“ICARUS. I WOULD SPEAK WITH YOU.”

That first sound, that “IHK” that starts my name... Hearing that gave me a fear I have never experienced before. It was as if the iced waters of the Crystal Empire raced from the base of my skull to the tip of my dock. Guard training said I should have dropped into a defensive position for protection. That reflex wasn’t triggered, I was in such shock.

My personal dreamscape, my get-away from everything and everypony, my One True Home of Peace, my personal playground of decadence didn’t evaporate when I heard the first phoenem of my name. It didn’t crumble or even shatter. It simply… “Turned off”?

I can’t describe it better than that, except to say that it was “unnerving”.

The voice that called to me, that cut through my serenity and lanced through my being with The Royal Canterlot Voice, was that of The Supreme Lunar Guard Commander herself.

Her Majesty, Princess Luna.

Her voice was a moment of both clear sound and intent. She hadn’t made a request; She stated a fact as obvious as “rain is wet”. And just as precise, the sound of her voice simply stopped at the end. There was no lingering echo or ringing like every other sound has. It simply died in the blackness around me.

I had never experienced a “sound shadow” before. I don’t want to again.

The Princess knew me just as she knew all her guards. She’d made it a point to meet the Lunar Guardsponies when they’re commissioned into service. She’d bow her head, thank us for our hard work and success, levitated our royal scroll acknowledging our rank and posting after having passed guard training…

--and too quietly for anyone else but us to hear, She said to me, “I hope I am always worthy of your service, Lunar Guard Icarus.”

She congratulated us all the same way: personally, by name, and letting us know She understood the responsibility of her authority over us.

As individuals we aren’t special batponies to her or anypony else. There was a class of about thirty of us that season, all uniformed characters, identically dressed, which serves to make us less an individual and more a collective. But at the moment of our commissioning, for a brief few seconds, we were given to feel that we were the most important batpony in all Equestria to Her.

And now Her Majesty, Princess Luna of Equestria, the Ruling Sovereign of the Night, the Guardian of the Dreamscape, the Living Avatar of the Moon, who once challenged Princess Celestia for control of all Equestria, and nearly succeeded, had a special intent on me.

I stood where I was, beyond rock still, unsupported in the blackness; not even hearing my own breathing.

Her Majesty would know I heard her; it would be impossible not to in such a situation. She wouldn’t need to wait for any kind of acknowledgment; we guardsponies are trained to obey any order coming from the Sovereign Herself.

She had spoken to me. Protocol needed to be observed.

I straightened up and replied to the Nowhere, “At your discretion, Highness.”

Since she hadn’t said “NOW”, I allowed myself to slip into sleep. She would order for me when She wanted my attendance.

Mercifully I was permitted a full-day’s dreamless sleep to rest after my night’s delivery work.

Mercilessly it became a week’s worth before I was back at Canterlot Castle and summoned for.

Author's Note

This series is something I've had bubbling in my head for a while now. I want to explore some dark, VERY dark parts of who Icarus has become in my mind. And truth be told, I'm not sure of where the ending point is just yet. BUT I want to start exploring, start looking around at an idea that popped into my head and made this series almost needed.

The next chapter should cover the groundwork of what caught Princess Luna's attentions and how Icarus will be permitted to proceed.

--and the ramifications of it.