I'm done anyways."
"Done with what?" Flint-hoof asked, though he should have already known my response.
"Training." I answer him anyways, with a roll of my eyes. "Both the body and mind must remain in balance for a warrior's strength to come out fully."
"I highly doubt they would have included those old stories you're always reading as part of that training." A stern voice announces from up ahead. A dark blue pegasus mare steps out of the shadows and nonchalantly flips her black mane. Her bright yellow eyes pierce right through me. "And besides, you had an assignment today Levar."
"Sir!" Flint-hoof and I say in unison, though he's the only one that salutes her.
"It's okay Flint-hoof, I will take it from here. Go and see to the southern fence."
"Sir!" Flint-hoof announces, then with a quick yet practiced turn takes off straight for the southern fence. I watch him go, purposely keeping my gaze from Azuria for as long as possible. Finally as Flint-hoof disappears from sight I am forced to turn and look up at her. Azuria is simply standing there, calmly staring at me. For some reason it feels as if she's staring right down into my soul. I gulp, intimidated.
"So Levar, anything to report?" She asks sweetly, though with an edge that could cut through steel.
"The ruins are still, well, ruined. Still no signs of any dragons moving in, and there haven't been any monsters around there since that cockatrice we scared off three days ago." I answer her, trying to keep a level line of sight with her the whole time. If not for the fact that I had known her since she was a filly I would not be as scared of her, but I had first hand experience with her. I knew that just beneath the sweet yet tough exterior was a raging beast that could level the whole town had she the mind to.
"That's good. Just remember to check the ruins again before nightfall. Nopony should be out tonight, with the winter solstice so close." Azuria warns me, a touch of concern in her voice.
"I know, this is time we have to watch for the Dark Dragon's return. Do not worry Captain, I will grab an off-duty guard and make a quick trip back there." I assure Azuria.
"No you won't." Azuria quickly responds with a sigh, "That's why I already have Lancelot waiting for you at the village gate."
"You can't be serious!" I protest, sneering in disgust. "Of all the ponies in this village you have to pick the ab-so-LUTE worst-?!"
"Lancelot is your superior and you will show him the respect he has earned." Azuria cuts me off, "Now get going while the sun is still high."
As I glumly walk out the gate I look to my left to see a light brown stallion waiting for me, his hoof resting on a spear twice his size and a grin on his face. He brushes his short blonde mane back with a hoof and continues grinning. I just sigh and start slowly trotting down the path to the ruins. He gives a huff and, after throwing his spear across his back, follows after me. We walk in silence most of the way, with him occasionally humming an old nursery rhyme. He, of course, is the first to break the silence.
"So, Levar, what IS your problem with me anyways?" he asks from behind.
"Why would you think I have a problem with you Lancey?" I ask, my voice dripping with sarcasm. Lancelot sighs and shakes his head a few times.
"Seriously Levar, I have done nothing-" Lancelot starts but stops as I quickly turn and glare at him.
"Nothing?" I ask, trying as hard as I can to keep from screaming. "Your family has done NOTHING to mine? The land they stole from us, the lies they spread about us, the way they turn their noses up at us as if we weren't even FIT to share the same AIR?!" I can feel myself shaking with rage. "THE WAY THEY DROVE MY MOTHER TO AN EARLY GRAVE JUST TRYING TO PROVIDE FOR MY BROTHER AND I?!" At this point I am now screaming as the rage I had been trying to keep down for years finally bursts through.
"Levar, I..." Lancelot stammers, taken aback. "I never-"
"Of course you never knew anything!" I shout back. "Your life was pampered and your every need cared for! You never knew so much as an hour without food! My brother and I would beg for scraps of bread from the baker while you feasted on lavish dinners every night!"
"Levar." Lancelot tried again, but I refused to listen to him.
"You could care less about what happened to us. You pretended to be my friend, only to look away every time the aweful truth would start to become apparent. You had everything and I had nothing, and you could care less. Hay, I bet you didn't even think I would make it this far..." I trail off, tears in my eyes. I feel a gentle hoof on my shoulder, and look up to see Lancelot is crying as well. "Lance..."
"Levar, I admit I was a bad friend to you. I never knew the hardships you had to go through, and I'm sorry that I wasn't there to help you through all that. But there's one thing I want you to know. I was the one to recommend you to the guard. It took five years but I fought to get you in. You are a strong pony, stronger than I had ever even known, and you deserved to be here more than me."
"Lance..." I fight back the tears, "I'm so sorry."
"Don't apologize, I should have come to you sooner about this." Lancelot smiles, and all I can do is smile back. We continue on and scout the ruins, though just like every other day there is not a single blade of grass out of place.
However, this feeling, of letting a decade long hatred go, was amazing. This was just a step on my path to redemption, learning to let go of the bad things in my life so that I could enjoy the good. It was a path that I still follow and try to help others to as well. My only regret is that it had taken this long to happen.
Things are calm in the village, as always. Ponies mill around the marketplace, buying food and decorations for the upcoming winter solstice festival. I walk down the market aisles, eyeing all the delicious baked treats and colorful statuettes that are strewn about. My brother follows close at my side, keeping his head down and trying to avoid bumping into the other ponies trotting back and forth. He's always been the more shy of us by far, and it's just been getting worse. I practically had to drag him out of the house just to get him to help me pick up some things Azuria and Lancelot needed for the guardsmen party.
"Ethos, make sure to keep an eye out for those honey sticks that Azuria loves so much. I swear if we don't bring any back she'll have our heads." I let out a chuckle, hoping that I can at least get him focused on something other than trying to disappear. Ethos just quickly glances up at me and gives a short nod, causing the bangs to actually uncover his eyes for a second. Then he's right back to staring intently at the ground and staying as close as possible without actually hanging off of me. I just sigh and go back to checking the stalls, praying that somepony still has some of those honey sticks left. I was only half joking about what I said.
We've almost scouted out all the stalls and I've picked up all the supplies that they wanted me to get but still can't find those elusive honey sticks. I turn to ask Ethos if he's spotted any honey so that we could at least try making some at home only to realize he's not at the usual place by my side. Panic starts to set in. Even though we're just at the marketplace I still don't like not knowing where my brother is. We've both had it hard, but while I know I can take the ridicule my brother is much more sensitive. Back when we were both colts I would beat up many a bully that would pick on him for being so quiet and withdrawn. I quickly race back the way we had come, calling out his name.
"Levar..." A barely audible whisper comes from my right as I'm running down the aisles. My brother is huddled up by the corner of a stand, a small brown bag at his hooves.
"Ethos, what are you doing?" I ask him, relieved to find him safe.
"I found them..." He mutters, "I tried to say something but you wouldn't stop..."
"Sorry bro, good job though. Azuria will surely let us live another day!" I laugh and gently rub his head. "Let's get this stuff to the guardhouse. I'm not one for crowds." I move over to give my brother room to get out of where he was hiding. His horn shines as he lifts the bag and drops it in my saddlebag, then comes out and walks in stride with me as we work our way to the guardhouse. Luckily the crowds have already died down a bit as many of the stands close for the night.
Back at the guardhouse Azuria is waiting outside, her trademark stern gaze fixed on me. As we come up to the entrance she notices my brother and her expression instantly softens. She bends down so she can look Ethos in the face and gives him a grin. Ethos looks up for the first time all night and smiles back. I don't know how or why, but they are totally different people around each other. I slip past Azuria and into the building as Ethos and she start talking about what has been going on since they last saw each other. Lancelot is inside with helping some mares set up decorations for the party. I drop my saddlebags off on the nearest table and approach him.
"Hey Lancelot, how are things coming?"
"Oh Levar, it's a good thing you're here. Did you find more streamers and a MD statue?" He asks while running past me to ruffle through my saddlebags. "You did!" He answers himself and pulls out the supplies. "Here, put the statue over by the window and I'll get these up." Lancelot hands me the Midnight Dragon statue I picked up and head back into the main room. I follow and set the statue before the large bay windows, facing out into the street.
"So did you get the wine?" Azuria asks from directly behind me, causing me to nearly jump into the statue. "Whoah there," Azuria places a hoof on my back to steady me, "you should have heard me coming, though, if you kept up your training." She lectures.
"I doubt even Blademaster Nightmare could hear you sneaking up on somepony!" Lancelot calls out. "If I didn't know better I'd say you're one of those teleporting unicorns!"
"Very funny." Azuria scoffs.
"Hey Levar." My brother steps out from behind Azuria, a honey stick hanging from his mouth. Azuria glances at me and just smiles, then walks over to some of the ponies putting up decorations shouting orders.
"So when is the party starting?" Ethos asks me, slowly shuffling towards the wall now that Azuria wasn't nearby.
"Soon as all the guardsmen are here or sundown, whichever comes first." I reply, scoping out the crowd to see who all still hadn't shown up yet. Blademaster Nightmare was here already of course, she was always the first on a scene. Arrowmaster Edwin True-shot and Spearmaster Gwenlyn Pierced-Heart were also here, which was rare as they were both rather absent-minded. I also spotted Flint-hoof, who gave me a quick wave, and a few of the other lower guardsmen. In fact it seemed like everyone other than Macemaster Reed was there. "In fact it looks like we just need to wait for old man Reed to show up."
"Levar!" Lancelot calls me over, "You and your bro can start setting out the food, we should be starting soon."
"Gotcha." I reply and return to Ethos. "Bro, let's get the food set out." We go about setting out the snacks and drinks for the festival, with Edwin coming over and helping as well after finishing his conversation with the other masters. We finish setting everything up just as the sun starts to set.
"Looks like Reed isn't showing up, so I guess we'll have to start without him." Blademaster Nightmare announces. A few of the guards cheer, hungrily leering at the treats spread out before them. Finally the sun sets and the only light comes from the flickering candles set up along the table. All the guards start digging into the food and talking among themselves as platters and pitchers are passed around the table. Soon as everybody has their meals set up, though, the chatter stops. We all look up at the head of the table where Blademaster Nightmare sits before the statuette of the Midnight Dragon, the candles dancing over her pure black body and dark red eyes.
"As the senior most member of the guards, it is my duty to recite the tale." Nightmare announces, her booming voice reaching the back of the room where my brother and I sat. "The tale of the Midnight Dragon."
It was many thousands of years ago, when Equestria was young. A dragon came into being, his scales so dark they would absorb the very light around him. He called himself the Midnight Dragon and took it upon himself the help the souls of those who had died find peace, and as such was considered an ally by both Celestia and Luna. For many years he worked to make sure that all those that had died would find peace. Even as Luna betrayed Celestia the Midnight Dragon remained loyal to his cause. But then, without warning, the Midnight Dragon rose against Celestia.
He raised a mighty army of the dead, forcing the bodies of those he had once served to serve him. He swept through Equestria like a terrible plague, his army growing stronger while his opponents only grew weaker. There was nothing that could be done to stop him, as even Celestia's powers and the elements of harmony had no effect on him. All hope seemed lost.
But then came the winter solstice, and with it a weakening of the dragon's powers. Celestia saw this and took the opportunity to once again use the elements of harmony against him. This time they were effective, and the Midnight Dragon was slain. Without the dragon's powers his army crumbled. Celestia then took the dragon's body and buried it deep within the Everfree Forest, knowing that one with such power of death itself would likely never be stopped by it. She left the bravest and best fighters among her personal guard there to start a village and watch over the ruins, so as to make sure that Equestria would never again fall under the dragon's shadow.
"And that village is our village. We are the champions that Celestia entrusted to guard against the Midnight Dragon's return. So every year we guard the ruins, until the Winter Solstice comes and we know that we are safe another year. With that story told, let us eat!" Nightmare finishes the story and thrusts her hoof into the air. Everypony starts on their food, some more vigorously than others. I'm of the latter, having barely eaten anything all day and being forced to run errands for the party. We're still in the middle of eating when the front doors fly open, banging loudly into the walls. A wizened green unicorn is standing in the threshold, panting heavily.
"Ah, Macemaster, it's good to see you've finally joined us." Nightmare calls out to him. "We were just-"
"Dragon!" Macemaster Reed shouts out between deep pants, a look of pure terror on his face. "Ruins!" A heavy air fills the room, killing all the side chatter. Nightmare gets up and walks over to Reed.
"Calm down Macemaster, what is wrong?" Nightmare asks, handing Reed a glass of water. He gulps it down and he finally catches his breath.
"I just came from the ruins. The seals have been broken and the Midnight Dragon's body is gone! I fear-" He's cut off as a piercing shriek rattles through the building. Some of the guards scream and drop down, hiding under the table. I run to the window to see if I can spot anything. All I see are the stars and a few ponies leaving their homes to investigate the sound. Suddenly a shadow glides over the moon and I turn to warn everyone. There's no time, as just as I do the window explodes in a cascade of twinkling glass. I instinctively drop to the ground as they shower over me. Another shriek pierces the night and suddenly the building's walls explode in a burst of blue flames. A support beam is blasted loose and smacks right into me, knocking the air out of my lungs and blurring my vision.
"Ethos!" I try to scream, though I'm not sure if I even made a sound. I feel something tearing into me every time I breath, probably a cracked rib. Unable to stand I start dragging my body towards the banquet table. All I can hope is that my brother had the good fortune to make it to the relative safety of the table as well. "Ethos!" I try calling out again, this time tasting the blood spattering from my throat. There's a loud crack from the ceiling and then the world becomes silent darkness.
