"Seize her! Only she knows where the Princess is!” Mayor Mare shouted, as she pointed at Nightmare Moon.
.
The Royal Guards took off immediately. They sped towards the one that took their Princess away, while the crowd of scared ponies panicked below.
“Stand back you foals!” Nightmare Moon announced, as she reared on her hind legs. The clouds flowing from her mane swirled and crackled, generating bolts of electricity.
Bits of lightning sparked, illuminating her face, which revealed eyes pure white with hatred and evil.
Time slowed down as the guards raced towards the dark entity in front of them. Lightning striked all around the guards as if it were rain. The lightning impacted the would-be heroes in their wings, as the force knocked them backwards and sent several of them crashing onto the stone floor below.
"I… failed," one of the guards muttered, hope now lost from his voice as he slammed against the cold, unforgiving tile.
Nightmare Moon, proud of her victory, looked down and begins to laugh uproariously. The onlookers, shocked by at her victory against the Royal Guards, began to descend into chaos. They fled from the dark alicorn in her moment of victory, but there was no where to run. The world was doomed. One guard tried to get back up; the room blackened around him. The screams of the ponies slowly went silent; the other ponies disappeared into the darkness now surrounding him. He quickly tried to find an escape from the black goo that enveloped the room, but the doors have disappeared behind the formless mass. The windows... the streamers... Soon the liquid ingests the entire room. He now stands in absolute darkness.
“Why… Why didn’t you rescue me?”
A disembodied voice screamed out from the darkness. Princess Celestia, bleeding from all sides, hobbled towards the lone guard. Her beautiful wings are now shredded, and feathers fell off with each painful step.
“Why… Why?” The Princess begged the guard, as she breathed heavily.
“I’M SORRY!” The guard pleaded. He rushed to try to help the Princess, but his efforts are useless. The faster he tried to fly to her, the farther away she became. She shook her head slowly as she disappeared into the darkness.
“Why… Why?” the voice resounded forever, echoing a chorus of failure.
Silver Lining woke up in a sweat. He breathed heavily as he quickly looked around the room. No, he was not in the Ponyville ballroom anymore. He was back in his house in Canterlot. It was not the Summer Sun Celebration; that was two weeks ago. Nightmare Moon was defeated and Princess Luna had returned to rule the night in Equestria...
But the nightmares wouldn’t stop.
“Damn,” he muttered, as he got up from the bed. Silver Lining looked in the mirror next to his bed. His eyes were bloodshot, his feathers were ruffled, and his mane soaked with sweat.
Every night, the same damn dream, but it feels so real… It’s like I’m reliving those events over and over again. That damn night, I wish she never chose me to guard her... Is this some kind of cruel punishment? What did I do wrong? There was nothing I could do, so why am I being tortured like this?
Silver wanted to scream out in frustration, but he knew it was pointless. The Royal Guard member lived alone and screaming in the middle of the night wouldn’t solve anything. Just because he couldn’t get a good night’s sleep anymore, doesn’t mean that his neighbors should have to suffer as well.
Maybe there was something I did wrong… Maybe I could’ve stopped Nightmare Moon and saved Princess Celestia. Did I really fail? The white pegasus mused as he began pacing in his room, circling from the bed to the rack where he kept his suit of armor and back again. What if… What if it IS my punishment? What if I am being punished because I DID fail to save her?
“Oh, Celestia, I am so sorry.”
He suddenly felt weak. His legs wobbled as he walked slowly before collapsing onto his bed. It was a sanctuary that used to let him escape the troubles of the day. Now it served as a reminder of the horrors of the night.
The words resonated in his head as stared at the ceiling. Why… Why…
He repeated in time to the clock on the wall. "Why... Why..."
“Why…”
“SILVER, HEY! YOU THERE? EQUESTRIA TO SILVER LINING, COME IN!”
“Huh?” Silver Lining blinked several times and turned towards the source of the voice. It was Skyward, a white Pegasus guard. The two of them were standing in one of the many ornate hallways of the Royal Castle. They were protecting one of the entrances to the castle.
“You say something?” Silver asked, confused.
“Yeah,” the other colt replied, a bored expression on his face, as if he was used to Silver's absentmindedness, “About twenty times, actually.”
“Sorry.” Silver Lining blushed and fixed his helmet. “What did you say?”
“Well,” the other guard continued, “I was going to ask you what you were doing after work today, but I can see you are a little busy being spaced out.”
Silver Lining smiled.
You never did change, did you Skyward?
Skyward and he had known each other since they were young colts in the military academy, and have been best friends since. He was brash, but caring, and they often teased each other throughout the day to pass the time.
“Yeah,” said Silver, shifting his armor around. “It has been a rough few nights for me recently. I haven’t gotten the best night’s sleep.”
Skyward nodded. “You fell asleep during the briefing meeting two days ago and you look like you’ve got more bags under those eyes than those crazy clothes-loving fillies during the Hearth’s Warming Eve’s sales. Seriously, what’s going on? You okay?”
“It’s… um," Silver sighed, "It's nothing.” He stared at the ground. He didn’t like thinking about his nightmares, much less talking about them. After all, he was a member of the Royal Guard, a special military group dedicated to keeping the princesses safe from all harm, no matter what. Being scared of a few nightmares doesn't exactly earn anypony's respect.
“No, it’s definitely something,” noted Skyward, as if he was a psychiatrist, “We both know that you are a bad liar; tell me what’s bothering you. Is it a mare?” Skyward started jabbing him in the side, “What’s her name? Is she cute?”
“It’s not a mare!” Silver shouted, “and I don’t want to talk about it, okay?” An awkward silenced followed his announcement, as a few of the other guards stopped what they were doing to stare at them.
Note to self: less volume inside of the castle.
Silver blushed slightly, as Skyward just shook his head.
“Okay, fine. Have it your way,” Skyward muttered, as he turned away from Silver to face the hall. "Keep your secrets. Here comes Princess Celestia. Try not to do an outburst like that in front of her.”
PRINCESS CELESTIA?
Silver quickly fixed his hair and armor and made sure that everything was precise. He stared directly ahead with a steely-eyed expression.
Gotta act calm around her. Can’t mess up around her. If I mess up now, she’ll get angry, then she’ll remember what happened at the Summer Sun Celebration, how I messed up there as well, and she will send me to the moon for sure… or the sun.
Beads of sweat started to form around his brow, which he quickly wiped away. Princess Celestia was getting closer. His heart started pounding inside his head.
“Good afternoon, your highness,” Skyward said calmly. He waved to the white alicorn.
“GOOD AFTERNOON, PRINCESS!” Silver shouted, followed quickly with a salute. His leg was locked stiffly into position.
“Good afternoon, Silver, Skyward.” She responded cheerfully as she walked by.
Once the Princess passed by them, Silver Lining began to relax. “Phew,” he sighed, “that was close."
“Close? What, was the Princess going to punish if you didn’t do a perfect salute?” Skyward’s voice took on a more serious tone. He could sense something was amiss with his friend, but what...
“Yes--I MEAN NO, heheh… That’s--that's silly. Why would Princess Celestia want to harm me? I haven't done anything wrong; she does not need to concern herself with me!" Silver began to panic.
“Seriously, Silver. Something is wrong.” Skyward said, as he stared directly into his friend's eyes. “I think you need to talk to somepony about this. You are constantly zoning out, it looks like you haven’t had a good night’s sleep in who knows how long, and you act like Princess Celestia is a bomb that will go off with the slightest touch whenever she comes near you. Have you met a psychiatrist yet?”
“No, Skyward, I'm fine, okay? I'm fine!” Silver insisted.
Why can’t he just stop talking about it?
“No, you are not." Skyward pointed at Silver. "I know when you are fine; if you don’t want to do something about it, I will.”
“Oh, what are you going to do about it?” asked Silver.
He's gotta be bluffing.
Skyward thought about it for a moment before responding, “I am going to talk to Princess Celestia about this. She needs to know.”
No, not her! Anypony but her!
Silver tried to keep his composure upon hearing her name. “W-why would you get the Princess involved? This doesn’t concern her at all.”
“Because if you keep zoning out and falling asleep like that, something bad could get in, then the princesses would be in danger. You haven’t been yourself these past few days, and something is obviously bothering you-- even though you don’t want to tell me about it.” Skyward scowled at the last part of his statement, as if he hated the taste as it left his mouth. “You need help and that’s final.”
“Dude, I am fi-"
“If you say, ‘I am fine' again, I swear to Celestia that I will knock you out right here, and drag your flank to her myself.” Both of them knew that he was a colt of his word.
Silver sighed deeply. “… Okay,” he mumbled.
“Okay, what?” Skyward asked sternly.
“I will go talk to her tomorrow,” Silver said, defeat in his voice.
This is not going to end well.
“Alright, but remember-- you promised me.” said Silver, turning back to face the hallway.
“You’re a good friend, you know that?” Silver announced sarcastically.
Skyward shrugged. “I know.”
“I was being sarcastic.”
“I know.”
Throughout the rest of the day, Silver tried to come up with an excuse as to why he would not be able to meet with Princess Celestia. He argued that she was too busy for a simple guard like him. Unfortunately for Silver, Skyward set up the appointment after his shift was over and she agreed to meet Silver Lining at 12 o’clock the next day after hearing Skyward's concern. He considered leaving Canterlot that night, maybe leaving forever... And then what? Live in the woods?
No… I have to do this. I have to meet with her, whether I want to or not. Besides, it may help, right? Right?
That night, as Silver was trying to sleep, he heard a knock.
“Who the heck could it be at this hour?” He mumbled to himself as he stumbled towards the origin of the sound. Silver opened up the door, only to find himself in an empty room. “Where the heck am I?” He asked as he walked into the desolate area. Suddenly, the door slammed shut behind him. Silver quickly turned around to leave, only to find the door was gone.
“What the heck is going on?”
“ALL RISE FOR THE HONORABLE JUDGE NIGHTMARE MOON!” A voice screamed out of the blackness. The room lit up, revealing a large pulpit and a judge's stand. The rest of the room remained empty. Silver Lining looked around quickly for a way out, but there was none. When he turned back to face the pulpit, Nightmare Moon sat at the stand. She shuffled some papers around on her desk. "Mr. Silver Lining, in the case of the ponies of Equestria versus Silver Lining, how do you plead?"
"Plead?" he gasped, "On what charges?"
"On the charge of failing to act to save Princess Celestia, how do you plead?" she said, anger creeping into her voice.
“Well, you see... I mean, well, It’s not that simple,” he stuttered.
“GUILTY? OR NOT GUILTY?” Nightmare Moon demanded, as she slammed the podium with her hoof.
“Guilty, your honor,” he said as he hung his head in shame.
“Then I hereby sentence Silver Lining to be executed immediately. Case closed.” Nightmare Moon banged the gavel.
“Wait, what!” Silver quickly looked up in shock, only to discover he was no longer in the courtroom. He was on top of a wooden stand, surrounded by hundreds of ponies, many of them carrying torches and pitchforks. Nightmare Moon stood to the side, holding an ax the size of a small tree, its steel gleaming through the night. Nearby, a guillotine was on standby, ready to separate the criminal’s head from his body.
“My beloved subjects,” boasted Nightmare Moon. “Today, this... excuse," her face twisted in disgust, as if she had swallowed a lemon, "..of a guard dies! He failed you all and now he will pay for it!”
Cheers erupted all around him and, as if on cue, they began to chant. ”KILL! KILL! KILL! KILL!” in perfect unison. The crowd’s roars were deafening, forcing Silver to cover his ears. The mob, however, grew silent as Nightmare Moon raised her hoof.
“Have you any last words, you miserable failure?” Nightmare Moon asked gleefully.
“This isn’t right,” Silver muttered, before he looked up at Nightmare Moon and shouted, “THIS ISN'T RIGHT! THIS CAN'T BE POSSIBLE! Celestia is safe, you were defeated--”
“SILENCE!” Nightmare Moon hollered, as she shoved a dirty sock into his mouth to muffle his cries. “Tell me, Silver, if your precious Princess Celestia is safe,” She took a moment to pause for dramatic effect. “Then where, oh where in Equestria, did I get this?” She walked over to a basket, next to the guillotine, and pulled out the head of Princess Celestia. Silver gasped, his eyes as wide as saucers. It was the Princess. Her beautiful mane mangled and shredded by the guillotine, her face beaten and bloodied, her horn snapped in half like a twig. A few drops of blood dripped out from the neck, a leaky faucet of death.
“Seems safe to me,” Nightmare Moon mocked as she put her hoof up through Celestia's neck like a puppet. “Hello, Silver!” croaked Nightmare Moon, as she moved Celestia’s jaw up and down with her hooves. “Thank you for saving me. You deserve an award, but maybe I’m getting ahead of myself.” Nightmare Moon tossed the head aside; It bounced a few times before landing next to the guillotine.
"What? You didn't like the joke, Silver?" Nightmare Moon asked gleefully.
Silver stared cruelly at the figure standing in front of him. Nightmare Moon shrugged, "Well, I thought it was funny. Enough chit-chat, it is time!” The queen of the night announced to the crowd, who roared with approval.
Two hooded guards dragged his body towards the guillotine, slammed his head into the wooden stock, and locked his head into place with a metal lock on the side.
“Let’s hear it for Silver Lining, the Failure!” Nightmare Moon announced, as if she were crowning a champion.
“KILL! KILL! KILL! KILL! KILL! KILL! KILL!” The crowd shouted in response.
“I’m… I’m a failure,” Silver muttered to himself. He heard the rope holding up the two-ton blade of steel sliced free from its restraints. It fell… fell… fell… THUD.
“NO!!!” Silver suddenly rose out of bed, heavily panting. He quickly rubbed his neck, to ensure that it was still connected to the rest of his body.
“Phew… Just… a dream… Again,” he said with relief, still trying to calm down. Suddenly, he heard that thudnoise again; he involuntarily twitched.
Am I still in the dream?
He cautiously approached the door.
“Silver, are you there? It’s me, Skyward!”
Oh, it was just Skyward.
“Coming!” He opened the door slowly and saw, not a court room, but his friend Skyward. He was smiling with a muffin in his hoof. Silver looked over at the clock on the wall. He saw the time: 10:45.
That meeting is today... The meeting with the Princess herself. Oh, dear Celestia, I can’t believe this. I am going to be alone, in a room, with the pony that raises the sun every day! She’s probably still mad at me for failing her that night. I mean, I haven’t been fired yet… and she seems to be fine… Maybe she’s using the dreams to punish me! That’s why I haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep in the past few days! She’s trying to make me mess up so that she can shame me in front of everypony!
“Here, I brought you breakfast,” he said cheerfully, “I came by to make sure that you didn’t forget your big meeting with the Princess.”
“How could I forget about it?” Silver Lining asked, an air of defeat in his voice.
“Okay, let me rephrase that,” said Skyward snarkily, “I came over to ensure that you show up for said appointment. I’m not letting you do something crazy, like make a run for it the first moment you can and go live in a cave somewhere in the Everfree Forest, all so that you don’t have to face her.”
“You really think I would do that?” asked Silver as the two began to walk towards the castle.
Skyward stopped and stared at Silver Lining with the most deadpan face that anypony ever saw.
“Okay, fine,” Silver Lining admitted, “but you would be scared too if you were going into a meeting alone with Princess Celestia.”
“It’s not a battle, Silver. No one’s going to kill you, especially not her.” Skyward smiled, trying to ease the panic on his friend’s face.
"That’s what you think," the doomed pony muttered to himself.
They walked towards the castle, as they did every day for work. Somehow, this day felt different for Silver Lining. It felt like he was walking to his own execution.
Why am I so scared to talk to her now? I have been in her service for ages! She personally selected me to guard her that night… and I let her down… She’s probably going to fire me at this meeting, or worse, remove my cutie mark! Can she do that?
He looked at his cutie mark, a yellow sun peeking up behind two grey clouds.
This may be the last time I see it… or Equestria. What if she fires me… What if exiles me from Equestria... What if she sends me into the SUN!?
“Well, we’re here,” Skyward announced, interrupting Silver’s train of paranoid thoughts. The two stood in front of a pair of large purple doors, lined with gemstones along their frame. Two golden doorknobs jutted out of the ornate patterns carved into the doors. “Just in time, too. It’s almost twelve.”
As Skyward spoke this, the clock struck twelve and a loud bell was heard. As it rang, Silver felt a slight shiver down his spine each time it chimed. He remembered a book he read in his youth, one line stood out, “The bell tolls for thee,” as if the bell knew about the upcoming death of the character. He thought it just fiction, but now, as he stood in front of those doors, it felt like the bell was ringing in his own death, that his demise was waiting for him just behind the door. He wanted to run as far as he could. He could outfly Skyward, he could make it--
No… I can’t run now. I have to face my fate, no matter what it is. If I run now, I’ll never stop running.
Silver Lining took in a deep breath, and pushed the door open.
“Good luck. I will be waiting for you outside,” Skyward said. He patted his friend on the back, and walked away.
Silver Lining took in another deep breath and walked into the room. When he was fully through the entrance, the door closed behind him, and sealed him in with the Princess. There was no turning back now.
The room was simple, despite the ornate doorway. It looked like it was a private section of the Canterlot Library. There were several shelves of books and tomes that stacked to the ceiling and continued onto the other side of the room. Each contained several yards of scrolls containing spells that could teach a unicorn to do almost anything they wanted. In the center was a simple wooden table with two chairs on opposite ends, one seat occupied by Princess Celestia.
“Hello there, Silver Lining.” She said cheerfully as she motioned for him to sit. He nervously walked over to the seat, and made note of all exits in the room just in case she got angry at him. As he sat down, the Princess placed a white cup in front of him and poured him some tea.
“Now, I have heard some concerns from Skyward about you. He says that you come in every day tired, you seem to be out of focus during work, and your commander tells me you fell asleep during a meeting. Is there something wrong?” Her voice was gentle, as if she were his mother asking him how school was that day.
Silver Lining shifted around in his seat. Why is she not angry? Doesn’t she remember that damned night? Maybe she doesn’t know I messed up... Maybe she does and is just waiting for the right moment to banish me.
“Uh, No, your highness, everything’s fine, heh.”
Why is it so hot in here, could she have picked a worse room to do this in? Sweat beads started forming on his head. Have to act natural, can’t let on that you’re scared. He hastily picked up the cup and started to drink. The cup rattled in his hooves.
Princess Celestia raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? You seem really worried about something. Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked.
Crapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapshe’sontomethisisnotgoodthisisnotgoodgottathinkofsomethingfast.
“Uh-uh, w-w-well, you see, your Highness… I was just worried about the… the party with Skyward! Yeah, we were planning a party together and, well, it’s just been really stressful, you know? Planning it and all that, have to make sure everything’s in order, you know how things like that go. ” He smiled the biggest smile he physically could.
“This will go much easier for both of us if you stop lying to me, Silver.” Princess Celestia commented, as she took a sip of her tea. “Your friend was very concerned about you, and he mentioned something about you being scared to meet with me. May I ask why?”
He looked down at his tea.
“Your Highness… I let you down. I let all of Equestria down. I am a failure and I'm surprised that you still allow me to be in your presence, let alone be a part of the Royal Guard.” He bowed his head in defeat.
“What are you talking about?” Princess Celestia implored, a confused expression on her face.
“Don’t you remember? The Summer Sun Celebration! I didn’t… couldn’t stop Nightmare Moon, I wasn’t able to protect you, and I let her get away. It’s all my fault.” Silver Lining mourned. He covered his face with his hooves; he dared not even look at the Princess now. “I’m so sorry, your Highness, I have failed you. You can banish me now if you want to, I don't deserve to be in the same country as you, let alone the same room.” Tears started to form in his eyes, yet he refused to let them fall in front of Celestia.
Don’t cry in front of the Princess, don’t cry in front of the princess--Damn it. Goodbye, Equestria.
Suddenly, he felt something warm and soft surrounding his body. Opening his eyes, he saw Celestia sitting next to him, spreading her wings around him, as if shielding him from his own guilt.
“Silver, there is nothing to be sorry about," Princess Celestia whispered gently. "What’s done is done. You did the best you could. To tell you the truth, I knew she would attack.”
“Y-you did?” Silver Lining stuttered, “Then why didn’t you do something to stop it?”
Celestia turned away, a distant look in her eyes. “There was nothing I could do to prevent it. When I was forced to banish her, the spell I cast was not powerful enough to prevent her return. So, I had to do the next best thing, try to prepare myself for her arrival. I started the Summer Sun Celebration, because I knew she would target that event specifically when she came back. It was an event dedicated to something she detested: the sun and, to a lesser extent, me.”
There was a long pause before Silver asked, “So, where were you anyway? You were not there to raise the sun when the Mayor announced you.”
“Unfortunately, I have to keep that location secret. If anypony besides myself knew about it, they would be in grave danger. There are ponies who want to harm me and they would go to any lengths to learn it, even if it means killing everpony they hold there.”
He shivered slightly when he heard this. Even though she did not tell him the location, it felt like he was entrusted one of the great secrets of the kingdom. “Not even Luna?” Silver ventured.
“Not even her.”
There was another long pause, as Celestia sipped her tea to try to bring some normalcy back into the conversation.
“So," Silver mused, "if you were not going to be there, why did you need guards set up to protect you?”
“First of all, ponies would be suspicious if I didn't have guards with me. Second, I needed the guards there, because I knew Nightmare Moon would attack. You were not there to protect me, but to protect the civilians in attendance. Silver, do you remember anything after the attack?” Princess Celestia asked.
Silver thought about it for a while. “Kind of. It’s a little blurry. I guess I sort of... blocked it out.”
Celestia frowned. “Hmmm…" she pondered, as she rubbed her chin with her hoof. “I think I have an idea, but to do this, I need your complete cooperation. Do you understand?”
“No offense, Princess," Silver gently argued, "but I think I want to hear what I am getting into before I agree to something.”
Celestia nodded, “A wise answer. I am going to use my magic to let us view the night of the Summer Sun Celebration and see what really happened. In order to do that, I need your cooperation.”
“Why?” Silver asked.
“Since I was not there myself, we will be seeing it through your memories. Even if they are blurry, you still experienced that night and the events are in your subconscious. That is, If you are ready for it. Do you think you can do it?”
“… I think so,” Silver said hesitantly. He wasn’t sure what all of this meant, but who was going to argue with the Princess?
Celestia closed her eyes and she lowered her horn, until it was level to his forehead. It started to glow a golden yellow, brighter and brighter. Silver shielded his eyes from the now-blinding light, as the room started to disappear around him-
“The night, will last, FOREVER!”
Silver saw Nightmare Moon again, as if he was back there on that fateful night; however, it felt different this time. For instance, he wasn't watching it from where he was on the Summer Sun Celebration. He was watching it from above. He was watching… himself.
“We’re here.” Silver quickly turned to see the origin of the voice. There, as regal as ever, sat Princess Celestia. Below them, the night played out exactly as it had happened so many times before in his nightmares.
“Seize her, only she knows where the Princess is!” ordered Mayor Mare, as she pointed towards Nightmare Moon. Silver watched himself fly towards her, ready to attack the being that took Celestia away. He covered his face with his hooves. He knew what was going to happen; he had no desire to see it again.
“What’s the matter?” asked Princess Celestia.
“This is where I let you down, where I let all of Equestria down. It’s bad enough that I have to relive it every night; I don't need to see it again.”
“Stand back you foals!”
“Here we go. Failure in 3… 2... 1…” Silver counted off with dread.
Lightning crackled inside the room, and sent the guard pegasi flying in the opposite direction. Nightmare Moon, having triumphed over any resistance, turned into a shadowy mist and quickly departed.
“Okay, we saw me mess up, can we please go back now?” pleaded Silver Lining.
“Not yet.”
“What do you mean, ‘Not yet’?” demanded Silver Lining. “We saw what you wanted to see, WHY ARE WE STILL HERE?”
“Look down,” Celestia said, as she pointed at Silver Lining… The other Silver Lining.
Silver Lining tried to get up, but his vision was blurry. The world slowly faded into clarity, and he was bombarded by screams from all directions. One of the other guards ran over to him, yelling, “Silver! Silver! You gotta get up!”
“Wha-what’s going on?” He barely managed to speak.
“Commander Blade hit his head on one of the pillars and is out cold. Also, Nightmare Moon escaped and this place is in frenzy! What are we going to do?” screamed the soldier.
Suddenly, everything came into focus. Silver saw the panicked ponies screaming and running around frantically searching for Princess Celestia, or their families. If something wasn’t done fast, the crowd would riot and become uncontrollable. He had to do something, but what? What could he do? He looked over and saw the stage, now empty save for a few young ponies thinking that the Princess is behind the curtains, like this was a game of hide-and-seek. He felt bad for the naive ponies, knowing their searches would be futile; however, he had a job to do now. He quickly ran up to the stage and began to holler:
“CAN I HAVE EVERYPONY’S ATTENTION, PLEASE?”
His command was lost in the sea of screams. He realized that his voice was not loud enough; he was going to need something more. He looked over at the table, which was filled with food, drinks, and silverware for the night’s celebration. Most of it was placed in beautiful cups and bowls made out of glass and other precious material; the cups adorned with sparkling diamonds and the bowls encrusted with emeralds and rubies. Surely, this display was worth thousands of bits.
He flipped the tables over.
The loud shattering of glass caught everypony’s attention. They quickly looked at the source of the noise and, subsequently, the guard that caused it.
“Thank you for your attention, everypony,” he commented calmly. “Now, I want all of you to please quietly leave this building and return to your homes.”
“BUT WHAT ABOUT NIGHTMARE MOON, AND PRINCESS CELESTIA? SHE’S IN DANGER!” Somepony shouted. The crowd agreed enthusiastically.
“Yes... I know,” Silver bowed his head in shame.
As the night played out before him, SIlver turned to see Princess Celestia’s response to the events, but she kept a straight face. It was impossible to figure out what she was thinking.
“Your Highness?” Silver cautiously asked.
“Yes, Silver?” She replied, but did not turn her head. She continued to watch the fateful night.
“Are you okay? I mean, it must be weird watching this, Nightmare Moon being your sister and all-"
“NIghtmare Moon is not my sister." Princess Celestia interrupted, her voice suddenly shaky. Her eyes were beginning to water. She was corrupted by an evil force so many years ago. To see her like this again..." She shook her head. "It's fine now, she's safe in Canterlot with me now."
"Yes, your Highness." was all Silver could say.
Silver looked at the ponies gathered before him: pegasi, unicorns, earth ponies; all looked to him for help, for hope. For a moment, he felt fear. He looked towards the other guards for help, but they were busy taking care of the fallen captain. He was on his own. He knew he only had one chance to say the right thing. Ponies were counting on him to say something to make them feel safe again. He was scared, just like them, and yet... He knew what he had to do.
These ponies need me to be brave. Come on, Silver. You have to do this. For them.
Silver took a deep breath, stood tall, and said:
“Yes, we realize that Princess Celestia is in danger, and we will do everything in our power both to find her, bring her back, and stop this ‘Nightmare Moon’.” He paused to catch his breath. He was breathing heavily now, as the adrenaline pumped in his veins. He knew he had everypony’s attention and what he said could either cause these ponies to leave orderly, or panic. He continued:
“However, I refuse to let anypony here be another victim. Now, I want all families to group together, and everypony will exit the building, single file, and give your name to one of the guards at the entrance. This way we can make sure that everypony is accounted for and arrives home safely. Thank you for your cooperation, any questions?”
The crowd was agreeable, thankfully, and slowly began filing their way to the back. Silver quickly rushed over to Commander Blade, who was surrounded by two guards and a white earth pony who had a stethoscope around her neck. The captain was beginning to stir.
“How does he look?” Silver asked the group.
The white earth pony looked up at Silver. “He will be fine; he is just a bit dazed. He will regain consciousness soon.”
“Good. We are going to need all the help we can get.” He looked around. One of the guards volunteered himself to check the names of the ponies leaving with a guest list, crossing off names of the ponies that were leaving. It was orderly, but depressing as well. Parents desperately trying to console young fillies about the situation, older brothers trying to be brave for younger siblings...
They all look so sad, it’s like they are heading off to die. Maybe that’s how it feels for them... Without the sun, the crops will die and they will starve, provided that they don’t freeze to death first. It might as well be the end of the world for them... A world that I failed to save.
He shook his head.
Can’t focus on that now, have to make sure all the ponies arrive home safely first.
He tried to fly, but felt a little dizzy while he was in the air.
Better stay grounded. Last thing we need right now is another unconscious guard.
He began to land, and flapped his wings extra hard as he neared the ground. Silver looked at the commander again. His eyes were open and he seemed to be moving around. Silver relaxed, as he was relieved to see that his commander was safe, albeit a bit disoriented.
“Ugghhh... What happened?” the commander's voice was drowsy, as if he was just waking up from a deep sleep.
“Nightmare Moon escaped, sir, and we do not know where Princess Celestia is,” Silver answered worriedly.
“WHAT!” he hollered, which startled the group of ponies surrounding him. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE ESCAPED?”
If he had any effects from hitting his head on the pillar, they were not showing now. He was as alert as he was the first day Silver met him back at the military academy.
Silver continued, “I didn’t see it myself, sir, but the other guards did. We sent the citizens home and--" The commander waved a hoof in Silver's face.
“Enough chit-chat, soldier! It’s time we go hunt down that Nighttime Lady and show her what for!” The commander hollered, his voice booming off the walls.
Good ‘ole Commander Blade. Business first.
“But, sir,” the nurse calmly replied, “You are injured, you should probably lie down.”
“I’ll lie down when I am dead, and not a moment before!” the commander roared, “Now, MOVE OUT! I need every available soldier from here to Canterlot to hunt her down! I want no stone unturned, no tree unchecked! I don’t care if you have to rip a mountain in half; I want every rock on that mountain searched!” The guard who was at the entrance walked up to the commander hurriedly, in his hoof was a slightly-crumpled piece of paper.
“Uh... Sir? I am afraid I have some bad news,” The guard's voice was timid. Commander Blade only expected the best from his troops and any disappointment from said troops would cause him to enter into one of his famous rants. Legend has it that one rant went on for twenty minutes, after a rookie guard forgot where he put his armor.
“What is it, soldier?” Commander Blade looked to be in no mood to receive more bad news.
“Um... Well, you see, sir,” The nervous guard stuttered, “The thing is, I double-checked the list and everything and apparently--"
“OUT WITH IT, SOLDIER! I DON’T HAVE ALL DAY! WHAT DO YOU WANT!?” Blade yelled at the whimpering guard.
“Well, uh, sir, Seven guests are missing.” The guard flinched, as if Blade was about to buck him in the face the moment he said that.
“You’re kidding, right?” Blade’s expression went from anger to confusion.
“No, sir. Six ponies and one baby dragon that were on the guest list were not accounted for when everypony left. I even talked to their families and nopony has seen them either, so, you know...” His voice tapered off at the end and he flinched again, still expecting a hoof in the face.
Blade placed his face in his front hooves. “Oh, sweet Celestia have mercy,” he muttered, “First Twilight Princess shows up, now this. Alright, soldier!” he pointed to Silver. “I need you to find those missing ponies pronto! Search everywhere, talk to everypony, and don’t give up until they are returned home. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR, SOLDIER?”
Silver saluted. “SIR, YES, SIR!”
“Alright, now get out of my sight, according to this soldier over here,” Blade roared, pointing at the trembling guard still holding the list in his hooves. ”They ain’t here. I am going to find Nightingale and show her what happens when she messes with the best of the best!”
“It’s Nightmare Moon, sir,” Silver corrected quietly.
“Soldier, the only time her name is going to matter is when I put it on her tombstone. Now, you got your orders, now move!”
Silver looked over again at Celestia. He couldn’t resist, with the way Commander Blade was talking about her sister. She still kept her poker face on. It felt strange watching himself, especially with Princess Celestia right next to him. He couldn’t hide anything. Every word, every action, even every thought, they were displayed to both of them.
“Are you okay, Silver?” Princess Celestia asked.
“Yeah, I guess,” he responded, as he rubbed the back of his head. “Just kind of strange seeing this night again. It’s weird. I can barely remember what happened that night, yet, It displays so clearly here. How is that possible?”
“You said it yourself, you blocked out these memories. That doesn't mean that they were erased from your mind completely,” Princess Celestia commented.
“Yeah..." Silver replied, but still felt rather confused about it. “Have you ever done this before? I mean, this must require a lot of magic to do.”
“A few times," said Princess Celestia, followed by a sad silence. "Sometimes, I go back... back to that night, to make sure I never forget what I did.” She closed her eyes. She could still see the darkness envelop her sister, hear her screams of desperation and fear, imagine the pain that she could have prevented had she done better...
"I'm so sorry, Luna..." she whispered. Tears formed in her eyes, and she could not brush them away in time. They rolled down her elegant face as she cried silently. She knew she was not supposed to cry, but she couldn't help herself. She was the one responsible for all these problems, not Silver. She should be the one sent away...
Celestia felt something warm brush against her. She opened her eyes, and saw Silver wrapping his front legs around her neck, his head buried in the side. She could see that he was crying as well. Celestia wrapped her wings around Silver, and the two cried together. After what seemed like forever, Silver let go, and wiped the tears from Celestia's face.
“Thank you, Silver. I needed that,” Celestia said gratefully, sniffling a bit as she let go of Silver.
Silver said nothing, but smiled and nodded.
Silver Lining walked out the front doors. If Nightmare Moon had done something to the night, he couldn’t see it. It looked like any other night: the stars were out in full force, and the clouds hung in the air like black cotton balls suspended by invisible strings. Everything seemed routine and yet… Something hung in the air. This was no ordinary night. For one thing, there were no ponies enjoying any nighttime festivities. All the shops were locked up and, save for a few street lamps, no light emanated from the houses. Silver felt a slight shiver as a breeze blew by. He felt as if he had entered a ghost town.
“Well, time to find the missing guests.” He looked at the list before him. “Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and one dragon named Spike.”
This can’t be right. How can there be a dragon living here? How the heck does one MISS a dragon leaving a building? Shouldn’t there be footprints the size of trees to follow, or at least a dragon-sized hole in the wall? Why is there a dragon hanging out with ponies anyway? I mean, I don’t know much about dragons, but I don’t even think they would want to live with ponies. Even if they did, given their size... This night doesn’t make any sense. Somehow, I am supposed to track these ponies down, despite nopony seeing them leave, and their families having no idea where they are. So, this all boils down to a single fact: I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO GO ON. Great. Well, time to get a move on.
Silver walked down the empty street, as he turned his head this way and that for any signs of life. Not even the mice dared to creep out of the garbage cans tonight. Thankfully, he was given a list of addresses from one of the families, in order to help find the others.
Can’t believe Princess Celestia is gone. I mean, what could be so powerful that it could kidnap her, of all ponies?
It’s because of you that she’s gone. A second voice argued in his head.
But I wasn’t the only guard there. We all failed. He thought back, but the second voice would have none of that.
Yes, that would be the noble and chivalrous thing to do, blame it on the others. I am sure you were going to gloat about this to your friends if this night was a success, but then this happens. Suddenly, it’s ‘Oh, it’s not MY fault that I failed at the job I have been trained to do for years.’ Seriously, it is your fault she’s gone. You were the first one to fly when ordered, you were the first one to get to Nightmare Moon, you could’ve been the one to stop her, and save the Princess... but you didn’t, did you? No, you got hit by lightning, and were out like a light. So what if all of Equestria is doomed? At least it’s not YOUR fault.
Just... Shut it. Silver weakly replied to the voice in his head. He hated to admit it, but it was right. He lowered his head and hoped nopony was watching out their window. He almost didn’t want to look for the ponies now. Finding them would lead to confusion and questions… questions about why the guards failed. Even with guilt bearing upon him though, Silver was still a soldier and he had a mission to do, regardless of his personal feelings.
He looked down at the list of names again, then back at the houses.
Thank Celestia the ponies have their names on their mailboxes; otherwise, this would be impossible to figure out without going door to door. Golden Harvest, Derpy Hooves, Berry Punch... Which one is Twilight’s?
After twenty minutes of walking up and down the streets and talking to the few ponies that were still outside, he eventually found Twilight’s house... If one could call it a house. It looked more like a giant tree that somepony glued different parts of a house onto: a balcony here, a window there. It was definitely not your average-looking domicile.
Then again, I am a guard, not a decorator.
He walked up to Twilight Sparkle’s house. No lights were on, but he knocked on the door anyway. “Hello? Anypony home?” He saw a light turn on from the second floor. Good, she’s home. Maybe she can help me find the others. After a few moments of waiting, the door finally opened--but it was not Twilight Sparkle. In fact, it wasn’t even a pony that answered the door. It was a dragon.
“No. Way,” He gasped.
Either I must’ve hit my head harder that I thought on that pillar, or there is a baby dragon standing in front of me. Either way, this could be a problem. The dragon, however, was not impressed by the member of the Royal Guard in front of him. In fact, he looked exhausted, still dragging a blanket behind him.
“Wh-wh-what do you want?” the baby dragon sleepily asked. His eyes were unfocused, and he nearly back asleep.
DRAGONS CAN TALK!?
“Uh... Are you Spike?” the guard cautiously asked, unsure how to handle the situation. This has to be Spike. I mean, how many dragons can be living here? Well, apparently one, which is more than my original guess.
“Yeah, I’m Spike. The library is closed right now. Please come back later.” The dragon started to close the door.
“No, wait,” Silver interrupted as he put his hoof in between the door and the frame. “I am a member of the Royal Guard. I am looking for Twilight Sparkle, have you seen her?”
The name seemed to peak Spike’s interest. “Yeah, I know her. I am her number one assistant. Is there something wrong?”
The dragon lost his tired look, which quickly turned to one of worry.
Twilight has a dragon for an assistant! I don’t know who this mare is, but she must be very powerful. Could she have stolen the egg from a live dragon? That would be so sweet-- FOCUS, Silver, there is no time for that now; you need to focus on not messing up THIS mission.
“I am looking for her. She left the Summer Sun Celebration early without telling anypony, and I want to make sure she is safe. Is she home?”
“Hold on a second, I’ll go check.” The dragon let out a big yawn, which showed off a few baby dragon fangs, as he retreated back inside the library. “Twilight! Twilight! You there?” Silver waited patiently outside. After all, it was probably not in his best interests to mess with a pony that had a dragon as an assistant.
Wonder what else she has in there. Does Princess Celestia know about this?
After a few moments, the dragon ran back to the door, panicked. “She’s not here! What are we going to do?”
“Alright, calm done, Spike. Do you have any idea where she could be?” Silver questioned.
“I have no idea! She could be anywhere! Oh, Twilight, why did you have to leave me? I can’t believe she didn't even leave me a note or anything! This is so unlike her! What if she was captured by Nightmare Moon? What if she’s... dead?” The little dragon’s eyes were as wide as his head, yet his pupils remained tiny.
“I don’t have those answers right now, but I need you to help me, so I can help you. Has she been doing anything you may think as suspicious?” Silver commented. What if she is working for Nightmare Moon?
“Not really. She was researching the Elements of Harmony this morning, said that they were used to defeat Nightmare Moon one thousand years ago, but that’s just an old pony’s tale, right? I mean, Princess Celestia said--"
“Waitwaitwaitwaitwaitwait--Princess Celestia?” Silver Lining put a hoof in Spike’s mouth, incredulous.
Spike removed the hoof. “Yeah, she is her favorite student.” Spike said, beaming with pride at the statement, as if he was the favorite student.
That would explain the dragon. Now that he mentions it, I may have seen her walking around with Princess Celestia before.
“So… You mentioned something about the Elements of Harmony. Do you know anything about those?” Silver asked.
This is so weird; I am talking to a dragon. Then again, this has been a weird night.
“A little, I think we have a book on it. Do you want to come in?” The purple dragon opened the door wider, motioning for Silver to come inside.
“Thanks, I need all the information I can get. By the way, name’s Silver Lining, but you can call me Silver.” He walked into the library and found it to be bigger on the inside then it was on the outside. The first floor consisted of walls that appeared to double as shelves for the aforementioned library, circling a large table in the center of the room. There was little indication that this room acted as part of a house, except for the blanket that Spike dropped, sleep forgotten now that his friend was in danger.
“Elements, elements, elements... Ah! Here we go!” Spike pulled out a brown book, with a golden unicorn head on the cover.
“Alright, what does it say about them?”
Spike quickly opened the book and began scanning the pages. As the dragon reached the relevant pages he began narrating, “According to this, the Elements of Harmony are special jewels used by Princess Celestia to banish Nightmare Moon one thousand years ago today. There are six known elements: Honesty, Kindness, Loyalty, Laughter, and Generosity. It is said that when the elements come together, they will create a spark and reveal the location of the sixth element. The five known elements are said to be in the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, located in the Everfree Forest.” He pointed to the Castle on the map included with the book. “There it is, the castle.”
“Do you have a copy of this map?” Silver asked, slightly embarrassed. “Listen, I am sorry I have to ask you for so many things, but--" Spike raised his clawed hand. “For Twilight, I would do anything,” the number one assistant said proudly. He quickly ran into one of the back rooms and, after a few moments of frantic searching, ran out just as fast, holding a slightly yellowed scroll. The two unraveled it on a nearby table.
“The Everfree Forest.” Silver muttered as he stared at the map. Even he had heard stories about this place. According to rumors, there were monsters of every size and shape in there. He even knew guards, colts and mares that would take on a herd of dragons if they had to, that refused to go in there. If it was scary during the day, who knows what it’s like during the night.
“Do you think she would’ve gone in there to find them?" Silver asked, "You know her better than I do.”
“Probably,” answered Spike, looking ashamed and worried at the same time, like it was his fault that Twilight was gone. “All I know is that she was sent to Ponyville by Princess Celestia to help set up the Summer Sun Celebration,” Spike replied.
"I see,” Silver mused. “Does Twilight know any of these ponies: Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, or Fluttershy?”
“Of course!” exclaimed the little dragon, “She met them all today while we were preparing for the celebration. They all wanted to be her friend, but Twilight just thought they were all crazy. They were really nice though, especially Rarity. She is a knock-out! Have you seen her?” Hearts formed in the dragon’s eyes as he mentioned the fashionista’s name.
“I can’t say I have. One last question: what does Twilight Sparkle look like?” Spike quickly rushed up the stairs in reply, rummaged through his bedroom, and brought down a picture of Twilight contained in one of her books. She was a purple unicorn, with a dark purple mane, and a rebellious line of pink hair right down the middle. Her cutie mark was one light purple star emanating from a white star with five white, yet smaller, stars surrounding it. He had no idea what that cutie mark represented, but decided he had enough information to begin the search.
“Thanks for your help Spike, but I have to go. I need to report all of this to my commander.” Silver turned to walk out.
“Silver?” Spike called out.
Silver turned around. “Yeah, Spike?”
“Promise me you will find Twilight, okay? Please tell me you will.” The little dragon gripped his tail in worry; his eyes seemed to expand, becoming as big as his face. He could see the little dragon’s lips quivering, even though he was trying to sound brave. Silver walked towards Spike until they were right next to one another and put his front leg around him.
“I swear to you Spike, on my life, that I will bring Twilight Sparkle home safely,” Silver vowed.
“Thanks, Silver.” Spike hugged the guard, tears forming in the baby dragon's eyes. Silver was starting to get choked up as well and returned the hug.
“Good night, Spike,” Silver said, as he released the dragon from his grip. “Are you sure you are going to be okay?”
“Yeah, I guess.” Spike murmured, looking down. He suddenly looked up with a big smile. “As long as I know that you will bring her home, I think I will be okay.”
Silver smiled and responded calmly, “I won’t let you down, Spike.” Spike waved goodbye as Silver turned out the lights and left the library, leaving the dragon in the darkness of the library.
Don’t worry Spike. I won’t fail you. I refuse to fail again.
Silver turned to Princess Celestia, “So, Twilight Sparkle is your favorite student? I thought teachers weren’t allowed to pick favorites,” said Silver.
Princess Celestia began to blush. “No, we shouldn’t pick favorites. That being said, Twilight works harder at her studies than anypony else I know. She is very dedicated to her work and that’s why she is my favorite. Don’t tell anypony, okay? I don’t want my other students to get upset.”
Silver nodded. “Don’t worry your Highness, your secret’s safe with me.”
This is going completely differently than I expected. She hasn’t yelled at me once. For the first time in days, I feel... relaxed.
“I have to ask, your Highness--"
“Please, just call me Celestia. It’s only us here; you don’t have to be so formal.” Princess Celestia said, a hint of playfulness in her voice.
“Well, Celestia, why couldn’t you use the Elements of Harmony to defeat Nightmare Moon like you did one thousand years ago? It could’ve saved us both a lot of trouble.”
“You see...” Princess Celestia started to say, but then stopped and sighed, trying to think of a good way to explain the complex powers of the Elements of Harmony. “The Elements of Harmony need a spark both to unlock their power and to harness the sixth element, Magic. I was able to use the Elements of Harmony on Nightmare Moon back then, because that was when she was more Luna than Nightmare Moon. Something corrupted her and turned her against, not only me, but all of Equestria. I was able to stop it before my sister became completely corrupted, however now, with a thousand years passed, I did not feel the spark. There was nothing; no bond… no love between us anymore.”
"Wow." was all Silver could manage to say.
Celestia smiled. "Do not worry about us now. Luna is back where she belongs, right beside me, as the Princess of the Night."
Silver nodded. "One last question, Celestia. Will Princess Luna be okay now?"
"She's still getting used to the world around her, but she will be fine. Do not worry, Silver, I will make sure this does not happen again."
"No offence, Celestia," Silver countered jokingly, "But it's my job to worry about your two's safety."
Celestia chuckled. "As it is mine to worry about you and all of Equestria's safety, Silver."
Guess we aren't so different after all.
Little did Silver know, but Princess Celestia was thinking the same thing.
“Sir, I know where the other guests are!” Silver reported.
“Well, hurry up, soldier! I got reports coming in from every town in Equestria. No sign of this Nightmare in Fillydelphia, nor Canterlot,” Commander Blade hollered over the chaos surrounding him. Guards were rushing to and fro in the original host room of the Summer Sun Celebration. Now, however, it looked more like a war room, maps of Equestria hung where streamers used to be, compasses and letters where food and drinks had been upon his departure.
“I found the missing dragon and he told me that the other missing guests may be going after the Elements of Harmony in the Everfree Forest. We have to get to the Everfree Forest, they could be in danger!”
“Hold on soldier--" Commander Blade turned to a soldier near him and hollered, "PRIVATE! I NEED MORE COFFEE, ON THE DOUBLE! AND MAKE IT STRONG!" He turned back to Silver. "Did you say ‘Elements of Harmony’? What the heck are they?”
“They are these magical artifacts that Princess Celestia used to defeat Nightmare Moon one thousand years ago. They are said to be located in the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters.”
“Hmm... Everfree Forest, eh?” Blade mumbled to himself, rubbing his chin with his hoof. “No, I’ve got nothing on these maps about that place. You sure it exists?”
“Yes, sir,” Silver responded, showing him the map he got from Spike. The commander quickly grabbed it, his eyes darting across the new map.
“So, it does exist. Now, the question is: why the heck are six civilians going after artifacts that only Princess Celestia has used?" Blade eyed the soldier in front of him with doubt. The story just seemed to be too weird.
"I don’t know why sir,” Silver replied sheepishly. “The dragon told me that Twilight Sparkle, one of the guests, has done extensive research on the Elements of Harmony. Maybe she thinks she knows the secret to using them; maybe she believes she is powerful enough to harness their energy. She is a student of Princess Celestia.”
"Alright, soldier, considering that we have struck out everywhere else, I will send some ponies out there. Going to be hard to find ponies willing to go into that place at night, but I’ll be damned if we don’t look everywhere for the Princess.”
“Sir, I volunteer to be a part of that fleet,” Silver said calmly.
“What? You’re... You’re volunteering to go into Everfree Forest?” For the first time in Silver’s life, he saw shock on Commander Blade’s face. He almost wanted to take a picture of it so that he could prove to others that he had other emotions besides anger. “Why in the holy name of Celestia would you want to do that!?”
“Sir, I swore on my life to that dragon that I would find Twilight Sparkle and bring her back home. I do not intend on failing him. With all due respect, sir, I don’t care what you say to me. I will go in there alone if I have to, but I do not intend on breaking that promise.”
Silver’s voice was firm, but, in his mind, he was screaming: Am I standing up to Commander Blade? Is this really happening? [ He remembered all the times back at the academy where Blade could make even the most jaded recruit scared. Is this what it feels like to be on the other side?
The commander’s face was stoic as he stared at the pony in front of him. “Soldier, you are one crazy pony.” Suddenly, his face broke out in a smile; another action Silver didn’t think was possible for his commander. “I like that. You are on the squad.”
“Thank you, sir. Now, if you excuse me, I think I need to go sit down for a bit.” The excursion into town, along with the rest of tonight’s unplanned events, had left him exhausted.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever, just line up when I call for the squad.” Commander Blade waved him off. “PRIVATE! WHERE’S THAT DAMN COFFEE?”
He flopped down on a cot nearby and tried to get some sleep amidst the noise around him. It felt like he just got comfortable when he heard his Commander's voice booming throughout the building:
“ALRIGHT! Whoever is brave or stupid enough to go into the Everfree Forest with me, line up!”
Hearing the call, several colts and mares, all pegasi, along with Silver Lining, lined up in front of him. Nopony was out of place, no armor misaligned. They were ready. Commander Blade patrolled up and down the row of soldiers, staring each of them down.
“GENTLECOLTS, LISTEN UP!" He paused for emphasis. "What we are about to face is like nothing we have dealt with before. We are going to enter into the Everfree Forest in the dead of night to face a creature much more powerful then all of us put together. I will tell you right now, death is a possibility. Heck, it's not just a possibility, it's probably certain. If you want to back out now, be my guest. Go ahead, I will turn around and give you the chance to back out and stay here.”
Blade turned around, closed his eyes, and waited. A few of the guards looked at each other. They wanted to see if anypony would leave the line, but Silver stared straight ahead. I am not going to let you down, Spike. The seconds felt like hours as the whole room watched the line, waiting for somepony to leave. Not one broke file. After a while, Commander Blade turned around again.
“Don’t tell me if anypony left, I don’t give a damn. That’s their problem, not mine. Now, we are heading for a place called the Castle of The Royal Pony Sisters. According to one of our sources, there are six civilian ponies looking for the Elements of Harmony there, which were supposedly used to defeat Nightmare Moon in the past. I don’t know why they are looking for them, but that's not important. My main concern now is that we go in, get them out of there, and stop Nightmare Moon. The rest of you, just because you’re not coming along with us, that doesn’t mean you get to lounge around either! I want you all to keep searching for Celestia! I don’t care if it takes you the rest of this damn eternal night! Check to see if she left any clues in her room in case of this kind of emergency, check her record to see where she was last seen, check her dental records to talk with her hygienist, I don’t really care what you need to do! Just find her! You have your orders, now move out!”
“SIR, YES, SIR!” Every soldier responded. They saluted in perfect sync as the whole room echoed with their cheers, which rattled a few of the tables and banners hanging from the wall. Commander Blade took no notice of the commotion going around him, and instead merely walked towards the door. He stopped in front of Silver and muttered, “I hope you are right, soldier. Every minute we waste is another minute that Celestia and those ponies could be harmed, or worse.” He continued walking on. He only stopped to grab a map and another cup of coffee.
“I hope so too,” Silver quietly responded, as he fell in line behind the other soldiers to march out.
Outside, it looked like no time had passed. The moon still hung high in the sky, the stars twinkling like Hearth’s Warming Eve lights. Breaking the normally peaceful night, the soldiers prepared themselves. Armor and weapons were inspected and double checked, supplies counted, and final words said by those who felt they might not make it back. It was a touching scene, but Silver paid little attention to it. All he could think about was what Spike said to him, ‘Promise me you will find Twilight, won’t you, Silver?’
“Alright, soldiers! Let’s fly! Remember, there are civilians there, use caution! Don’t attack unless you need to!” Commander Blade roared.
The squad took flight, flapping their wings in perfect synchronization as they left the ground. Soon, Ponyville became s spec behind them, a few fading lights as they flew closer and closer to the Everfree Forest. Silver never really got a good look at the Everfree Forest; he only heard about it from the stories told by the few brave ponies that went in there. What he heard were not stories of happiness, gumdrops, and rainbows. For one thing, the clouds moved on their own, something that no normal pegasus could imagine. Also, the creatures here were wild, surviving on the basest instincts a creature could have before becoming beasts and, even then, there were many more monsters living there. No morals, no values, and the only law that held any weight here was survival of the fittest. Everything considered, not a place to bring a first date.
He was not here, however, to bring a date; he was on a mission, along with the rest of the soldiers. They flew in a 'V' formation to achieve maximum speed, searching for any signs of life. “Keep in formation! According to maps, as long as we maintain this altitude, we should be able to get to the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters in about ten minutes! Remember, we are looking for six ponies!” he heard Blade say. Silver nodded. He knew what he had to do. Even if he was not able to save Princess Celestia, he must save Twilight.
“Wait, sir! I think I see them!” one of the guards called out. The group looked in the direction the guard was pointing. Six darkened figures were heading towards them. They were pegasi, but they could not make out any details.
“Silver,” said Commander Blade. “Do you know if Twilight Sparkle is a pegasus?”
“No, sir, she is a unicorn. The dragon showed me a picture of her.” Silver became nervous. Who were these pegasi flying towards them?
“Alright, stay on your guard, don’t attack unless I give the command,” Commander Blade growled. The six figures flew closer, but the contingent still couldn’t make out any features.
“Halt! This is Commander Blade, member of the Royal Guard! State your name and business here in Everfree Forest!” Commander Blade ordered in a booming voice.
The figures did not respond, but kept flying closer and closer. They were about half a mile away and quickly closing the distance.
“I don’t like this one bit,” Commander Blade muttered. “Prepare yourselves, this could get ugly. I am going to try one more time. ATTENTION FLYING CREATURES! IDENTIFY YOURSELVES AND INTENTIONS AT ONCE, UNDER ORDER OF COMMANDER BLADE OF THE ROYAL GUARD, OR WE WILL USE FORCE!”
“Silence! You do not talk to us like that!” a voice hissed from the darkness. The group of flying pegasi was finally close enough to be viewed under the moonlight, the sight of them sent chills down Silver's spine.
They all looked like guards that one would see in the Royal Castle, but there were key differences: their armor was a deep shade of blue, their wings not made of feathers, but of something akin to wings of a bat. Their eyes glowed, as if backed by and aura of flame. Each of them looked identical, except for the one Silver assumed as the leader of the group. He had a special symbol on his chest plate and helm: a picture of a black unicorn's head against a purple background.
“Who the heck are you, what is your business here?” Commander Blade yelled. It was more of a demand then a question.
“What, did your mothers never teach you any manners?” The leader of the dark horses sneered. Commander Blade growled at him. The leader continued, “Well, since I kind of pity you, I will tell you who we are. We are Nightmare Moon’s heralds, sworn to enforce her will and protect her majesty, it’s our job to stop ponies like you from interfering with her reign.”
“Nothing is going to stop us from defeating Nightmare Moon, especially some lousy second-rate night crawlers like you!” Commander Blade said through gritted teeth.
“Be that way,” the leader mused smugly. “It’s your funeral,” he turned to the guards behind him. “Make sure none of them interfere with our majesty's plans.” They sped off into the night, and hid among the clouds.
Suddenly, one of the night guards flanked Silver, sending him stumbling through the air. He quickly regained control and searched frantically for the attacker. He was hit again, but this time from below. The surprise attack knocked the air out of him and he began to descend. He quickly regained composure, his eyes steeled, his body bruised, but ready for another strike. Come on, hit me one more time, I dare ya. The night guard flew in from the right, but Silver was ready this time. He quickly turned to face the night creature and hit it square in the jaw. The night being flew backward, blood flowing from its mouth.
“Nice hit, boy, but that’s the only one you’ll get on me!” The creature screamed and flew high into the air.
“We’ll see about that!” Silver hollered, quickly flapping his wings to match the increased altitude.
The two kept flying higher and higher until the other fighters became camouflaged against the forest groves. There, under full view of the moon and the stars, the night creature turned around quickly and tried to strike. Silver dodged and whacked the creature on the back, trying to disable its wings. The nocturnal pegasus flew back up to Silver and the two began to trade blows. Back and forth, the two swung and flew at each other, like two championship boxers, each trying to find the best angle to plant another strong punch to the side or a buck to the face. Every part of Silver’s body screamed at him to stop, but he had only one thing on his mind. Must... not... fail... Must... not... FAIL! He felt rage building inside of him, fueling his continued conflict. Neither he nor the night guard would give up and it seemed that only death would decide the victor.
“Well, well, well, this guard has some strength in him after all, not bad, boy.” The night guard announced bemusedly, although Silver could see he was in pain. “Too bad it’s too late. Our Princess is going to stop your precious little ponies with her magic. The night will last FOREVER!”
“OVER MY DEAD BODY IT WILL!!!” Silver screeched, as he summoned what little strength he had left and flew straight into the guard, slamming him against a tall pine tree. The night guard quickly escaped Silver's grasp, reversed it, and started smashing Silver’s head into the tree.
“You. Will. Not. Get. Away. With. This!” Silver screamed out between face smashes.
“Well, it seems that I am.” The night guard grabbed Silver’s neck, reached as far back as he could, and slammed it into the wood one more time, like a lumberjack trying to chop down the last bit of tree. Silver could feel the splinters in his face, the sap mixing with the blood pouring down his cheeks. It was now or never. He had to do something quickly. Suddenly, Silver got an idea.
It's dirty, and it's cheap, but it will do.
He bit the night guard on the neck, as if he were some sort of vampire pony: a vampony.
The night guard immediately twisted his neck out of Silver's mouth and dropped several feet, cursing all the way down. Silver dived and grabbed the night guard by the sides, and slammed him into the pine branches. SNAP! SNAP! SNAP! The branches cracked, or maybe it was the night guard’s bones, Silver didn't care either way. Oh, to hear the air being knocked out of the guard, to watch the fragments of wood stick in the night guard's body; Silver was overjoyed. It was a primal joy, something more beast than pony. By the time they reached the ground, the night guard's body was as still as the night sky above.
Silver panted heavily, standing tall and proud above the body, like a lion after a successful hunt. “YEAH, YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE DAY GUARDS! WHO WANTS SOME? I WILL TAKE YOU ALL ON, ONE By one-- ” Suddenly, everything started to go blurry. He tried to walk forward, but it felt like the world was slipping from underneath his hooves. He stumbled, the ground shaking and swirling around him.
“SILVER!” he heard a voice scream. He saw Commander Blade and two others fly towards him. “WE NEED A MEDIC OVER HERE, NOW!” Commander Blade hollered at the other ponies flying overhead.
The world was growing dimmer and darker each second. He could barely make out the white pegasi near him now. “Sir?”
“Don’t talk, Silver. Save your energy. Dammit, soldier, you took a beating, what were you doing up there? Yes, yes, apply the salve quickly. Listen, Silver, you are going to be alright. Just hang on. Do you hear me?”
“Save... Twilight...” Silver barely managed to squeak out.
I am so sorry Spike. I failed you.
“Just hang on Silver!” He heard a voice say.
I failed you and, I failed Celestia.
Everything went black. The last thing he remembered was a single thought:
I am a failure.
Silver and Celestia were back in the room where they started. Silver rubbed his head, “Wow... That was... odd,” he looked around, “and yet, everything looks the same. What time is it?”
“Well, according to the clock, noon,” Princess Celestia said as she pointed to a clock on the wall.
Silver was exasperated. “We’ve literally seen an entire NIGHT’S worth of events! How the heck does that work?”
Celestia was surprisingly calm as she said, “That’s how the memory spell works. An hour in the memory is a minute in the real word. It deals with the perception of the mind.”
Silver rubbed his head in confusion.
Magic makes no sense to me.
“So, what happened after I passed out?”
“From the report I got from Commander Blade, you were taken immediately to the nearest hospital. You were lucky they were fast--A few moments later and you could’ve been dead.”
Silver shuddered at the thought.
“However,” Princess Celestia continued, “you obviously didn’t make it out unscratched. You suffered a few bone fractures in your ribs, many gashes all over your body, and the doctors were surprised you didn’t suffer any brain trauma after you were knocked into that tree so many times.”
“What about the ponies that were in the Everfree Forest? What about them?"
If they were hurt, all that pain... All that work... It would have been for nothing.
Celestia noticed the concern on his face, and said, “It’s okay. Don’t worry, the guards found the ponies at the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, along with Princess Luna and I, right where you said they would be. You didn't break your promise to Spike. I am very proud of you,” Princess Celestia smiled at the guard.
Silver looked confused. “But I didn’t do anything! I mean, sure, I figured out where the ponies would be, but, in the end, it wasn’t the guards that defeated Nightmare Moon and you and Luna could have gotten the ponies home fine.”
“Actually, you are wrong. If you didn’t tell the guards where they would be, the Royal Guard wouldn't have found the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters and Nightmare Moon’s guards would've gotten to the six ponies, thus never letting them succeed in their quest. It is true that you did not directly defeat Nightmare Moon, but your actions helped saved the ponies from disaster. You are a hero, Silver Lining.”
“Hero?” Silver never thought of himself as a hero. “So, you aren’t mad at me?”
Celestia laughed. “Why would I be mad at the pony who helped save Equestria? The question is, do you think you will be okay now?”
Silver smiled weakly. “Yeah, I think so. Thanks again, Celestia.” He bowed humbly.
Celestia returned the bow. “No, Silver. Thank you. You are dismissed.”
Silver walked towards the door and took one last look at Celestia. She waved at him as she cleaned up the tea. He waved back and opened the door.
Wow, I can’t believe that just happened. Me... A hero. I can’t take all the credit though. Thanks, Twilight and friends, whoever, wherever you are. And thank you, Celestia... Thanks for everything.
Silver walked out of the room, where Skyward was waiting impatiently. “Well?” he asked quickly, as they began to walk away.
“Well, what?” Silver replied, acting innocent.
“Well, what did she say in there? What did YOU say in there? You were only in there for like twenty minutes. Are you fired? Do you need to take time off? Are you really okay? Was it a mare after all?” Night’s questions were rapid-fire, with hardly a break in between the individual questions.
“We talked about what happened at the Summer Sun Celebration, went over the night, and in the end, she helped me feel better about what happened. That’s it.” Silver commented dryly, but he could not keep a straight face.
“You are the worst liar, you know that?” Skyward said, his voice frustrated, but a big grin on his face.
“Don’t worry, I will tell you all about it tonight over at Thelma’s Pub. A round of Dragon Bitters on me,” Silver said, with a sly grin on his face.
“Alright, I guess I can wait until then,” Skyward began to jokingly sulk, as he lowered his shoulders until they were near the ground and stomped heavily.
Silver laughed, “You are a good friend, you know that?”
“I know.”
“I mean it.”
“I know.”
The two looked at each other, and laughed.
The End.
Acknowledgements:
I would like to thank my editor, Robert (themainsix) for his editor skills, and for bouncing off my ideas. Also, many thanks to my friends Albert, and Justin for their help.
Also, thanks to everyone at Hasbro, and Lauren Faust and her team, for creating this wonderful show, and allowing us bronies to thrive.
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And thank you, yes you, the reader, for reading this. Remember, no matter what we have done in the past, it is the present that defines us. And we are always here for you.
Well, until next time, take care of yourselves.
-TehDemin
All characters used in this story are property of their respective owners.
