“Lets talk, shall we?”

Unable to do much more than stare, I continued to try and gain control over my facial features to glare at the draconequus. Standing atop Strong Hoof’s blade, he took the silence as acceptance and began his oncoming monologue.

“I must say, for a pony, you have become quite the thorn in my side as of late. Sure, I expected those overprotective sisters to assign my dear little bird a few guards, or merely protect him themselves, but instead it’s you, a mere pegasus.”

A well-trained pegasus mare, thank you very much.

He grinned, floating over to me, stopping in front of my muzzle to lightly poke my nose. The touch sent a shock through my body, but as I was frozen, my body didn’t react outwardly. To both of our surprise, seconds later, a pink bolt of electricity shot from the spot he poked me, and flew towards discord, the hit landing center mass, and almost comically, his body shook, electrified, and moments later was found charred and smoking. Composing himself by brushing the soot from off of his body, he narrowed his eyes at me, now keeping a distance from me.

“Then again…you are hardly anything but a normal mare, Divine Intervention.” He turned away, floating back to his perch, atop Hoof’s blade, muttering just loudly enough for me to hear. “Just like your mother, blessed by that damnable tree.”

Blessed? Tree? What is he talking about?

As if he were able to hear my internal pondering, he reappeared in front of me, a magnifying glass in his hand, peering into my eyes. Finding something, he tossed the glass aside, crossing his arms, smiling.

“Ah…so even as she lives, you don’t know? Well now, it would seem she continues to surprise me even now, a true shame your dear mother refused my offer…”

Strong Hoof walked beside his impaled blade, clearing his throat. Discord looked at him, rolling his eyes. “Yes, yes, perhaps I should explain…”

Strong Hoof growled. “Lord Discord, I feel as though you are wasting precious time here. Let us cut them down and be done with this already.” He glared at me. “Despite her recent failures, I would be an idiot to not recognize how formidable she is.”

Discord scoffed, waving a claw at me. “Pish posh, my little pony. I wish to play a game with the royals, I am a being of chaos! A mere easy win with no challenge, luck of the draw, or flaws is no win at all.” The earth pony cringed at his wording, but Discord continued. “As much as I wish to put those insufferable sisters in their place, I too, understand the necessity for balance. Long ago, I once ruled as I threaten to, and I must say, chaos, unchallenged, is quite boring. Why, the very reason I started this game was to ensure a proper balance back to this world. These ponies, living their lives in their so called, harmony, leaving conflict to a mere six mares simply irritates my very being.”

The dragoness stepped forward, joining the conversation. “I believe I understand, and though it pains me to do so, I agree.” She looked at me, an unreadable gaze upon her face. “These equestrians are much too complacent. They are too easily satisfied to lead these insignificant lives of comfort and becoming ever more resistant to change. The tides of change wait for no one, pony or otherwise, and they have sat upon their golden throne, ignorant of their true duty as a world power. Despite their desire for harmony, as they put it, they are much too content, unwilling to face the true problems of this world, only limited to the pony lands. Action must be taken, and their ignorance will be their downfall, as they will soon learn.”

Discord clapped, wiping a fake tear from his face. “Well said, my fair dragoness. I suppose to us, having as long as we have, it is easy to see. Their peace is flawed with aspirations for complacency, and even after the unification of their three tribes, they are still at war with even themselves, but do nothing about it.” He then flinched, glaring at someone behind me. “Although It appears that our companion has a point. This particular group is rather troublesome. Given time, they very well may foil your plans of a revolution…”

As if sensing a chance for bloodshed, Strong Hoof hoisted the blade out of the ground, rearing his head to the side for a swing, no doubt ready to cleave me in two. However, upon his strike, the steel was stopped in its deadly arc, only severing a few hairs from my fur coat. Discord, pushing the sword away from my neck, shook his head at my former commander.

“Now, now, your time will come soon enough, calm your bloodlust, after all, you left quite the mess in this forest as it is.” The brown pony considered this, then responded by sheathing his sword. He smirked at me.

“I suppose you're right Lord Discord, those ponies were hardly worth my time. Foals put up more of a fight than those guards did.”

My eyes widened, despite Discord’s magic. This did not go unnoticed, as the creature turned to me, smiling. “Ah forgive me, my dear, it would not do to leave you so out of the loop. Allow me.” He snapped, and in a flash of light, we were teleported to the forest camp, where a horrific sight awaited my eyes. Tents were set ablaze, occasionally exploding into larger fires due to their contents. Various weapons littered the ground, broken, shattered, or untouched. Drying bloodstains littered the camp. In the small clearing, the center of the burning circle of tents was a gruesome pile of lifeless bodies. The smell of the charred and battered remains made me sick to my stomach, and as I looked on, I saw that the wildlife of the forest had begun to converge at the pile, dragging away corpses, or tearing into them where they laid. As I screamed internally, Discord once more floated into my vision. I focused on him, trying to forget about the gruesome sight in front of me.

“Truly, this bland little camp of yours was in need of some decorations. Your pal over there appears to be quite fond of red.” Discord looked at the sight around us once more before suddenly glaring at something behind me, his yellow eyes glowing a light blue briefly before he spoke once more. “Now, as wonderful as it has been talking to you, my lovely fallen angel, I’m afraid you have a role to play, and as such, I must send you on your way. You can thank your leafy companion over there for my brevity. Now, do try and give me a good show, would you? I’m sure my little bird will be quite happy to see you again, in time.” He paused, bringing a talon up to his muzzle in thought before he reached into his ear, pulling out a silver necklace, and placed it around my neck. “A gift from your human, though I believe he is quite the mess without it. But I’m sure you’ll need it more than he does. Never let it be said that I don’t treat my mares fairly. Oh! And do tell Lulu I said hello, I haven’t the time to attend every pony I know~” Winking at me, he snapped his fingers, and with a loud pop, my vision went black.

In this dark void, only whispers of the fallen could be heard. The dark void was endless, devoid of the sun’s embrace. Faces of those who I left behind stared into my very soul.
“Please…please just kill me.”

“Why did you leave?”

“I-i never even got the chance to tell her…that I loved her…”

The voices, the torment, the visions of death, they all play before me. I can’t move. I can’t breathe. I can only watch.

“Please! Why are you doing this?!”

“To arms! Slay the traitor!”

“For the princess!”

With every vision, the guards who I had left behind battled against Strong Hoof, helpless against his blade of destruction cleaving through armor and bone as if it were butter. He swatted aside grown stallions as if they were flies. Spears and swords did nothing to his armor. With his every movement, drops of crimson splattered the ground. With their every breath, a scream sounded, and with each scream that sounded into the night, the guiltier i felt. With tears beginning to flow, I gained control of my body and turned around, hoping to see anything else.

Unable to escape the visions, the scene eventually shifted to a sight of a pile of corpses. It was piled high, and flames raged in the background, illuminating the darkness of the forest. Before it all, sat Strong Hoof. His brown coat was stained in red liquid. His saddlebags were filled with parchment, likely of information to be used against Equestria’s military. His eyes sparkled in the firelight. He was grinning with such an insanity that it sent shivers down my spine, but once more, I was unable to move, fueling my never ending dread. He rose to his hooves, walking towards me, yet his sword was nowhere to be seen.

Upon reaching me, his smile faded, taking on a look of disappointment. He nodded to my side, and able to move my head, I followed his gaze with my eyes. Beside me was…Hawksy. My senior knight. One of my many mentors. I had never gotten to really know the older pegasus, and even after learning the names of most knights I worked with, I didn’t know his true name.

Though now, it was too late. His body was covered in wounds, and his legs had been severed in multiple places like some sort of sick jigsaw puzzle, waiting to be put together, only for those that tried, realize that the pieces don’t fit together like they should. Not being able to stomach the sight, I tried to look away, but I couldn’t move. Even with my muzzle firmly shut, my screams echoed throughout the void, and the voices of the fallen spoke once more, as I continued to look at my battered companion, his wounds growing more and more disturbing.

“Some guardian you are.”

I...never wanted this. I never wanted that name, this life, this career, any of it.

“You knew something was wrong.”

Sure I did, but...but what else was I supposed to do? Ignore orders? Strong Hoof would have cut me down where I stood.

“Why didn’t you say anything to the rest of us?”

I...I just felt so worthless, I was supposed to be a leader! I...needed so desperately to prove myself worthy again...after Osprey got hurt...

“Why didn’t you confront him further?”

I should have. But-

“Because of you, I’ll never see my wife.”

I'm sorry.

“Because of you, I’ll never have a family.”

I'm so sorry.

“Because of you, my child will suffer.”

None of you deserved this.

“You should have died with the rest of us, with honor."

Suddenly, the screaming stopped. My body, moving of its own accord, extended my right wing, popping out my wingblade, its steel glowing white in the darkness of the void.

"Why should you continue to live on, knowing what you do, and having done nothing to stop it?"

I agreed with the voice. You're right. I'm...worthless. I should have done more, and yet I ignored every red flag that traitor waved. My wing moved on its own, slowly edging the blade closer and closer to my neck, to end my suffering, to right my wrongs.

"Yes, that's right. Do something with honor for once in your life. Die among our ranks. Come. We will welcome you, Knight of Equestria! Atone for your sins! Join us!"

The blade just barely reached the end of its journey, and I felt at peace. Everything would be as it should. This nightmare would end. In the end, Osprey would forgive me. I'd be able to join my brethren and apologize for being such an idiot. The princess would have one less failure to reprimand. Yes. This was the right thing to do. I would end my journey here.

“ENOUGH!”

A harsh, but familiar voice rang out, and the voices, the visions, and my pain were no more. My wing dropped and the blade disappeared. I was left alone in the darkness once more. Robbed of my release, I felt angry that I would have to continue my suffering instead of letting it all end. Of course...how could I ever deserve the easy way out?

Yet, something was different. For once, the void was silent. The void was dark, absent of any vision.

“Cease this self pity at once. These are your own thoughts, not the desire of your fallen companions.”

The words were sharp and unforgiving, yet compassionate, reminiscent of the night mistress I once served under. Stars, small specks of yellow, white, and blue light, began to fill the darkness of the void, and I could move freely. My body collapsed, and my heart ached as I began to remember what I had seen once more. Warm, wet, stinging tears flowed down my cheeks as I prepared to see the visions once more in this endless cycle i found myself in, knowing that I wouldn't be allowed the mercy of suicide. The night mistress was surely just another trick, to give me hope, only to rip it away again.

“Calm yourself. You have witnessed a great tragedy. Many lives have been lost to the great expanse. Yet you still remain, guardian. You must understand that to take your own life, is to uproot everything they lived to accomplish. This is not your time. You must go on.”

I waited, trying to ignore the disembodied voice, preparing myself for the next vision. Yet, the visions never came, and one by one, the guards who had been slain in the camp walked out from the void, standing amongst the stars, staring at me, their once empty eyes now filled with light. Their bodies flickered with starlight. In their gaze shared they all shared a silent sorrow, and yet, they wore a smile.

“Do not despair, young one. They are lost to the world, and yet, they are with you now, as they will be with you always, among the stars and in your heart.”

Hawksy, no longer in a battered and broken state, stood in front of me. He smiled, moving a hoof to my face to wipe away my tears, yet they threatened to continue as I stared at him.

“I-i don’t even know your real name…” My voice was barely louder than a whisper.

“You will find no answers here, Guardian.”

The voice spoke once more, and still silent, Hawksy motioned for me to follow him. We walked in silence, the stars twinkling in the darkness of the void, and as I passed them, each guard gave me a curt nod or a gentle smile before glowing brightly, leaving a blue star in their wake, floating in the darkness of the abyss.

Soon after seeing the last of the fallen, we arrived at a large pink ball of light, where Hawksy put a comforting hoof on my back, and walked away, disappearing in a vibrant flash of blue flames. In front of me, the pink light began to wash over me, filling me with warmth that I hadn't known I was missing. The voice came once more, a mere whisper in my ear.

“To find the answers you seek, to avenge your fallen, you must escape your own despair. Do not linger among the lost, as you do not belong among them. Understand that your time has not yet come. You are a knight of Equestria. Remember your mission. Remember what you fight for. Remember those you wish to return to.”

With that, I was left alone in the darkness, the voice, stars, and fallen fading away as I started to come to my senses, awakening from my now apparent nightmare. The darkness in front of me began to splinter with a pink light, and I began to feel very cold. Slowly, the cracks grew, and I could hear the sound of stone breaking apart.

With one final crack, the darkness around me shattered, and I was greeted with the sight of the forest, its trees bathed in waves of white snow. Thankfully, the pile of bodies no longer stood in front of me, and I could see lunar guards with torches poking through the remains of our destroyed camp. I blinked a few more times with great effort, realizing that the pieces that fell from my eyes were hard, like stone. Looking down, I saw that my legs, sure enough, were encased in stone.

“Welcome back to the realm of the living, Ma’am.” A voice called out from behind me. Starlight Breaker, wrapped up in a black coat, stepped in front of me, his lime green eyes showing a deep sadness.

“B-breaker…what h-happened?” I managed to stutter out, ignoring the crumbling stone coming off of my body, and the chill of the winter air around us.

The stallion flinched, and looked away. He sucked in a deep breath, then looked me in the eyes once more, his messy white mane covering one of his eyes.

“Discord happened. While he was talking to you, that green unicorn...X-Ray i think, somehow, spoke to me though my mind. We weren’t as frozen as you and the others were, just sluggish. He planned to teleport me as far as he could and told me to report to Luna. After that, he teleported me, but it was to our camp and w-well…”

He looked down. The chilling winter winds picked up speed around us, filling the silence he left with an ominous howling. While it blew, the blue stallion removed his cloak and covered me with it, my body still unable to move completely with stone encasing my lower half. I said nothing, waiting for him to continue.

“I couldn’t move. How could anypony not be frozen in shock when...There just…there was just so much death. Everything was on fire. I-i just couldn’t bring myself to do anything." He took a long breath, composing himself. "Then, you all appeared in the center of camp, and Discord looked right at me.” The stallion shook his head and looked at me. “He didn’t even stop me. He just glared at me. Then I ran and flew as fast as I could to hide, but after a long time of waiting, he never came. So…I just had to come back. I know it was wrong, but I had to find out what happened to you all.” He put a hoof on my leg, still encased in stone. “When I returned, the camp had been burnt down completely. There were no supplies, weapons, orders, potions, teleport circles…it was all gone. But…” He cringed. “The bones were all that was left, I think the animals had eaten everyone who had been left there. Except all of you. Whatever happened after I left, you all had been turned to stone.”

He started chipping away at a part of my body that was still being un-petrified by the mysterious pink light.

“After seeing that, I flew to Canterlot as fast as I could. It took me a few days, but I reached Ponyville, and after recovering for a day there, I made my way to Canterlot. I spoke to Princess Luna, and well…here we are.” He grinned sheepishly. “It…um, took a while to find you. Everything looks the same in the snow.”

I was silent, trying to understand everything that had occurred, yet one thought made its way to the forefront of my mind. Strong Hoof.

“Breaker. Do they know? About...Strong Hoof?” I asked him, my voice still no more than a whisper.

Another voice spoke out from behind me, the very same that had rescued me from my nightmares. “Indeed. However, Knight Intervention, we will discuss that later.” An all too familiar blue alicorn stepped into my view, adorning black armor and was levitating a purple potion in front of her. “Drink this. You have been in stasis for over two months, and you need to recover. Its a miracle you're even still alive.” The cork popped off, and I opened my mouth to allow the liquid inside. Immediately, I felt weak, and my eyelids started to close.

“Rest now, I will speak to you in your dreams.”

—

I opened my eyes to a world full of ornate floating mirrors. Unlike the void from my nightmares, I too, floated in a space full of stars, their gentle glow reassuring me, especially since I could move. A nearby mirror began to float over to me. Unlike the others, the edges were covered with white, pink, and blue feathers. As it got closer, I could see that it was no ordinary mirror.

When I looked at it, I saw a memory, bringing a smile to my face as I recognized the face of Osprey.

“O-okay sparky, lets just take it easy now…”

I giggled from behind Osprey, who had his hands up in front of him, trying to protect himself from a curious Princess Twilight. The two of them had been sitting on her bed, talking about the difference between their respective cultures, and had finally stumbled upon something the human was uncomfortable with.

The purple princess took another step forward towards the retreating human, her quill scribbling furiously against a journal she was levitating in her grasp. Her eyes were looking up and down his body, taking in every detail she could find, yet there was one area that the human had been refusing to show her.

“Oh come on! I promise there’s nothing to worry about, I just want to see the difference!” She growled out at Osprey. He simply narrowed his eyes.

“And how would you go about that? You haven’t even seen a real penis before!!”

The purple mare blushed furiously, but held her ground, edging closer to the human, who was now against the wall, trying to scoot towards the door.

If only I had some popcorn…

“Y-yeah but…I’ve seen them in books! That should be enough t-to note the difference between the-“

“No! Absolutely not! I am not having some purple little virgin poking and playing around with my dingaling just because she can’t get laid. I know your game here sparky, and besides! You already made me draw it for you, that should be enough for your,” He put emphasis on this, “Studies.”

The purple mare turned an adorable shade of red only an innocent could turn. Still, that wasn’t enough to dissuade her.

“I-I am not going t-to play with it! Sure, I will need a sperm sample from you to understand your..." She levitated her journal back, skimming a few pages. "D-deoxyribonucleic acid, so I can compare our biological differences and w-well, to make the process more...comfortable I-I have been reading on how to give a-“

“Oh Hellllll no!"

"BUT CADENCE SAYS THAT ALL STALLIONS LOVE A GOOD BLOW!"
To her credit, the purple mare didn't stutter through that sentence, but when she finished, Osprey paled to a color that couldn't have been healthy, and the mare's eyes widened, her pupils lost in white, as if she hadn't meant to say it out loud.

"NOPE!"

With that, the human ripped the door open, smacking a ruffled, but extended wing into the door in the process, then proceeded to go running through the halls screaming ‘nope’ over and over. Meanwhile, a blushing purple princess sighed and looked at me, fading hope in her eyes.

“I don’t suppose you’d, help me with this, would you?” She asked, her eye slightly twitching.

I put a hoof to my muzzle, trying to conceal the smirk that was only growing wider with the plan I was creating. I walked over to her, and started to whisper in her ear.

“Let me tell you a little secret Princess, if you realllly want to get a stallion in the mood, first you need to-“

“So this is your fault?” Osprey asked me, his arms folded, trying to glare me down. The pink mare that he was wearing as a hat was not helping. Especially when said mare was cloaked in camouflage, peering through binoculars at a nearby tree.

“Hehe well, I did give her some advice, but I didn’t think she’d try and strap you down like that…though, did you see her flank in that latex? She’s got some curves…” I sauntered up to him, giving him a lidded gaze, earning a light blush out of him. “Come now, don’t tell me you don’t want to claim that cute little princess. I saw that little tent you were sporting...”

He only rolled his eyes, turning away from me, still unaware of the pink mare on his head…somehow.

“I won’t fuck a pony. It’s just so wrong…”

For some reason, that kind of hurt. I shook it off, tallying it up to being deprived of a good time in over a month of being in Ponyville. It’s not like I had feelings for the human.

Even if you do have beautiful wings.

Before I could say anything else, he went to scratch his head. Still unaware of his new hat, his hand went to his hair, only for his fingers to strike gold between the legs of the pink mare, who moaned slightly, making the human freeze. He looked up, and Pinkie Pie looked down to meet his gaze, her gaze now half lidded.

“Ooh that's good...d-don’t stop now…”

He screamed while grabbing the pink pony and tossing her off his head, then ran back into town, furiously rubbing his fingers on his shirt, as if he could wipe the shame away.

“Fuck no! Nuh uh! I AM Never using this hand again! Why was she up there! How did she even-“ His voice faded into echoes as he sprinted further into town, getting curious looks from the other ponies. Meanwhile, I couldn’t stop laughing, even as I spread my wings, ready to take flight to catch up with my charge. Before I took off, I looked for Pinkie Pie, but mysteriously, the pink mare was gone, and in her absence was a note. It read: ‘Call me!” And was covered in kisses. I shook my head, grinning at his misfortune.

One of these days, Osprey, one of these days…

The scenes shifted between more memories of my time with the human, each memory ending in some embarrassing moment that he created, but the mirror suddenly glowed a dark blue. Then the scene shifted to a memory I remember fondly.

Osprey had finally calmed down, his waking nightmare having been banished by my presence. I looked back at the closet in his room, seeing nothing there. Whatever beast he had seen, there was no trace to be found of it. Just to be sure, hoping to put his mind at ease, should he wake again, I crept out of his embrace, and walked over to the door. I looked inside again, checked underneath the bed, and glanced outside, but saw nothing.

I guess even grown stallions have nightmares...

When I looked back at his sleeping form, he looked strained, as if he was having a bad dream, his calm demeanor from moments ago no more. Turning to his side, he shivered, and whispered one word.

“Angel.”

I cocked my head at this, wondering if he had woken, getting on the bed again. He shifted once more, his body now facing me, but his eyes were still closed. I moved forward, and tapped his nose, receiving no reaction.

“Hmm. Well I hope you enjoy whatever dream you’re having of me, you naughty-eep!” I began to whisper, before his body twitched, and quicker than I could react, his arms closed in around me, pinning me to his chest. His grip was tight at first, but his muscles relaxed slightly when held me close to him seconds later. I breathed lightly, expecting him to wake up again, but he was silent and his head dipped down to nuzzle the top of my head. He sighed in content, and I felt warm, feeling his body heating up against my fur.

I should do this with him more often...he’s so warm, and big…

He shifted again, and one of his wings draped over our sides, adding an extra layer of warmth. His wings twitched, so I wondered once more if he was awake, but his breathing stayed consistent.

I wonder if he has these terrors every night and just doesn't tell me about it? Surely he knows that I'd be happy sleep with him if it made him more comfortable...

I grinned a little at that thought, feeling just a little of what the human was concealing underneath his boxers. It was at 'half mast', as he called it, and I had to admit, for being a different species, it was still a decent length.

Oh Osprey...if only you weren't so...what was that word he used? Xeno...Xenophobic...yes! I could show you such a good time, and those hands of yours...just seeing the way that Pinkie Pie moaned that day...I have to wonder how good you could make a mare feel when you're actually trying.

He shifted again in his sleep, cradling me closer and tighter to his chest, unfortunately bringing my flank away from his nether regions, as if subconsciously expecting me to try something. I pouted a little at this, but his grip on me was firm, and I knew I wouldn't be moving anymore that night.

Now completely unable to move, I banished my thoughts, turning my body to curl up into his chest, getting more comfortable.

“I guess I could get used to this…good night, Osprey.”

—

The memory ended as the mirror faded into nothingness, and i felt myself smile, even as I was greeted once more with the starry expanse of my dreams. A part of me wished to be in the humans embrace again, outside assumptions be damned.

“He is quite cuddly, isn’t he?” A familiar voice spoke out from behind me.

“I suppose you would know better than anypony else, Princess Luna.”

I turned, meeting the smiling alicorn’s gaze.

“Indeed.” She waved a hoof at the stars, and the mirrors began to fade into nothing. She turned towards me, and I saw that her friendly expression faded a little bit. “Shall we?”

I nodded, the happy memories fading away as I began to remember past events. I walked beside her, and we strolled among the stars, our path now becoming more solid, forming a familiar forest around us. Taking a deep breath and allowing my body to become more rigid, I decided to give her my debrief, hoping that I would feel better after speaking my mind.

“Princess, to keep it brief...all leads in Las Pegasus are no more. Our informants were killed before we could reach them. We’ve been betrayed. Strong Hoof was never our ally, and he finally showed his true colors. I don’t know what his goal is, but he sent us on a suicide mission where we took down a mature earth dragon and...” I stopped, a thought occurring to me. “Now that I think about it...the dragon was surprisingly easy to take down, we didn’t lose a single guard to the battle. He didn’t fly, dig into the ground, or even breathe fire…I think he may have been guarding something.” I looked at the princess. “Were you able to look at him? Or the surrounding area?”

The princess shook her head. “We searched the area after Starlight Breaker's tale, but the dragon was gone, and there was a large hole left behind, but nothing inside of it. It seems whatever was there has already been reclaimed.”

I sighed. “Well then I’m sure Breaker has already told you, but when we were recovering, Discord came along and talked to me. He had a bipedal female dragon with him, and she talked about an upcoming revolution of sorts...has anything happened while we were out of commission?”

Once more, she shook her head. “My sister has heard rumors from the east of dragon activity nearing the outposts, but there have been no reports of aggression. I will not be surprised to discover this is something that Discord has...whipped up on his own.” I shook my head, tapping a hoof on the ground.

“That’s just it though. While I’m sure he had some sway in this, from their conversation, it just sounds like this was already planned, before Osprey even came here. It doesn’t seem feasible that Discord would be able to convince the dragons, who we all know, hate his very existence more than we do, on such short notice. And who looked like a dragon lord, no less. Besides…if he was trying to keep this a secret, why would he let us live? Or even let Breaker make it back to you? There has to be something else at work here, some greater picture I'm not seeing.”

Surprisingly, Luna flinched at something I said. “Yes, it would seem unlikely that Discord would gain such loyalty from the dragons…however, we will have to address this at a later date, when you have recovered. As for something else you said…” She placed a hoof on my shoulder, her eyes showing a sadness in her eyes. “Much has happened, and while we were relieved to find you, there is something you must know.”

I felt a twinge of pain from my gut. I would not like what she was about to tell me.

“It would seem that Discord, for reasons only he would know, has taken a liking to you.” She manifested a necklace onto her hoof, the very same that had been put on my neck before i had been turned to stone. “This necklace was a gift to Osprey. I spent many a night enchanting it, and there are very strong protective charms that are placed on those in its presence. You were turned to stone, yes, but with his magic, that very act should have killed you. However, it seems this necklace protected you, and even kept you in stasis as you began to suffer from starvation, dehydration, and even a lack of air.” She put her hoof down, the necklace falling, and a sudden realization came to my mind.

“You…mean to tell me that…” She nodded.

“Others…were not so lucky. Those who were close to you are still alive, but suffering far worse than you are. Everyone else however, was not so lucky.” A lump formed in my throat, but I stuffed it down to ask a question I wasn’t sure I was prepared to hear.

“How many others...?.”

“The mercenary, Tasha, is missing. She was not among the bodies of your camp, nor was she encased in stone with the others. X-Ray is suffering from a magically induced coma, and will likely be unable to use magic when he awakens, due to his magic trying to keep him alive for so long. Dynamite is also in a magical coma, however, it is not as extreme, but he is having difficulties breathing on his own. Shackle and Lord Thalon, having been right next to you are in similar states, suffering, but will be able to make a full recovery if all goes well.”

She stopped there, and I knew the answer, but asked regardless.

“And the rest of my team…?”

“Deceased. From our examinations, the griffons with their lack of magical resistance, the stone killed instantly. The others had suffered from a lack of oxygen.”

I sunk to the floor, unable to bear the weight of the information. Luna sat beside me, placing a hoof on my head as the tears rolled down my cheeks.

“Let it all out, Guardian. I will stay by your side as long as you need.”

Despite being in the presence of my princess, I couldn’t help myself. I shed my tears as quietly as I could, remembering the faces of the fallen, hoping that the stars above would welcome them into their embrace.

--
The train continued on its course back to Canterlot, and it was all I could do to just focus on the sound of the wheels clicking against the tracks outside the open window, rather than the images and memories haunting my mind. I could finally understand Osprey and his grim outlook on the world, as I too, started to have waking nightmares. It had been three days since we were uncovered from stone in the clearing, and despite Luna’s uncharacteristic sympathy, even allowing me happy, nurturing dreams of my mother, I was still struggling to accept everything that had happened. It was just too much to handle all at once. The death of my team, the time that was lost, the dragon encounters, and Strong Hoof’s betrayal. Really, I should have known better. A suicide mission? Despite the fact that our training as knights focused on survival and protection, even against the most unlikely of odds, we were told to rely upon each other, but also remain skeptical at all times. Despite the rank, we were allowed to refuse any and all idiotic orders given to us that would put lives at risk when there were better options. Yet, I had still gone through with it, trying to prove my worth after failing so miserably to protect Osprey. I had put everyone in danger, all to prove myself to the one that murdered our allies in cold blood and laughed while doing it.

I glared into the snowbound expanse outside of the window.

“Mark my words, if it’s the last thing that I do, I will make you pay for this, Strong Hoof.” I whispered, as if he could hear me. A voice spoke up behind me, making me flinch.

“Little filly, you’re going to have to get much better before you even think about that again.” Turning towards the voice, I looked into the glaring eyes of Scalpel, Luna’s personal medic. Her red eyes bore into mine as I looked her over, like I had many times before. She was a smaller mare who sported a pair of black, leathery, serrated bat wings on her back, matching her black coat, that seemed to suck away all light and fade into any shadow with ease, as if the creator wished her to be unseen until she was needed. Her cutie mark was one of a Scalpel, much like her namesake, with three drops of what I could only assume was blood, dripping from the tip. Unlike our modern medical professionals, often white coated earth ponies with bright manes and happy, pink marks, she was from the darker days of Equestria’s history, over a thousand years old, with training to not only save lives, but also take them just as easily, oaths of mercy be damned, as Luna’s medic had never taken them. She, like many of the night guard, had come out of hiding to serve the night mistress upon her return from the moon. Being an ancient blood sucker, she had a unique set of skills and talents, but still had to avoid the sun’s harsh embrace.

“Honestly, you’re hardly any threat as you are now, broken and weak like that. A foal could take you right now.” She poked me gently, slightly unbalancing me. “Pull your head out of the clouds, you’re in no shape to make such threats, even if that colt needs a good whuppin or two. Now sit back down and let me poke you with sharp things.” Sighing, I did as she said, trying not to look at the vial of greenish liquid she was loading into a syringe.

“Do…I want to know what you’re putting in me now?” I shivered, thinking back to yesterday’s blue concoction which had me over a toilet bowl until I had passed out from exhaustion. If I didn’t know any better, the mare was trying to kill me, rather than put me back on fighting hooves. “I don’t think I have anything left to hurl, unless you want me to choke on my intestines next?” She rolled her eyes, sticking the needle into my hind leg with no warning.

“Oh hush, that was for your own good. Surely you didn’t want to explode from magical buildup? For all the good my mistress’s necklace did, you can’t leave magic untapped like that. You were basically glowing when we cracked you out of that stone. You should be grateful really, I could have made you try and fly it off instead.” I winced at the thought, knowing my wings were still incredibly sore from the fight with the earth dragon. The necklace had put me in complete stasis, and the stone had left me with no way to relax my muscles out of their agitated state they had been in.

Scalpel continued on, ignoring my discomfort, and prodded a few more places on my body. “Now, if you’re done complaining about yourself, I believe that we will be arriving soon. Ready your belongings and let that young stallion waiting outside carry them for you. That potion will cycle through your bloodstream for a while and put a little more pep in your step, but don’t even think about training, or I swear I’ll put you in a coma like those idiots in the other car.” She passed an irritated glare to the train car behind me, where Fire Starter and Shining Leaf were still suffering from magically induced comas. She began to walk away, muttering under her breath. “Damned unicorns…” When she left the train car, I rose to my hooves, shoving my few belongings into my saddlebags, before pausing to stare at the pair of sheathed Falchions that sat next to my bed.

A tear started to form in my eyes as I touched the trio of red, brown, and white feathers that were tied to the hilt of one of the falchions. It had belonged to Sharpbeak, Thalon’s personal bodyguard, who I had worked alongside many times. While he had been arrogant and rude at times, he was a proud griffin soldier who was loyal to a fault and would be missed dearly. I closed my eyes, remembering the times that he and the other griffins had drank until they climbed bartops and sang the silliest folk songs in falsettos, just to make the older griffin noble laugh when he had a bad day from dealing with the politics of Equestria and the Griffin Empire.

I had tried to give the blade to Thalon, but he told me to keep it, as Sharpbeak would want me to have it for saving his life on multiple occasions, even if the younger griffin would never admit it. Looking up, I could almost see him, arms crossed, rolling his eyes at me, pointing out my tears, and complaining about how emotional ponies were. Shaking my head, I placed the harness on, sheathing the blades on each side of my body, comforted by the thought of the griffin accompanying me in spirit. As I reached for my saddlebags, Starlight Breaker walked in and cleared his throat.

“Um, ma’am with all due respect, I’m supposed to carry all of that. You’re supposed to be recovering.” I sighed, looking at him.

“Breaker, how many times do I have to tell you to cut it out with that ma’am garbage? There’s no need for all of that.” Smiling, he puffed out his chest.

“No ma’am, the Knights are all officers of the guard, and as a solar guard, I salute you, always.” Then he saluted, making me groan and wave him off. He continued to smile, and snatched my saddlebags off the ground with ease, piling it onto his own.

Feeling the train coming to a stop, I looked out the window to behold the city of Canterlot, the streets lightly covered in a blanket of snow, the lights of the city illuminating the dark clouds above. Taking me away from the window, Breaker led me through the train until we were greeted by a tired looking Thalon, leaning on his sheathed sword like a cane. It was odd, but the old griffin always walked on his hind legs for some reason. Princess Luna was nowhere to be found. Confused by this, I looked at Scalpel, who was yelling at a nearby nurse to be gentler with moving our unconscious friends with magic. Noticing my confusion, she inclined a wing towards the castle.

“The mistress already left for the castle, I believe that you three have orders to meet in the throne room.” She glared at the nurses. “I’ll join you in a bit, I need to make sure these worthless mares don’t injure those idiots any more.” Nodding to her, we took off towards the palace. It was late and there were few ponies walking the streets, leaving a stale silence between us. Not wanting to disturb the peace, I continued to stay silent until we reached the castle gates, where a pair of night guards joined us, guiding us to the throne room. After a few minutes of walking, Breaker cleared his throat and spoke to me in a hushed tone.

“Ma’am, may I ask you a question?” I offered him an irritated glance.

“Only if you stop with the titles.” He remained silent for a few more minutes. He just stood there, saying nothing more. Knowing that he wouldn’t humor me, I rolled my eyes. “Fine, what is it Breaker?” Stopping right before the set of golden doors, I let Thalon and the guards enter before it was just us in the hallway. He shifted from hoof to hoof, not meeting my eyes.

“I just wanted to know if I could ask about becoming a knight.” I cocked my head to the side in confusion.

“...Why? I'm sure you're aware that we’re handpicked by the princesses themselves, and even then, our jobs are, well…” I cringed at the thought of what happened in the forest. “Suicidal, if I’m being honest. What we do is extremely dangerous, and I really wouldn’t encourage anyone to willingly join us.” He shook his head, sighing.

“Yes ma’am, but after everything that’s happened, I want to help you.” He looked me in the eyes, and I could see the anger in his eyes that betrayed his shy demeanor. “I want to do something that matters. When I’m on orders with you knights I feel like I’m actually making a difference.” He waved a hoof at the empty hallways of the castle. “Walking around these hallways just standing around watching portraits isn’t what I want to do with the rest of my career when I know that our comrades were killed in cold blood, and that the traitor is still roaming alive and free. Please let me join your ranks. I joined the guard to fight and protect ponies, not to be sidelined by six mares every time something happens in Canterlot. I know I can be of use, and I've worked with the knights on multiple occasions already, I have an understanding of how your teams operate, and the missions you take on. I know I can do more with my service, for Equestria, for the princesses, and for you. Please…consider my request.”

Before I could respond, I felt a familiar twinge in my gut. Glancing to the shadows, I saw Silent Night stalk out from the shadows, her face emotionless.

“Well Guardian, what do you think? He certainly seems determined.” Her voice echoed throughout the hallway, despite her lips never parting. Flinching, the stallion hastily threw up a salute for the mare, only to be ignored as her eyes bore into mine. Acknowledging her presence with a nod, I thought it over. Despite some of his naïve comments and actions, he had a point. Starlight Breaker was one of very few solar guards that accompanied the knights on their more large scale missions, and he always came through. Taking the fight with the dragon in mind, he could certainly hold his own in a fight, and he did manage to make it to Canterlot on his own after we had all been stoned. He hadn’t failed my team, despite the tragedy he had left behind.

I nodded at the commander.

“If he wishes it…I would vouch for him. I think he would be a capable knight, he just needs some more training I think. He does well in a fight, but he would struggle with our more tactful missions.” She nodded, walking past us and motioned for him to follow her. Smiling widely, he saluted me with a wing and followed after her. Shaking my head, I began to wonder if I was really doing him a favor with my recommendation.

Inside the torch-lit throne room, Princess Luna sat upon her dais, speaking in a hushed tone to Scalpel, who, to my surprise, had beaten us here. I had to wonder how she did it, as we hadn’t seen her on the way, nor was she able to teleport, being the winged mare that she was. Looking around, I saw that one of the great windows of the room, despite being decorated in murals of legend, was open. Assuming that was the most likely explanation, I looked back at the mare, who was now seated beside Luna, with a look of awe.

She’s quick, even I couldn’t fly here that fast.

Before I could ask about her supposed flight, Silent Night, in her telepathic echo, spoke.

Princess Luna, if I may, I wish to begin so that our tired companions here could go get their much needed rest.

Luna nodded at the dark unicorn, and then at Thalon, who sat in an undignified manner on the floor, his great bastard sword laying to his side. Silent Night looked to the three of us in turn while she spoke, her eyes portraying no emotion.

As we are all aware, there has been a great stir in the balance of the world. Many members of our military have gone rogue or missing, ancient creatures are rising, and there is now the matter of the dragons' sudden appearances within Equestria’s border.

I wanted to ask about the plural insinuation of her statement, but something I had learned long ago was to never, under any circumstances, interrupt the commander’s briefing. She never vocally spoke, and rarely made her thoughts known to others that couldn’t be expressed through her body language, through written briefings, or the disembodied echo she was using now. Long-winded conversations were not her personal preference, likely from spending so much time as Princess Celestia’s go-to agent for assassinations and espionage, long before she was made Commander of the Knights.

In response to this, there are many changes being made to combat this disruption of harmony. First, we will be spreading our military forces. As we stand here, the 23rd Solar are being deployed to Baltimare and Griffonstone, to help reinforce the borders while the dragon’s activity increases. Second, Osprey the human, after completing his final trainings here, will return to Ponyville. From our observations of the area, and having personally reflected on his current combat ability, he should be safest there. In addition to this, Princess Twilight Sparkle has been given a small outfit of guards to help with the increase in Timberwolves.

She paused for a second, and I frowned. There was more to this that the Commander wasn’t saying, and I felt a twinge of unease ripple through me.

Lastly, upon your orders, Princess Luna, I will be taking a leave of absence to investigate the disappearance of Tasha. During this time, and in light of recent events, I have promoted Knight Steelwing Flex to Vice Commander. In my absence-

“I’ll be taking over.”

An all too familiar voice rang out, cutting Silent Night off. To my disappointment, it wasn’t Osprey’s voice, but another who made me flip around, and look on, wide eyed.

Entering the room was a light grey pegasus mare. Still shaking off snow, she wore a white cloak, held together by a silver emblem of the Knights of Harmony, a balance scale with a spear and sword behind it, fastening the cloth together at the neck. As the mare walked closer, I took in more of her features, wondering if I was still dreaming. The mare had golden yellow eyes that seemed to brighten the darkened throne room. Her multi toned pink, yellow, and white hair was french braided, hiding nothing from her heavenly eyes of light. Underneath her cloak, even though I couldn’t see it then, I knew that the mare, under her grey wings, was hiding enchanted silver blades, in decorative blue sheaths on each side of her body, and her cutie mark was a symbol of a cloud that was supported by yellow wings, underneath a white halo, all of which were normally easy to see against her grey coat.

I knew this because the mare who now stood in front of me, smiling a wild grin, was my mother, Seraph Sky.

“Hello, my darling angel child, I’ve missed you.”

--
I was excused shortly after my mother's arrival, who said that we would have to catch up later, as there was much to discuss with Luna, Thalon, and Silent Night.

I walked down the hallways of the living quarters of the palace, and as I walked, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was following me.

The hallways were torch lit, which made many shadows dance in the nighttime breeze, but I had gotten used to that during my service as a knight. The tension in my gut hadn't released ever since I had left the courtyard, where I had given Breaker a few tips and expectations on what the training and approval process would look like for the knights, as Luna had approved of his dedication.

I looked around again, seeing nothing and no pony, only the darkened hallway.
Am I imagining things? I hope I'm not going crazy like Osprey, I don't know if I could take a repeat of my nightmare in the stone...

Shaking myself of the thought, I continued on, looking for the human's bedroom, which had been moved closer to Celestia's quarters for some reason. When I had asked why it had happened, knowing full well of their aversion towards each other, the servant had just shrugged and gone about her business.

I continued to walk through the hallway, and I could feel the breeze of the winter air coming from behind me. There was an unusual scent on the breeze, and I could faintly hear sounds from somewhere, but I couldn't pinpoint their origin.

A light rush of air passed me, and as I turned another corner, and suddenly, I bounced back, running into...

I looked up, seeing nothing.

What in Luna's moon...

Before I could move to investigate this invisible barrier I ran into, a familiar chuckle froze me in place.

"Looks like Sky owes me twenty bits. It hardly took any effort to follow you around, and supposedly, you're never caught unawares. Your mother seems to think the world of you, you know."

The air in front of me appeared to shimmer, and I was greeted with the welcome sight of Osprey.

With a smile on his face, he lowered a hood from his head, and I took in the sight of him.

He was wearing short blue socks, a pair of black cargo shorts with a three diamond emblem above the right pocket, and a white shirt that had a sun crest that was wearing a pair of sunglasses. On his sides, to my surprise, hung my mother's twin blades, one long, and one short, each glowing with a light blue energy. Across his chest, I saw the bowstring of the black bow he had gotten the day before the forest attack. On top of all of this, loosely hung a dark blue cloak with Luna's cutie mark on it. Osprey himself, while carrying a disturbed look in his eyes that flickered away moments later, looked to be glowing with health, and when he uncrossed his arms, I could see his muscles had toned even more, making him look more like Iron Will, the blue confidence seminar minotaur, and less like the sickly skeleton I had left behind.

I smiled, and without saying anything, I leapt at him, my forelegs spread wide. He caught me in his warm embrace, and I heard his wings snap out from under the cloak, wrapping around me. I smirked, turning my head, ready to ask him how he was liking his pretty pink wings, and I was shocked once more. His wings were dark blue, the same color as Luna's. I looked back at him, cocking my head to the side, still embracing him.

"I gotta say...when I came to see you, I wasn't expecting all of...this. Why are your wings blue now? And aren't those blades my mother's? With how possessive as she is, I can't imagine that she just lent them to you."

Osprey rolled his eyes, and shifted me in his arms, beginning to walk down the hallway, presumably to his new quarters.

"You've got questions, and I've got stories, why don't we go someplace a little more comfortable before I get into all the details?"

I curled more into his embrace, flicking his nose with my tail.

"My first day back and you're already trying to take me to bed? My my, Osprey, have you no shame..."

"Shut up Angel."

I smiled. It was good to be home.

Author's Note

It's certainly been a while, and unfortunately for all of you still keeping up with this story, it's because I forgot to press 'publish' anyway...more chapters will come as I have time for them, so in the mean time, I wish y'all the best!