“Ex historius damnatur qui non referre, Caelastia.”
- attributed to a ‘Captain Dragen’. No Royal Guard Captain with that name recorded.

In Silver Clad
Harbinger

Many, many years ago, Before the tyranny of Sombra, the chaotic rule of Discord, the rebellion of Nightmare Moon and the thousand year reign of Celestia, a great evil was fought across Equestria.

A group of evil stallions, led by a great demon rampaged across the lands, venturing forth from the artic north of Equestria. The group of strange stallions corrupted many Equestrians and others to their cause, and leaving many more casualties in their evil wake. Despite the valiant actions by the High King and the Royal Guard, including the heroic, selfless sacrifice made by Queen Theia, many ponies fell before the corrupted ponies that had given their loyalty to the demon.

At the moment all seemed lost during a battle in the rolling lowlands, something intervened to aid the Equestrians.
No one knew who or what had entered the fray, but at the battles end, the corrupted unicorn leading those that fought against their king for the demon, was found with a strange tattered seal stuck to its body, the words ‘Mortem tuam est redempos.’ written upon it.

High-King Hyperion walked amongst the survivors of the battle, both friend and foe, searching for anyone to give the identity of whomever had saved them. His answer came from the standard bearer of the guard, who spoke of their ‘Silver Saviours.”

Possessing a power unlike any other, a group of giant armoured stallions redeemed those corrupted, lifting the veil of lies the demon had pulled over their eyes, but the ponies that stood their ground at demons side, and those possessed and horribly mutated, were put to the fearsome blades of the knights weaponry in punishment for turning their backs on those that had protected them, no exceptions were made.

When asked of the groups whereabouts, Hyperion received no answer to help him. It was as if the knights had vanished into the mists from whence they came.

More reports and sightings happened soon after, all ending the same way. The attacking force was decimated, but the knights nowhere to be found.

In the end of the dark times, while hardly seen through out most of the battles, the demon itself and its cohorts attacked a small, remote mountain side community known as Canterlot. During the battle, the son and two daughters of Hyperion, who had been sent to the mountain town for safety, where confronted by the demon. Untempted by the demon’s words, the siblings attempted to stand there ground against the monster. The demon was driven off by the Royal Guard, but not before two seeds of greed and bitterness were planted in the hearts of the Prince and youngest Princess.

In the battles final moments as an act of desperation, the foul demon tried to harm the two young princesses. Once more, the brave group of knights entered the fray. This time revealing themselves to all. Eight knights, their eyes blazing with white light and with each wearing a spiked halo of light about their heads, decimated those besieging Canterlot. The Captain of the knights saved the young fillies, but was struck low by the cowardly demon, until the High King leapt into the battle to protect the stallion that had saved his daughters.

Sadly, the King was unable to match the dark power of the demon and was mortally wounded.

His sacrifice however, was enough for the Knights to gather their strength and as one, unleashed a mighty blast of psychic power, striking the demon from the top of Canterlot. Just as before at the battles end, the knights mysteriously vanished, leaving only the ’Legend of the Silver Stallions’ in their mysterious wake.

The demon, seemingly abandoned by its cohorts was found barely alive at the lowest level of Canterlot.

Hyperion, the last High King of Equestria, used his magic to send the demon into a great sleep, frozen in time unless the counter-spell was cast and its name was spoken aloud to waken it. While speaking the name aloud would not have any effect, to enforce the order and in an attempt to wipe those dark moments from Equestrian history, the name of the demon was stricken from any record before the spell was cast. Soon after this final order to the kingdom, King Hyperion succumbed to his wounds. The Kingdom was divided in two, the brother being eldest, established his kingdom in the artic north to guard Equestria against any more attackers from beyond the northern border, while the sisters made their home in the Everfree Forest Castle.
As time passed, the time of peril was forgotten and passed into legend, until Princess Celestia and Luna were the only ponies in the Equestria that could still say they bore witness to the true horrors of the dark time, and the only two that knew some legends are true.

The followers the demon had brought with it from their world, vanished into the land, fearing the wrath of the Equestrians. No one know what became of them.
As for the Knights, no trace was ever found where they went or made their camp. Stories began to fill the history of Equestria, strange stories of invading armies turning back in fear at the borders, attempted rebellions crushed at their source before any momentum could be gained. One well respected noble, who had sought to overthrow the Princesses and become the President of Equestria, came before the Princesses, begging to be thrown in the dungeons before ‘they’ found him. Even the Royal Guard ponies and Equestrian military gave reports of isolated groups being saved by a pair of armored stallions, wielding a powerful form of magic despite not being unicorns. One report even stated eight of the powerful stallions had fought together, decimating an army from the eastern land of Tiger-Lam.

All the stories had one thing linking them all; all the mysterious stallions wore silver armor.

===

Princess Celestia Solaris had never believed in monsters.

She always knew they were just made up in stories her father told her to cheer her and Luna up when they where upset. Something to make life and the boring days of royal duty in the castle a bit more interesting.

Their father always ended his stories with a warning to check under their beds for the monsters and the legions that served them. Then Celestia would giggle as her mother scolded her father in a worry that the sisters might get nightmares.

Sombra, her older brother, acted brave and stated that such stories didn’t scare him. Nothing would scare the Prince of the Realm. Everytime, Celestia could see the twitch in the corner of his mouth and the subtle shudder he gave, and she had even caught him peeking under his bed more than once. Celestia knew monsters didn’t live under her bed, it was far too small for one.

Luna however, was still young and often believed her fathers stories. Celestia often found her little sister coming to her room in the night to check her room for monsters, then the little midnight princess had asked her ‘big brave sister‘ to check her own room. Celestia always did, and always teased Luna about the Princess of the Night being afraid of the dark. Sometimes however, Luna looked so scared that Celestia would let her sleep in her own bed.

No, Princess Celestia did not believe in monsters.

Until now.

As the rain hit her face, soaking her pink mane and sticking it to her neck, she knew monsters were real.

The demon had entered the small mountain town of Canterlot with the intent to capture the Prince and Princesses to use them as leverage against Hyperion, and claim the throne for itself. It seemed to be acting out of desperation, as if something was driving it to accomplish its goal quickly. It was as if the demon was scared of something.

She could feel the tears running down her face as she looked upon her father, the High-King Hyperion, looking helpless. It was a strange and almost unbelievable thing to see, her father looking scared and at a complete loss for a solution. It almost fooled Celestia into thinking that this was a nightmare. Nothing scared her father, nothing. Celestia noticed Sombra was missing, and a dread began to creep into her heart.

Luna was in a similar state with her sobs more audible.

“It’s going to be alright Luna, we’ll be ok…” said Celestia, reaching over to place a hoof on her sister’s shoulder in comfort.

“Father!!” called Luna.

“Let them go demon! You battle isn’t with them!” called the King.

The demon chuckled, the rumbling sounds of multiple voices echoing back on each other made Celestia sick to her stomach.

“You knew they would be part of this from the beginning.”

Behind the Equestrian, Celestia could here other languages, strange, dark ones she had never heard.

“Release them demon! You have already taken my Theia! Don‘t take my daughters as well!”

Celestia choked back a sob as Hyperion spoke the name of his wife, and Celestia and Luna’s mother.

With a mighty beat of its black leathery wings, the demon took to the air, and over the edge of the balcony. Celestia felt her stomach lurch as they moved, then heard herself scream as the next piece of solid ground plummeted thousands of feet below her. Dizziness overcame her senses as she found herself watching the raindrops plummet towards the dark spires and rooftops, the weather vanes reaching out like clawed hands, ready to take her into their iron embrace.

“NO!” shouted Hyperion, his guard jumping in front of him.

“You should be careful in your choice of words King.” rumbled the demon.

“What do you want?! Anything! Just don’t hurt my daughters!” shouted Hyperion.

The demon laughed louder.

“Ignorant fools. So blinded by love and du-”

“NARBERIOS!!”

The demon froze, as a mechanical roar cut through the sound of the rain and fighting in the city below.

“Impossible.”

Everyone on the balcony turned to the tower doorway.

Standing taller and broader than any pony in Equestria, stood the Silver knights that had been spoken of. Wherever they hailed from, the armour was most certainly not forged in Equestria.

Hyperion and the guard took a step backwards.

“Its true…” Hyperion whispered, “The knights exist…”

The shining armour of the knights were stained with red streaks, running into the scratches and claws marks. The same red liquid dripping from the blade of the weapons they somehow held with right hooves.

Sombra stood before them, having risked his life in the battle below to find and lead the Knights to the highest residence to save his sisters. Sombra was taking heavy breaths, his armour and body in a similar state to the Knights.

“This is the end monster!” he called, “Release my sisters and fight like a true warrior!”

When the first battle had been fought, Celestia and Luna had been ordered by their father to remain in Everfree Castle so they would not see what the horrors of battle looked like. Now, during the battle for Canterlot, Celestia and Luna had been given first-hoof look at what war was, and what it did. Looking at the knights, Celestia could tell they had been bred for warfare of the most foul kind, no other pony wore armour such as they did, armour that completely encased the stallion within. The only part that told her that they weren’t some kind of automaton were their grey tails.

The stallion that led the knights walked on to the rain soaked balcony, dwarfing Sombra.

“Non dissipabit illud in sermonibus tuis, Princeps Sombra.”

The water began to wash the blood from his armour, the crimson stained the rainwater on the roof, stretching out and fading away like the orange glow of the sun at night as it fell from the balcony with the many miniature waterfalls. The tingling sound of the rain as it bounced off his armour was soon replaced by a quiet sizzle as his blue eyes gave a dull pulse.

As the armour gleamed with a blue sheen, the blade atop the fearsome halberd he carried suddenly crackled with energy, lightening dancing across its killing edge.

With what seemed like an unspoken command, the rest of the Knights armour and weapons bore the same look simultaneously. Celestia noted every Unicorn or Alicorn winced as if in pain, some holding their heads. Celestia herself felt a dull ache at the back of her head.

Celestia looked down briefly as she heard the demon grunt, and she could smell something burning. Celestia could see the demons dark red flesh beginning to char. Whatever the knights were doing, it seemed to affect the demon a lot more than the Alicorns and Unicorns.What kind of power did the knights posses? They were neither unicorn nor alicorn, yet wielded what Celestia thought was magic unlike anypony else.

“Dicam vobis tantum semel Narberios... dimittere eos.”

The voice of the Knights leader cut over the sound of the rain and battle below, and although she couldn’t understand them, Celestia heard each strange word laden with a hint of the power he commanded. The Knight’s voice was deep, overpowering, commanding and noble all at the same time. It sounded dangerous.

Celestia felt the rumbling chuckle in the demons chest.

“Just as I told the King, Dragen. A poor choice of words.”

The Knight, Dragen, lowered his head slightly.

"Ego elegit diligenter verba mea. Dimittere eos."

Celestia saw a spiked halo of light shimmer into existence behind the Knights head, the glowing blue eyes suddenly blazed white.

"On your head be it, Captain. Strange, is it not? How history repeats itself?"

The demon flew backwards, further from the balcony, and Celestia felt its grip slacken.

“Invictus!” called the Captain.

“Nas sumus malleus!” answered the Knights.

The next thing she saw was in slow motion, her father screaming in denial, her brother breaking free of the guards hold, the knights advancing…and the edge of the balcony as she felt the wind in her mane rush past as her wings wouldn’t move. As she and Luna fell towards the ground, Celestia did the only thing her body would let her do, she screamed.

--

“AHHH!”

Princess Celestia awoke with a jolt with her hooves flailing at the air, spreading her massive wings to their fullest span to stop herself falling, which resulted in her tiara and necklace being knocked off her bedside table. The clatter as the jewel encrusted gold snapped Celestia back to her senses. Cold sweat ran down her back, and she fought to catch her breath. She looked around the room rapidly to re-assure herself that she was in the Royal Castle of Canterlot, behind her castles walls. She wasn’t falling from the highest tower, she was in her chambers, safe in her bed.

Celestia’s usual ethereal mane was tussled and messy, and she found herself tidying it into its usual flowing shape with her magic out of habit before she stopped herself.

The room was dimly lit from the glow of the embers in the fireplace place and Luna‘s moon. The sounds of the wood remnants crackling with a red and orange pulse were the only sounds apart from Celestia’s heavy breathing. She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head to stop the dizzy remnants of vertigo coursing through her feelings. Celestia grit her teeth, finally forcing her breath to its usual calm pace.

A light breeze drifted through the window that felt colder against her damp coat from the sweat. Celestia shook her head again, trying to banish the hazy memory to the deepest, darkest part of her mind where it belonged.

Celestia rubbed her head with her leg, over a thousand years later, and the memory of the demon still haunted her. Celestia lay her head back on her pillow, taking a deep breath and swallowing slowly.

“Three…two…one…”

Celestia’s bodyguards burst through the doors. Never more than fifty steps away from her, Celestia had personally chosen the six ponies from the ranks of the Guard if they had shown great bravery or commendable skill. They fanned out, the three unicorns horns glowing, two earth ponies looking around the room, and the Captain hovering above them on his wings. Celestia sighed quietly, she had hoped that no one had heard her and she could get back to sleep.

“Princess Solaris! What is it?!” he called out.

Princess Celestia Aurora Solaris.

Celestia disliked the Royal Guard calling her by her family name, she wished she could remove it and just be known only as ‘Celestia’ officially, so she could be on more level ground with her subjects.

“It’s Celestia, Captain Steel. Just a silly little bad dream. Everything is fine, really.” she said, lifting her head.

“It didn’t sound that way.” said Steel as he landed.

Celestia smiled slightly at the straight-to-the-point attitude of her Captain.

Steel-Shield was acting as overall Captain of the Guard now that Shining Armour was Prince Regent of the Crystal Kingdom with Cadence. Shining and Steel had gone through the academy together, and Celestia was convinced the two life long friends would work something out for who was going to take the role of Captain of the Guard permanently.

“Please Captain Steel, don’t make me have Shining Armour remind you of how to address me…again.” she said softly.

“…Your highness.“ said Steel as he smiled smugly, “Sorry Princess, it’s a bit hard to shake the back alleys of Manehatten sometimes.” he grunted, rolling his shoulders.

His attitude was the reason Celestia liked Steel. Unlike most of the ponies in the court, even Canterlot to an extent, who would agree with everything Celestia said, Steel would speak his mind.

Celestia smiled, “I understand Captain.”

A flash lit up the room, and Princess Luna appeared.

“EEP! Oh no, no, no!”

Luna never had perfected the teleportation magic while moving like Twilight had managed, and the midnight Princess skidded and tumbled along the floor, and finally into a table. Celestia had to stifle a giggle, it was quite comical to watch.

“Sister! I heard your cry! What is it? Is it Discord again!? Changelings?!” cried Luna looked rapidly around the room as she stood.

“No, Luna…” said Celestia.

“Oh! I’m sorry sister!” cried Luna, as she saw the table she had crashed into. Her horn glowed blue as she used her magic to right the table and the things placed on it.

“Luna, its fine, don’t worry about that.” sighed Celestia. She was worried Luna wanted to prove herself to her, even now. Though Celestia had told her she didn’t have to.

“Captain Steel, you are dismissed. I’m sure I’ll be fine with Luna protecting me.”

“As you command Princess.” said Steel as he saluted, then turned and led the guard out of the room, closing the doors behind him.

“I did it!” said Luna happily. The table and its contents were back in the arrangement they had been before Luna had crashed into it.

Luna turned to Celestia.

Her older sister was looking down, her eyes closed and taking deep breaths.

“Your not fine, are you Tia?”

Celestia looked up.

“…no.” she said weakly.

Luna walked over and knelt on the bed next to Celestia.

“You had that dream again, about the Demon.” she said, blinking slowly.

“Yes. It just…gets to me. The voices, they remind me of father.” said Celestia, “Where were you Luna? I thought you were supposed to save us from our…nightmares.”

Luna blinked and sighed sadly.

“I know, sister…but I cannot enter that dream…I fear nothing, but that memory…it scares me. Do you still wake up at the same moment?” asked Luna.

“Yes, just as he lets us go and the knight’s eyes turned white. Every time.”

Luna arched her eyebrows and sat down, then rested her head against Celestia‘s shoulder. She was young when the demon attacked, but she could still remember every vivid detail.

The demon’s arm holding herself and Celestia in front of it, knowing that their father wouldn’t dare attack with his daughters used as a shield. The mocking tone of its distorted voice, and the way its skin crawled as she squirmed in an attempt to get out of its grasp. She remembered the fear in her fathers eyes, and the hopeless feeling emanating from the Royal Guard. Luna remembered the rain hitting her face, falling all over mountain village.

Then she remembered the knights. Their eyes turning white, and the halo of light that appeared behind their heads, and she remembered the falling. She couldn’t remember anything after that, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to.

“That’s when I wake up too.” she said quietly. Celestia rested her head against her sisters, closing her eyes.

Luna had an idea, Celestia always liked walking through the royal gardens. Luna was about a stroll, when a scroll appeared in burst of flame.

“EEK!” Luna jumped and fell off the bed, causing Celestia to laugh.

“Relax Luna, its only a letter from Twilight.”

Luna pulled herself up, looking annoyed.

“Does that mare ever sleep?” she grumbled. Celestia smiled as she used her magic to unroll the letter.

“Oh, you know Twilight, once she gets…an idea…in…her…head…Oh...this isn't from Twilight...”

Luna frowned as Celestia trailed off, her voice becoming quieter and more fearful.

“Tia?” she asked, pulling herself higher.

“Oh…Oh no. No!” cried Celestia.

Luna leapt to her sisters side, realising that her sister had become how she was before she had teleported into her bedroom.

“What is it sister? What’s wrong?” asked Luna, holding her sister shoulders, she could feel Celestia shaking.

Celestia’s eyes had grown wide and her breathing had become rapid and heavy again.

“This is impossible!” said Celestia, jumping from the bed, “How? Its not possible! It‘s here! I‘ve kept it locked up here!”

“Tia?” asked Luna, “Kept what here?”

Celestia’s horn began to glow, and Luna felt her fur begin to stand on end.

“Oh no you don’t!” cried Luna, diving forwards.

“Your not teleporting an-!”

*CRACK!*

“-d leaving me…here…” said Luna, here words trailing off and growing quieter as she looked around.

They had landed in a dark room that looked like the archives, but the shelves here towered above the height of the book shelves Luna had walked between. All around her was darkness occasionally lit up by candles, it enveloped her like a shroud of cold air on a winter morning. She could see a tint of dark blue around the shadows, cobwebs hung in corners. Luna wasn’t scared of the darkness, she was it’s princess after all, but in this place, she felt uneasy. A musty smell filled her nostrils, and she could taste the dust on her tongue. When she inhaled, she found the air thick and old. Luna felt as if something was watching her. Somewhere in these towering shelves, something was alive.

“Luna!” said Celestia.

Luna jumped as Celestia spoke.

“Sorry Tia, but I’m not letting you out of my sight in such a state!”

“I...! Well…alright.” said Celestia.

“Where are we?” asked Luna, as she looked around the dark room.

“The old archives, below the castle.” said Celestia, “Now, I must insist you stay here while I speak to the Book-keeper.”

“Someone…lives down here?” asked Luna fearfully.

Celestia nodded, “Yes, please wait here for me.” she said, then walked down one of the aisles, leaving Luna alone.

Luna glanced around the chamber. The ceiling towered above her, higher than the ball room in the castle, or maybe the darkness was playing tricks on her perception. The books looked centuries old, but new at the same time, as if something was cleaning them regularly.

Luna shook her head to clear her mind of her fears.

She was the Princess of the Night! No longer a scared little filly, she was the Angel of Darkness, the Nightbringer! Luna stamped her right hoof as if to make a point to invisible ponies, if she was expecting an ovation, all she was answered with was the unnatural silence.

Luna realised how had taken the smallest noise for granted. Even in her chambers, it was never completely silent. Her chambers always sounded with the noise of her paint brush sliding across the canvas, the scratching of her quill as she studied her night sky and made notes on what looked right or out of place, or the crackle of the embers of her fireplace.

Down in this place however, there was nothing, no crackle of embers, no scrape of a brush nor shuffling of paper or creak of her telescope, only the faint voice of her sister somewhere in the background. It wasn’t natural, it un-nerved her, and she began counting her own heartbeat as it rang in her ears.

Luna could hear Celestia talking, but no pony replying or asking her the questions she seemed to be asking or answering.

Her sisters voice was growing more and more distressed, and Luna gave into her sisterly concern and began to take small careful steps down the aisle Celestia had taken.

Luna stopped when she heard a screech of steel hinges, then a dull metal echo as something heavy struck something solid.

“NO!”

Luna froze as Celestia scream then began running.

“Stay away from my sister!” she shouted as she rounded the corner.

Luna stopped when she saw Celestia standing alone before what appeared to be a strong box of the highest quality.

Luna looked around for whom Celestia was talking to, but saw nothing. Luna glanced to the floor, and with unsurprising feeling in her sub-conscience, she saw that no hoof prints had disturbed the dust on the floor.

“Sister, what is it?” asked Luna, turning her head back to her sister

“It true…It’s gone…” whispered Celestia.

Luna looked up at the strong box, and indeed it was empty. Before Luna could ask, her vision turned to light and she found herself standing in Celestia’s bed chamber once again.

“Summon the guard quickly!” cried Celestia, as a scroll and quill levitated towards her.

Luna turned her head, "Samar!"

Luna frowned hard and closed her eyes tightly to try and get rid of the glare from the light of the teleport. One of Luna's night-guard seemingly melted out of the shadows, and bowed his head towards the princesses. His yellow eyes gave off a faint glow in the darkness, and Luna felt a small form of comfort knowing her loyal guards where only a call away.

"My Princess," he spoke to Luna, "What do you require of me?"

"Prepare the guard," Luna turned back to look at her panicking sister, who war repeating 'It's gone' over and over.

“Tia! Whats gone missing?! What was in that box?!” shouted Luna.

Celestia turned to look at her with terrified eyes. Luna took a step back out of shock, she had never seen Celestia look so scared, even when Discord had escaped she had been more angry than frightened.

Celestia looked at her sister, still not believing what Twilight’s letter had said.

“The Liber Daemonica! It's gone!”

==

Author's Note

Super updated version! Now, what happened was...Season 3. Season 3 happened. After watching it I realized there was so much in season 3 that could be used within this, so I've decided to add those elements to it. As for what extent has yet to be seen.

And to make things more interesting, more Grey Knights and Chaos Space Marines appear in this version, hope you enjoy!