Canterlot Castle's Throne Room bristled with energy, as the Princess of the Sun sat upon her throne. Several dignitaries of multiple races gathered about, seated across the walls, while the entrance stood agape, allowing all to see.
From within the center of the doorway, a lone, brown-haired Human Knight, perhaps just barely reaching the age of eighteen, stepped inside the Throne Room, still clad in his silver chainmail armor, with a Tabard of the Sun wrapped around his chest.
He knelt before the Princess of the Sun, herself, and closed his eyes, while she smiled and approached him in response.
Gently offering her hoof, she said unto him, "Prince Solaris... mine dearest boy... the beloved Son of Daylight... at long last, thy training is complete! Thou hast endured a multitude of tasks, each of which even the bravest of souls met their match against, and stood out amongst them as thou overcame above and beyond... even while outnumbered, and outclassed.
"As such, 'tis the greatest honor that I, Princess Celestia of Equestria, bestow upon thee the title of... 'Solar Knight'.
"May thy Sword never Dull, and thy Strength never Falter."
She concluded this by offering her hoof for him to grasp. He did so swiftly, and planted a kiss upon her hoof, as tradition required.
When his seal was placed unto her hand, she motioned for him to rise... which he did without hesitation.
The crowd that gathered around clapped their claws, stomped their hooves, and cheered for his promotion. Surely enough, he held great repute amongst his subjects. And they, in turn, respected him dearly.
And so, the rest of the celebration was met with numerous well-wishes and long-life comments, before its eventual closure.
Afterwards, she sat upon her Throne, while Solaris walked to the Training Grounds, where he would continue to build up his resolve... for he had much to do... and at little notice.
"Maker's blood... why can't thou hold thy blade straight?!" came the annoyed voice of a Pegasus General, as he stood among various humans and ponies alike. They were all wearing training armor, and fought each other with wooden blades.
But alas, it appeared that they were fresh blood.
The General sighed before turning towards the entrance. Upon seeing the young human that bore the Solar Tabard, he smiled and motioned for the man to approach.
"Ah, Solaris! Good morrow to thee! I see thy celebration went well!" the general said, before leaning up to pat the human on the shoulder.
Solaris nodded his head, before motioning towards the fighting soldiers.
"Hmm? Wouldst thou like a spar, Your Highness?" the General asked, to which the human replied with a nod.
"Well... 'twould actually be most helpful, in truth. These lads can hardly handle a broom, let alone a sword!" Then the General whistled, catching everyone's attention.
"Attention! A new idea hath risen! Now, thou all shalt be tested with a new challenge... make way for the Solar Knight!"
The soldiers immediately stood to attention, while the large ring in the center was approached by the knight in question.
Solaris stood in the center, while several other trainees eyed him warily.
"Now, then! Thou all hath been training for far longer than the daybreak! As such, thy training shall be tested, for results!" The General pointed at a random human, and motioned for him to enter the ring.
The human did so, but out of fear. Solaris, in return, backed up slightly to grant him even spacing. The general then tossed the two of them wooden swords to use.
"And now... BEGIN!" the General shouted.
The Trainee immediately charged at Solaris, in an attempt to catch him off-guard. Swinging his sword in a downward lunge, he was quick to learn the error of his attempt.
Solaris swept the blade with his own to the side, and stepped to the side, foot held out.
The Trainee immediately tripped and fell out of the ring, while several of the other Trainees began to laugh.
Then Solaris approached him and held a hand out to aid him in standing back up. He accepted the offering, and bowed his head respectfully, while Solaris returned the gesture.
"Next!" the General called out.
The next Trainee to approach was another human, though this one looked far more experienced than the previous one.
He approached Solaris slowly, with both hands on his sword's handle, while Solaris stuck with his one-handed approach.
The Trainee then slowly moved his sword towards Solaris, forcing him to clash the blade of his own sword against the other.
Finally, the Trainee crossed the swords and moved his handle to the left, in an attempt to circle around Solaris, but Solaris met his foot movements with his own, keeping the blades together.
Finally, Solaris gripped his opponent's arm and raised it up, forcing the Trainee's weapon to be immovable, before sliding his own sword off the blade, and mere inches from the Trainee's head.
The Trainee smiled and nodded his head, before backing away, placing his right fist over his chest in a Salute.
Again, Solaris returned the gesture.
Eventually the Solar Knight began defeating human after human... until...
"And now, let us see how thou fares against an Equestrian!"
A Pegasus Trainee approached the arena, with his sword firmly gripped into his mouth.
"Impressive work, Your Highness... 'Tis an honor to be thy Sparring Partner today!" the Pegasus claimed prior to the General's signal to begin.
Solaris smiled back at him and bowed his head respectfully in response, mirroring his mutual feelings. In truth, this would be the first fight against an Equestrian for him, due to having been trained in a Human-Centered Barracks.
The pegasus took to the air, and rushed towards Solaris in a horizontal spin-attack.
Solaris quickly ducked from the blade, before catching the guard's leg with his own, emitting a loud clank.
"Fatal Blow!" the General called out, only to deadpan when one of the soldiers looked towards him.
"Not thou, Rookie!"
The pegasus landed, sighing in disappointment, but smiled nonetheless when Solaris patted him on the shoulder.
"Well fought, My Prince. 'Tis no wonder thou bearest the title of Solar Knight!"
When the Pegasus returned to the audience, however, a thought came upon the General's mind.
"Hmm... how about we step this up a notch?" He then turned towards someone standing guard near the entrance.
"Commander Swift! How dost thou feel of a spar against our newest Solar Knight?!" he called out.
The figure in question was human-like in shape, but instead of legs, he had hooves. His helmet was that of an Equestrian's, yet his face was unable to be seen within it. However, his golden blonde mane and snow-white fur could be seen tied in a knot that flew from the back of his helm, and midway down his back.
As he approached the ring, he held as much silence as Solaris, but nodded nonetheless.
"Swift Justice... I hear he's half-breed... 'tis sure to be an amazing fight, indeed..." one of the Trainees said to his friends, who nodded their heads in response.
When Solaris and Swift stood at the center, they both made a saluting gesture, bowing their heads. When they straightened out, however, they both gripped their swords' handles with both hands, and held them up in a Middle Stance.
"Though curious do I feel of his name... Swift." another Trainee commented. Immediately after, and the General stomped his hoof on the ground.
And then, in a blurring motion, the Half-Breed rushed towards the human; their swords striking thrice in one second. Their movements were undeniably quick, and their arms, a blur.
The Trainees stood in shock at the power they were witnessing, as the two Solar Knights clashed head-to-head.
And then, Solaris made a slight misstep, giving him an opening for Swift to lightly scratch his shoulder.
"Minor blow!" the General called out, motioning towards Solaris.
The two continued to fight after a brief second. Swift then took on a High Stance, but Solaris caught on, and shifted his own to a Side Left, and spun to Swift's left, dodging the downward blow, and granting his opponent a scratch to the left hip.
"Minor blow!" the General called out, motioning towards Swift.
Then they both returned to their Middle Stances, and charged again.
Minor blow after minor blow, the two continued to fight on, with no time to break in-between. The motions of their movements were that of a Dance of Death, with seemingly no limits.
The General then declared that the next one to land even a slight strike shall be declared victor of the match.
It was then that they halted their dance, and stood in a still motion, reading upon the opponents' stances. For each shift of Guard that one made, the other mirrored it perfectly.
Then, in the dropping of a pin, they both blurred together, while a loud crack echoed through the field.
When the dust cleared, the Trainees stood in shock, as both of the Training Swords were now broken handles that lacked a blade.
A draw was the result... or it would've been, until one of the wooden pieces of the blades landed onto Solaris's right boot, just barely nicking the edge of it before falling into the dust.
"Fatal blow!" the General called out, pointing at Solaris, who straightened out his posture, turned towards Swift, and bowed his head respectfully, while also giving his fellow Solar Knight a salute.
Swift returned the gesture, before walking back to his post silently.
And with that, Solaris stepped out of the ring, while the Trainees continued to stare at the two in shock. Regardless of who won, 'twas quite clear that it was only to grant them access to the Training Ring once again... and as some even proclaimed, even a deliberate choice the Prince made, claiming they saw him move his foot to catch the blade, even.
But in the end, they chalked it up with Swift's experience, seeing how he was, in all respects, a Solar Knight long before Solaris was, anyways.
"Remember that which thou hath observed, for thy enemies may very well be the same many moons from now! And in the end, shalt thou be capable of thy own survival?" the General called out.
The rest of his lesson was soon drowned out as Solaris made his way towards the Main Hall.
"Thou hast been quite busy, haven't thee?" came the voice of a female near the library.
Solaris turned to face the source of said voice... 'twas none other than Twilight Sparkle, the student of his mother, and occasional acquaintance. She was being followed by her purple drake, Spike
Their time spent together, however, were only brief, and with few words spake from the unicorn, due to her constant studies.
This'd be a rare occasion when she didn't carry a book with her, however. Instead, she was wearing a saddlebag with books inside them, including one that stood out from the rest, with a golden frame around it.
Solaris motioned towards it, while she followed his gesture, and smiled. "'Tis a simple book of mine that I've decided to read. It shan't be much of an issue, though, for it also pertains to the subject I'm researching in class, as well."
"Come on, Twilight! We mustn't delay much longer, lest we be late!" the small purple drake called out from behind her. Spike was carrying with him a red gift box, containing a stuffed bear.
"Of course, Spike... my sincerest apologies for making this meeting brief, but I must make haste. 'Tis good to see thee again, though... oh, and congratulations on thy new title, Solar Knight!" she said, bowing her head respectfully.
With a responding bow of respect, Solaris turned back towards his destination, while the three parted ways; Twilight and Spike towards the Park, and Solaris towards his bedroom, where he would then choose to slip into something far more comfortable than his armor.
The Throne Room's doors opened up yet again, as Solaris approached, now garbed in a white shirt and fine brown-linen leggings. He wore a pair of dark leather boots, and his hands were garbed in brown linen gloves.
He stopped shortly in the center of the room, once the doors slammed shut. Startled, he turned around, only to find that the door had vanished!
The room around him soon began to fade into a midnight sky, followed by the floor. He eyed the aura worriedly, and took an inquisitive step, only to find that the floor was still there.
Solaris then heard a growl from overhead, and looked up. A pair of glowing red eyes stared back at him with hunger.
Instinctively, he reached to his left hip to draw his sword, only to be reminded that he was now unarmed.
The red-eyed creature that looked of pure darkness soon took a step forward, while five more behind it stepped to the side, revealing their presence.
He glared at them all, and raised his fists, deciding he shan't go out without a fight.
The creatures then stepped towards each other, and merged into one behemoth, with a large eye opening up at its chest. Its stomach opened up in a manner similar to a mouth, with fangs circling within.
Its massive arms emitted sharp-looking claws from all directions.
It roared loudly, before taking a swing at Solaris. Luckily, he was able to dodge the attack.
The impact from the blow, however, sent a shockwave that forced him to the ground, and giving the creature an opening.
It used its other hand to grip onto him and hold him in place, while its eye came closer to look at him directly.
Finally, its mouth opened up, but it refused to consume him, as he thought it would.
Instead, the creature melted into a strange, black liquid, and rushed over towards a new presence.
Solaris sat back up, only to stare in awe at the Mare of the Moon, whose stories surely gave him nightmares in his childhood.
Nightmare Moon grinned wickedly at him, before taking a single step forward.
And then, her serpent-like eyes became that of pure white, and glowed with a dark blue aura around them.
Finally, in a flash of light, she was mere inches from his head, fangs opened. She lunged towards his head.
Solaris jumped up with a start, looking around at his bedroom. His breathing was unstable, and sweat covered his whole body.
Wiping his eyes, he let out a sigh of relief, before looking out the window... 'twas still night time, and yet, he didn't feel like sleeping.
And so, he dressed himself in his casual attire, then closed his wardrobe, eyeing the mirror. His sword was still hanging on the wall.
With a moment to think, he decided to take his sword with him, tying its scabbard to his belt. There was something odd about that dream, after all... for it didn't feel like an ordinary dream.
Within the Throne Room, Princess Celestia rubbed her chin in thought, while her son stood there, kneeling respectfully to her.
"Hmm... 't must've been an omen, then, for mine own dream bore similar creatures... mayhaps mine sister draws nearer and nearer from her imprisonment."
Solaris looked up at her, bewildered.
"Oh, yes... I, too, hath seen the Night Terrors with mine own eyes. They were capable of coming to life during mine sister's corruption, and plagued the land for centuries after her banishment. In truth, I fear they may be returning once more."
He stood from his place, and placed his hand on his chest, which made her smile.
"I'm well aware that thou wisheth to pursue these creatures... in fact, thou may very well be one of the very few that are capable. However, thy duties are to come first... for I've a task that thou must do, first and foremost.
"I'm certain thou hast met mine student, Twilight Sparkle. Correct?" she asked, tilting her head curiously.
He nodded his head in response.
"Good... then that shall make this easier. I've a task for her, involving these things... and it shan't be one she could do on her own. She was given the task of finding the Elements of Harmony, which long ago, I scattered across Equestria, so as to protect them from falling into the wrong grasp.
"I need thou to protect her, as well as the Bearers, of which the Elements shall choose."
Solaris nodded his head and saluted, before turning to leave. However, Celestia cleared her throat, forcing him to stop.
"This shall be the last we speak in person for a long time, Son... I want thou to know that I shall be with thee always, though. When thou leaveth the city, it shall be under quarantine.
My student shall be in Ponyville, awaiting thy presence. She hasn't been informed of this, yet."
She then floated a letter his way, rolled up in a scroll.
"Take this with thee. Show it to her, and only her. She shall understand when the time comes."
Solaris took the scroll and nodded his head.
"The fate of Equestria now rests in thy shoulders, Prince Solaris... so now, make haste, for the time draws near!"
With an affirming nod, he pockets the scroll and rushes out of the Throne Room. He would make one last stop at his room, where he opens his Armor Drawer.
Within minutes, he leaves the room clad in his Solar Armor, helmet and all.
He approached the Entrance Hall, while several other guards made their way over to the Throne Room - including a couple Solar Knights.
When they crossed paths, they gave understanding nods to each other, before exiting the area.
When Solaris made it to the tracks, several carriages were splayed out, with civilians already boarding. The carriages were pulled by Pegasus Guards, and some were already in flight.
However, there was one that stood out from the rest...
