A Guard's Candyby KingSombraTheTyrantRulerChaptersSaved.N-no!Moonlight.Apologize...Diary...The Messenger...A guard's past.Saved.Candy was a unicorn mare, with a mane that was striped purple and white. She had white fur and blue eyes. Her cutie mark was a notepad, and she used to be a nurse. A few years before getting a job as a nurse, she had been foalnapped by a stallion who had tried to sell her. He had kept her for a week before she managed to escape, and she lived in fear of being foalnapped again. Candy had just been going to the hospital where she worked when she was foalnapped by a bunch of stallions that had come out of nowhere. After foalnapping her, the group had taken her far from Canterlot. Somewhere near the Crystal Empire. Then they had tied Candy to a pole, making her stand on her hind hooves, with her forehooves tied behind her back. When Candy had started screaming at them, one stallion had come and threatened to cut her tongue off if she didn't stop screaming. Candy had immediately stopped screaming as it would be painful to get her tongue cut off. From where she was tied, Candy could see all the terrible things they did to the mares that weren't sold. She didn't want to lose her virginity like this, so that night after the slavers had fallen asleep, Candy started rubbing her forehooves against the pole. It was a trick she knew that would get rid of the ropes tying her hooves. She couldn't use magic because when they had caught her, the slavers had put a magic suppression ring on her horn. It had been three hours since Candy had started rubbing, and she thought, 'Just a little longer and then I'll be free.' As soon as she had thought that, the rope snapped. Candy quickly untied her hind hooves and then ran. In her haste, she knocked over a lantern that hit a bell, which turned an alarm on. One of the slavers got out of his tent and saw Candy standing there like a deer caught in the headlights. He then yelled, "The new mare's escaping!" As soon as he said that, six stallions ran out of their tents and chased Candy. The petrified mare ran as fast as she could and as far as she could. She ran for a full three hours before she stopped, out of breath and energy. Candy could hear the slavers getting closer, and she was scared. She knew what they would do if they caught her, and she didn't like the sound of it. She used all the energy she had to get up and start running. But near the gates of the Crystal Empire, her energy finished. She collapsed on the ground, and the slavers had finally caught up with her. Candy started shaking in fear and tried to get up, but her hooves gave up on her. She fell and when she thought that it was all over, that she would be killed or raped, a few guards came and saved her. She fainted in her rescuer's hooves. While this was happening, King Sombra was in his throne room, talking to somepony. A guard knocked on the doors of the throne room, and King Sombra said, "Come in." The guard entered, bowed, and said, "My King, we've found a mare near the gates of the Empire." "Where is she now?", asked the King. "We have taken her to the dungeons.", replied the guard. King Sombra said to the pony he had been talking to before the guard had come, "Come later." The pony bowed and left, and the guard went with King Sombra to the dungeon. King Sombra saw a white-furred mare with a purple and white striped mane. Her cutie mark was a notepad. He thought, 'She could be a spy.' King Sombra went inside the cell and asked, "What's your name?" "C-Candy.", was the answer. " You're a spy, aren't you? ", asked Sombra. Candy replied, " I-I'm not a spy." "Oh, really?", said Sombra. " Then why were you near the Crystal Empire? You're an equestrian. " "I swear, I'm not a spy.", said Candy. Sombra asked, " Then why did you come here?" "I-I was foalnapped by slavers. They're sex-slavers, and I didn't want to be raped, so I escaped and they chased me, and they would've killed me if the guards didn't save me.", explained Candy. "Hmm.", was all Sombra said. He walked closer to Candy, and she walked back. She kept going back as he got closer until the wall prevented her from going any further. She was cornered and shaking. She stuttered, "P-please d-don't hurt m-me." "Why would I hurt you?", asked King Sombra. But Candy was too scared to hear him. She shook more and kept saying, "Please don't hurt me. I'm not lying, I'm telling the truth." Sombra got bored and said, "To stop you from having a panic attack, I'll look inside your mind and see if you're telling the truth." Sombra did exactly what he had said, and found that the mare was telling the truth. He said, "I believe your story. You may stay in my castle to be safe." "S-so you won't hurt me?", stuttered Candy. "No, I won't.", said Sombra. "Celestia might have made you think that I'm heartless, but that's not true. Now come, I won't hurt you." Candy slowly moved one hoof in front of the other. Sombra would've shouted if it had been anypony else, but he could see that this mare was scared. One wrong move and she'd be scared forever. Once she was out, Sombra told a guard to take Candy to a guest room. The guard did as he was told. After the guard left, Sombra said, "You could have a shower, if you want." Candy was about to do that when Sombra said, "Come here." Candy went confused, not knowing what he would do to her. But all that Sombra did was take her magic suppression ring off. She stuttered, "T-thanks, K-king Sombra." To which Sombra replied, "You're welcome." Candy went into the bathroom to shower and clean herself, and Sombra stayed where he was. After she was fully clean, Candy dried herself and hung the towel. Then, she left the bathroom. Her fur was shining like the crystal ponies, even though she wasn't one. Her mane was also shiny. She sat next to Sombra, still a bit scared and asked, "So...You won't hurt me?" Sombra put a hurt look on his face and said, "Why would I have given you a guest room, a free shower, a place to stay if I just wanted to hurt you?" "I guess you're right.", was Candy's reply. "I won't hurt you, from what I saw in your mind earlier, you've been through a lot.", said Sombra. "Get some rest, I'll send a guard to check on you later." "Um, ok.", said Candy. "Thanks again!" After Sombra had gone, closing the door behind him, Candy lay on the bed, sinking into the soft mattress. She pulled a blanket over her and drifted to the land of sleep. Author's Note Author's note: This story is done for a request from Bronycommander-fimfiction. I do not own Candy. She belongs to Bronycommander. This is all for now. I'll be writing more soon. Don't forget to leave a like, a vote, and a comment. N-no!King Sombra's P.O.V: After I told the mare, Candy, to have a shower, I was in deep thought. Why did I not keep her in the dungeons like every other equestrian who had come here? Why did I let her stay in a guest room in my castle? A voice in my head told me it was because I still had a heart, and she was a pony. I ignored it and thought, why did I be gentle with her? Why didn't I take advantage of her state and scare her more? At that very moment, the mare of my thoughts came out of the bathroom. I looked at Candy. She was so beautiful, with that shine on her. So- What was I thinking! She sat next to me, still scared and asked, "So...You won't hurt me?" (Just for fun) I put a hurt look on my face and asked, "Why would I have given you a guest room, a free shower, and a place to stay if I just wanted to hurt you?" "I guess you're right.", was Candy's reply. "I won't hurt you, from what I saw in your mind earlier, you've been through a lot.", said I. "Get some rest, I'll send a guard to check on you later." "Um, ok.", said Candy. "Thanks again!" I could tell that she was still scared. To stop my mind from thinking about her, I left the room and shut the door. I said, "Flash Sentry?" The guard came and bowed. "Yes, my King?" I told him, "I want you to guard this room. Nopony is allowed in or out. Understand?" "Yes, my King.", said the guard and started guarding the room. My reasons for telling the guard to guard Candy was because...Because I didn't trust her. She was a unicorn, and she could've made false memories. But she did have a magic suppression ring on when in the dungeon. Maybe she wasn't a spy. But someponies were very good at acting, and Candy could be one of them. I shook my head and walked away. Maybe a walk could help me think clearer. Her mind showed that she was truthful after all. Though, it sent a chill down my spine what those slavers had intended for her. I may have enslaved the crystal ponies at first, yes but I would never go that low. Even if I seemed like a heartless monster, I had standards. Nonetheless thanks to a mare, who saw me not as a monster, but as a pony who deserved a second chance. She was currently visiting an ally of ours. I was wondering how I could explain Candy to her. Maybe I should hide her. Moonlight was a sweet mare, but she was kind of...possessive. If I talked to another mare, she would make sure that I didn’t get too close to them. As my mind wandered, I passed some guards who saluted me. This reminded me, I should thank those guards who had saved Candy from the slavers. And, I wondered what had happened to the slavers. Fought off? Killed or captured? The guards had only told me about Candy, but not of the slavers. And frankly, that Candy managed to make it all the way here...was impressive. Also, having seen her past through her mind, made me feel pity for her in a way. Kidnapped and barely escaped, living in fear and then looked down by school mates...she did not deserve this. Maybe, she could live in the Crystal empire where she would be safe, similar to Flash Sentry and find a stallion to love. I certainly would… Again, I shook my head. Pull yourself together! She is a beautiful mare, that I would not deny, but I already had a mare to love, and I would never betray her. But showing Candy she was safe here was the least that I could do for her. I sighed. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Candy’s P.O.V: After King Sombra left the room, I shut my eyes. To tell the truth, I was exhausted from all the running that I had done today. The shower that I had before helped to refresh my mind. I wondered why King Sombra had been so...kind to me. Back in Equestria, I had heard that King Sombra was evil and took pleasure in hurting others. But he was nothing like that from what I saw. Before I could think anymore, I was taken by sleep. I opened my eyes and saw that I was tied up. How could that be possible? The last thing that I remembered was sleeping. I tried to untie myself, but was unable to. I heard somepony coming and my heart started beating faster. I asked, “Can somepony help me?” The pony coming revealed himself and it was...I shook in fear. It was one of the slavers. He smiled, showing his gold tooth. He laughed, “Nopony is going to help you.” I screamed in fear as he came closer to me. “These walls,” he tapped a wall with his hoof, “are soundproof. No matter how loud you scream, nopony will come to save you.” He came so close to me, he was breathing on me. He pressed a knife to my horn. “So, I advise that you stop screaming, or I’ll cut this nice horn of yours off.” “You are at my mercy.”, he continued. “We are the only ponies here. So, I can do whatever I want with you. And you know what I want?”, he asked. I stuttered, “N-no?” “I want revenge.”, he declared. “All because of you, I could’ve spent my life in prison. And now, you’ll pay. You’ll pay.” I screamed again knowing what he was going to do. “Somepony, anypony, help me!” ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Flash Sentry’s P.O.V: I was just guarding the room that I had been told to, when I heard somepony scream, “Somepony, anypony, help me!” Fearing that there may be an intruder, I rushed into the room with my spear, ready to...comfort a crying mare? I kept my spear with me, and went closer to her. The mare had white fur, and was a unicorn. Figuring that she was having a nightmare, I tapped her lightly saying, “Wake up. It’s just a nightmare.” She opened her eyes, and when she saw my spear, her eyes went big and she started shaking. “W-who are y-you?”, she asked. I told her, “I’m one of King Sombra’s guards.” She stuttered, “D-don’t hurt me.” I threw my spear away, and said, “I won’t hurt you. Don’t worry. What’s your name?” She stopped shaking a little and said, “My name is Candy.” I smiled, “Nice to meet you, Candy. I’m Flash Sentry. You can call me Flash.” Candy said, “Oh. It’s nice to meet you too, Flash.” She then tried to smile, but was too scared to. I told her, “I won’t hurt you, I’m just here to help you.” “Um...ok.” I decided to leave. I said, “If you need anything, don’t be scared to tell me.”, and then I picked my spear up and left, shutting the door behind me. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Candy’s P.O.V: I sighed in relief after Flash closed the door. It had just been a dream. Still, a part of me wished this was not true, being in an empire ruled by an evil king. But then again, he had treated me kindly. When I was in the cell, I feared for my life. And Flash Sentry seemed like a nice stallion. Something dawned on me. He was a pegasus. How did he end up in the Crystal Empire? He was an equestrian, since he didn’t look like a crystal pony. And come to think about it, I think Flash used to be one of Celestia’s guards. I should ask him when I get the opportunity. But for now, I should try to get some rest again. With that, I laid down and closed my eyes, falling asleep again. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Author's Note This chapter wouldn't be here if Bronycommander didn't help me. So, TY Bronycommander. Before you go, don't forget to...Vote...Like...Comment...Share! PS: Anypony thought about what Flash's reason for coming to the Crystal Empire and becoming one of Sombra's guards might be? Moonlight.King Sombra's P.O.V: Today was the day that Moonlight would return, and I was both happy and worried. I was happy because Moonlight was going to come back, and the thought of what she would do if she found out about Candy worried me. She would think that I betrayed her, and things like that. I wasn't eager for a fight. So, I decided that Flash would take care of Candy, as the two got along well. I teleported to where Flash should be now, guarding Candy. Flash bowed, and I started, "Flash, today Moonlight is going to come back from her trip, and I don't want her to get the wrong thoughts after seeing Candy, so I want you to take care of Candy, and if she needs anything, then give it to her. Do you understand?" "Yes, your Majesty.", he replied. I then teleported to my room to make things...tidier. Flash Sentry's P.O.V: "Yes, your Majesty.", I replied, and the King teleported away. A maid arrived with Candy's breakfast, and I knocked on her door. Candy's P.O.V: I was drying my mane when I heard a knock on the door. "You may come in.", I said, and the door opened, showing Flash. I smiled, "Good morning, Flash." "Good morning, Candy.", he replied. Putting the tray on the table, he told me, "This is your breakfast." He was about to leave when I asked, "Would you like to eat some?" Seeing the look in my eyes that said he must, he sighed, "If you don't mind." "I don't mind.", I told him. Flash Sentry's P.O.V: I had just finished eating, and was now drinking some water. “Can I ask you something, Flash?” Candy spoke up all of a sudden, catching me off guard. “Sure.”, I replied. “Why did you become a royal guard?” Candy was curious, yet formed an expression of sympathy seeing the look on my face. “You don’t have to tell me, if you don’t want to.” My shoulders shrugged in response. “There is not much to tell to be honest. Like many, I saw it as an honorable job, keeping others safe and the pay was good. Plus, I thought it would be like an adventure.” Now, I could not help but sigh. “I owe that other Solar Guard my life. I think her name is Sunset Shimmer.” A hoof wandered to my chin. “There were some rumors that she used to be Sunbutt's student, but I never paid much attention to them..” “Do you know her?”, Candy asked. “Not directly. After we escaped, she said she had to save her family and find a way to keep them safe from the solar guards. I think she managed to do so, that in my own panic, I never once checked on her…” I trailed off as I began to get worried about what could've happened to Sunset. “I hope she managed to save her family, her family shouldn't suffer." Trying to change the topic, Candy said, "As for me, I became a nurse, as I was very good at reports.” She pointed to her cutie mark, which was a notepad. “My mother was a doctor, so I took after her, saving lives. Another reason why I became a nurse is because it's a good job.” In response, my lips formed a proud smile. “A honorable act of you.” King Sombra’s P.O.V: Slightly tensed, I walked towards the entrance of the castle, forcing a smile as the door opened and a green batpony mare walked in, escorted by a few guards. “Moonlight, it's nice to see you again.”, I started. She pulled me into a hug. “Same, Sombra, I missed you terribly.” “Me too, but how was your stay?” I asked as we walked through the corridor and she grinned. “To be honest, it was great. Sugar Belle showed me some of her specialties, I played some games with Party Favor, and even got taught how to use skis by Double Diamond.” Moonlight told me with glee in her voice , causing me to smile. “I'm glad you had fun, dear.”, I smiled. “And you?” She sounded eager. “Oh, nothing much, everything was mostly quiet while you were gone. Apart from making sure that everypony was happy, there was nothing to do.” My eyes darted around, something she took notice of with a worried expression. “Were you attacked?”, she asked. “No, just…”, I started to say but she cut me off. “You know our rule, no pain, no lies, no secrets, and no spies.” Her voice raised slightly and I sighed, lowering my head. “Of course. A few days ago, we got a refugee, a unicorn mare called Candy.”, I told her. I waited for her reaction to this news. As I feared, her purple eyes went wide and she paced rather quickly towards Candy’s room and I tried to keep up. With slight force, Shade threw the door open, facing Candy with outright hostility, who shivered in fear upon seeing the angry batpony, with Flash doing the same. “You…You dare to come here and try to take Sombra away from me?!” Moonlight yelled loudly, her eyes blazing with dark magic, Candy was cowering in the corner and so did Flash who was standing in front of her protectively, completely taken over by fear. “N-no…-P-please…”, Candy started stuttering. “You can consider yourself lucky that I'm not going to throw you into the dungeon right this second!" , my mare hissed and stormed out. I could only look after her in shock, never expecting to see her so angry. “S-s-sorry…” A whimper made my ears twitch, my eyes looked with pity at Candy, who buried her face in her hooves. “I am…sorry…” Realizing she was blaming herself, I gently kneeled down to her, a weak smile forming on my face. “Shh…calm down, Candy, this is not your fault. Moonlight just has a hot temper. I'm sure that she'll be fine in a few days." I just hoped that would be true. Author's Note Hey everypony! This chapter took a while but me and Bronycommander managed to finish it. Actually, most of the credit for this chapter goes to Bronycommander. He wrote most of it. Btw, if you liked this, then vote/like and comment! Apologize...Moonlight's P.O.V: I felt...betrayed. Sombra had found another mare while I was gone. He had...replaced me. For the last few days, he's been trying to tell me that it's not what I think it's like, but I don't believe him. He was the only one that I truly trusted, and now...now I don't trust him anymore. I gave my heart to him, and when I was gone, he gave it away. He gave his heart to somepony else. Candy. I hated her now. She came and dared to take Sombra away from me. She would pay dearly for this. I would get my revenge. There was a knock on the door, pulling me from my thoughts. "Who is it?", I asked. "It's Candy.", was the reply. "I know that you're angry at me now, but if you let me explain-" I cut her off. "NO! I don't want to talk to you, or even see your face." Candy's P.O.V: I felt guilty for what had happened, even though King Sombra told me that it wasn't my fault. I felt like I needed to apologize to Moonlight. So I went. I asked Flash, and he told me where her room was. When he asked me why, I told him that I wanted to talk to her. I reached the door, and knocked. "Who is it?", I heard a voice ask. "It's Candy.", I replied. " I know that you're angry at me now, but if you let me explain-" I didn't get to finish my sentence, as I was cut off by an angry, "NO! I don't want to talk to you or even see your face!" "Please, give me a chance.", I pleaded. "No! I will not give you a chance. I hate you, Candy. You took my Sombra away from me.", was the reply. I sighed. Talking to Moonlight would be harder than I thought it would be. When Flash saw me with a sad expression on my face, he asked, "I take it that Moonlight didn't let you talk to her?" "She told me that she hated me, and wanted nothing more than for me to rot in Tartarus because she thinks that I took King Sombra away from her.", I told him. "Oh. Talking to Moonlight when she's upset or angry is impossible.", he said. "How do you know?", I asked him. "Once King Sombra pranked her by putting a fake spider inside her bowl of cereal. She hates spiders, and didn't talk to him for a whole week after that. He even tried making crystal flowers for her.", Flash replied. "Oh, okay.", I said. "You still feel guilty and sad, am I right?", he asked. "Yes.", I replied. "It wasn't your fault, Candy.", he said in a soft voice. "I know, but the feeling doesn't go away.", I sighed. After talking to Flash, I felt better. King Sombra's P.O.V: It was as I had feared. My lover thought that I had betrayed betrayed her. As I walked to calm myself, a sigh escaped my mouth. This will take some time to fix. Sometimes I wished that Moonlight would be more understanding. I wonder, what caused her to jump so quickly to such assumptions? "Sir? Are you okay?" One of my guards, his voice full of concern as I walked past. "I'm fine, just lost in thought." I replied with a weak smile to show that I appreciated the guard's concern. Nonetheless, I went after my own duties, and the time passed, making it midday. I was heading to much, when the door to the dining room opened, and Moonlight walked in with a much calmer expression than before, causing me to smile slightly. "I'm glad that you decided to join me, my little bat.", I smiled at her. "Well, I can't work with an empty stomach, can I?", she asked as she sat down. "I'm still going to keep my eyes on Candy. How did she even get here in the first place?" King Sombra's P.O.V: It was as I had feared. My lover thought that I had betrayed betrayed her. As I walked to calm myself, a sigh escaped my mouth. This will take some time to fix. Sometimes I wished that Moonlight would be more understanding. I wonder, what caused her to jump so quickly to such assumptions? "Sir? Are you okay?" One of my guards, his voice full of concern as I walked past. "I'm fine, just lost in thought." I replied with a weak smile to show that I appreciated the guard's concern. Nonetheless, I went after my own duties, and the time passed, making it midday. I was heading to much, when the door to the dining room opened, and Moonlight walked in with a much calmer expression than before, causing me to smile slightly. "I'm glad that you decided to join me, my little bat.", I smiled at her. "Well, I can't work with an empty stomach, can I?", she asked as she sat down. "I'm still going to keep my eyes on Candy. How did she even get here in the first place?" She sounded distrustful. I raised my voice slightly. "I would've told you if you hadn't run off in your anger. She was captured by slavers, and had managed to escape. The guards saved her, and what else should I have done? Left her to a terrible fate?" In my mind, a smile formed as she blinked in surprise. "I suppose not." "And being friendly to her is the least that I can do. I never would've left you for her, Moonlight.", I added. Then I heard somepony laughing, and Flash stood in front of the doors, as it was his turn to guard. His expression was one of guilt as he saw us. He rubbed the back of his head while smiling sheepishly. "Sorry Sir, Candy just told me something so funny that it won't leave my head." Hoping that it would bring a smile to Moonlight's face, I asked, "And it is?" He replied, "While Candy was still a nurse, she once had a patient who had a toy stuck in his nose.The funny thing is that he wanted to know how his son managed to get the same thing done!" He burst into laughter once again, and we both laughed. Moonlight commented, "Some ponies are really stupid, aren't they?" Moonlight's P.O.V: I was walking to Candy's room, to apologize to her. I had been rude to her, and Flash Sentry told me that she was feeling sad and guilty. I knocked on her door, but heard no answer. I knocked again, but still getting no answer, I got worried. I opened the door, and walked in. What I saw next nearly made me scream. Candy was sitting on the balcony's railing, looking as if she was about to jump off. "Candy?! What are you doing?!", I screamed, and she jumped at my voice. She screamed as she fell, and I flew after her, managing to catch her just before she hit the ground. "Thanks for saving me.", she said. "You're welcome.", I replied. "What were you trying to do?" "I felt terrible after what happened a few days ago, and after hearing what you said to me this morning, I felt guilty. I did my best not to make Flash worry, and then I...", she explained, but trailed off as she reached the end. "I'm sorry for making you feel that way, Candy. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions so quickly." My ears drooped as I said that, realizing that I made her feel so bad that she had wanted to end her own life. "Will you forgive me?" "I forgive you.", she smiled. "I guess the King told you about how he found me?" "Yes, Sombra told me." I got an idea, and asked, "You used to be a nurse, right?" "Yes, I did.", she replied. "Why?" "Do you still want to be a nurse?", I asked. "I would love to." "Then you could be a nurse at the Crystal Hospital. If you want." Author's Note 'Last christmas I gave you my heart, but the very next day, you gave it away. This year, to save me from tears, I'll give it to someone special.' This inspired me for the first part of the chapter. And now you all know what the suicide tag was for. It took some time, but me and Bronycommander worked hard on this. I hope you enjoyed this, and don't forget to vote/like and comment. Diary...Candy's P.O.V: I was sitting on the balcony's railing, thinking if I should jump off or not. On one hoof, if I jumped off and died King Sombra and Moonlight Shade wouldn't be fighting anymore. On the other hoof- Before I could finish that thought I heard somepony yell, "Candy?! What are you doing?!" and I jumped, scared. I heard Moonlight shout, "Candy!" and she dived after me. It felt so natural to scream as my life flashed before me. As the ground seemed to be coming closer and closer, I was reminded of the fact that it was impossible to survive a fall from this height. "Phew, I've got you," Moonlight said as she managed to catch me, just mere seconds before I touched the ground. She flew us back up and then asked, “Candy? Are you alright? Everything’s gonna be fine. Don't worry.” The batpony had worry in her voice as I was trembling heavily, not responding, just staring. Slowly, I brought my forelegs around her for a hug. “Th-tha-thank you...” I stuttered, still shocked. Moonlight smiled. "You don't need to thank me; I never would've let a pony die." She asked, "Why were you sitting there of all places?" "I felt terrible after what happened a few days ago, and after hearing what you said to me this morning, I felt guilty. I did my best not to make Flash worry, and then I..." I explained, but trailed off. "I'm sorry for making you feel that way, Candy. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions so quickly." Her ears drooped as she said that. "Will you ever forgive me?" "I forgive you." I smiled. "Friends?" Moonlight smiled back. "Friends." Moonlight's P.O.V: I got my diary out, and started writing. Today I calmed down, and listened to what Sombra wanted to tell me. He said that Candy was captured by slavers, and had managed to escape, and was saved by the guards. So Sombra have her a place to stay as he couldn't have left her to a terrible fate. After lunch when I went to apologize to Candy, I saw her sitting on her balcony railing. I screamed and she jumped, falling off. But I managed to save her just before she hit the ground. After I flew both of us up, I asked her why she was sitting there. She told me that it was because she felt guilty and sad for what had happened during the last few days. After that, I felt...terrible inside. Just terrible. Because of me, Candy was feeling so bad that she was about to end her own life. Oh my Celestia, that's not something that I'm going to forget for a while... I'm just glad that nothing went wrong. A few things did go wrong, but I mean that I'm glad that I was able to save Candy, because if I didn't, then I never would've forgiven myself. I mean it when I say that this wasn't one of my smartest movements in history. After being judged and misunderstood by other ponies myself, I should have known better. Honestly... I didn't know the full story here. Just because somepony seems completely fine on the surface, it doesn't mean that they don't have any problems in their life. I saw Candy as this young idealistic mare who Sombra saw in the Crystal Empire and decided he liked her because of her good looks. I didn't see all of the horror she had to go through to get here. I guess I should feel a bit of sympathy for Candy. I've faced trouble in my life, both before and after meeting Sombra, but I've also had time to heal and the right ponies around me. I was lucky that I was able to come to terms with the past and move on pretty quickly. Other ponies don't have that. So maybe I should be a little nicer to her. As long as I know that she and Sombra aren't doing anything behind my back. Without him it feels like it's just me against the world. At least when I'm with him, I know that there's two of us. But I'm just glad that Candy is okay now, and that she forgave me. When I asked her to forgive me, I was surprised when she said that she did. We decided to be friends, and remembering how Sombra told me that she used to be a nurse, I offered Candy a job at the hospital. She accepted. I've decided to ask her about her past some time this week. I hope that it won't be too hard for her. -Moonlight. After I finished writing, I put my quill down and closed my diary. After putting it under my pillow, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep. King Sombra's P.O.V: It was a beautiful morning when I woke up. I stretched and then walked out of the bedroom for breakfast in the dining room. Shortly after, Shade joined me, with a…guilty expression? “My little bat, what’s wrong?” I asked, concerned. She sighed. “Yesterday, Candy almost…committed suicide because of me…” This caused me to gasp. “Suicide?!” “Y-yes…” Shade stuttered, “She almost…jumped off the balcony, had I not stopped her…just because I was angry at her…" While shocked, I instantly wrapped her into a hug. “Shh…I don’t blame you; you just cared for me and I am happy you managed to save her life.” “Thanks…” She returned it. “I offered her a job at the hospital.” “That’s good, dear. Maybe, we should check up on her. Though, there is one problem…” I trailed off. “And that is?” She asked me, clueless. “With her being missing and now here…how would Sunbutt react to this?” “That's a good question. I think Sunbutt would try to get her back.” Shade replied and I nodded before we walked towards the hospital, with Flash Sentry joining us. As we entered the hospital, our ears twitched at Candy’s voice. “There you go, little one, all better now.” Our hearts melted at the sight of her treating a hurt foal, having bandaged its left foreleg, and it smiled weakly. “Thank you!” “It pleases me to see you are doing well.” I commented and she started slightly but smiled back. “What can I say, I love to help ponies, especially foals.” The unicorn admitted cheerfully before lowering her head. “It's nice here but…I hope my parents aren’t too worried...or hurt.” Now, fear was in her voice. "Don't worry," I told her. "You could write a letter to them and I'll tell somepony to deliver it." "R-really?" she asked, her smile back. I nodded. "Yes." Author's Note This took a while, I know. I had a block... Anyways, about the beginning, I rewrote that part and put it here because Bronycommander said that there should have been more... Also, you can thank Angel Midnight for Moonlight's diary entry. I hope you enjoyed this, and don't forget to vote, like, comment, fav, and follow! PS: Without Bronycommander and Angel Midnight's help, this wouldn't be here. The Messenger...Candy's P.O.V: "You really want to know?" asked Moonlight. It was the weekend, and Moonlight and I were getting to know each other better. I had asked her about the statue. "Yes," I replied. "Alright then..." "Sombra!" Moonlight yelled. "Yes, my love?" The bat pony thrusted a hoof in the direction of the enormous statue behind her. It was a perfect likeness of her, except much larger than she was, and it showed her rearing up on her hind legs with her wings and head high in the air, her mane and tail being blown to one side by a strong gust of wind. "Why in the name of Tartarus is there now a huge statue of me in the city center?!" she demanded. "Do you not like it?" Sombra asked her, grinning. "Well," she hesitated, "it's not that I don't like it, but - don't you think it's a bit - uh-" she waves her hoof in the air as she searched for the right word, "excessive? It seems like something Sunbutt would do. Statues of herself to show how great she supposedly is." "I can have it removed if you would like that." He didn't look directly at her, but he was still smiling. "Well, it's here now, and it looks like it took a lot of work to carve, so it would be a waste to get rid of it now, and it would also look really rude to everypony else, so..." she sighed. "Fine, it can stay. But make sure everypony knows that this was not my idea." She stared at him and narrowed her eyes. "What is the matter? I thought that it would be romantic. A gift for my little heroine." She grinned back. "Oh, really? Well, if you're in the mood for buying me gifts, I'd like a large bouquet of roses, a ten-tier chocolate cake, five pet pure-bred kittens, as large a shipment of mangoes as you can afford, a diamond necklace, a new royal party dress made by one of the top fashion houses in Prance..." "And do you know what happened after that? Sombra was actually going to get me all those things!" We both burst out laughing. “Although, I am simple in living.” Shade added, causing me to nod. “Despite having grown up in Canterlot, I prefer simple things. It's just that I spent most of my life there, so I couldn't imagine moving to another city or town.” “Understandable. As for me, I could have never imagined to be a Queen and live in an Empire. It's funny how life can turn out. I just wanted to show ponies that even Sombra can change and…here I am.” The batpony looked briefly down. Now, I could not help but sigh. “Any news from the messenger yet?” “Not yet but I assure you, we’ll do anything in our power to show your family you're safe and get you back home, But if Celestia makes things hard on us…” Her eyes narrowed slightly. “You’ll have a home here.” “Much appreciated.” Forcing a weak smile, I could not help but worry about my parents and myself. Would Celestia see me as a traitor and…execute me? Brand my family too? The very thought of that happening made me shiver. Shade seemed to notice my fear and pulled me into a hug. “Shh, don’t be scared, Candy... You're safe here; I promise.” “Ma’am!” A Crystal guard rushed in. “It's urgent!” “What is it?” Shade asked as the guard saluted. “A Solar Guard by the name of Stellar Shield has requested to meet you. He says he has a message to deliver to you from Princess Celestia. " The mare turned towards me. “Candy, stay behind me.” I did as told as she switched into her armour, going outside towards the entrance to the Empire. My eyes fell on a stallion in golden armour. His fur was grey, and his dark blue mane fell over his golden eyes which looked tired but still focused as he looked at me and the batpony with a neutral expression. “What happened to the messenger I sent?” Shade asked with slight distrust. “He sadly did not make it, I was sent as a replacement,” Stellar spoke with an accent I could not place. “Her Majesty, Princess Celestia, has a simple demand. Release the Equestrian Citizen you hold captive at once, or force will be used.” “What?!” I exclaimed, not able to hear what was just said, “No, they treated me fairly, I swear! And I am not a captive! King Sombra and Queen Moonlight saved my life!” “Yes, I can confirm this, tell Celestia we won’t tolerate such lies!” my host warned, and the guard seemed to sigh as his gaze fell upon me. “I did try to get you to listen, " he says, and then whistles loudly. Shade and I look at each other in confusion, and then an arrow comes whizzing through the air, aimed for her. Shade saw it coming and casted a shield spell, deflecting the arrow, only for the guard to smile as he cracked her shield and lunged at her with a knife. My host grabbed the knife to prevent her attacker from killing her. I wanted to help but my body was frozen in shock. A cry of pain tore me out, as Shade got stabbed in her chest, which was an unprotected area. And then dark mist suddenly surrounded the guard, making him clutch his head as he screamed in pain before being thrown off. I used this opportunity to check on Shade, she was pressing her hooves on her wound, trying to stop the bleeding. “Take this Solar Guard to the dungeon at once!” Sombra ordered some of his guards. "Yes sir!" While the Crystal Guards took Stellar away, I knew that I had to get Moonlight to a hospital. Because if I didn’t get her there in time…she would die from the blood loss. “King Sombra!” I shouted as I ran towards him. “Shade’s in danger! She’s losing lots of blood, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to get her to the hospital in time!” King Sombra immediately stopped what he was doing and ran towards Moonlight, teleporting the three of us to the hospital. I got a stretcher, and he levitated Moonlight onto it, after which I took her to an emergency room to begin the operation. Author's Note So...you weren't expecting that, were you? Thank Bronycommander for it; he came up with the idea! Like seriously, he wrote most of the chapter. And you know that flashback at the top? Thank Angel Midnight for it! She's wonderful with writing things. I swear, whatever she writes is magic. As for the Solar Guard OC that attacked Shade... Thank LyraAlluse! Seriously, he saved the story, and I'm not exaggerating this at all. We were actually struggling to think of an OC to be the Solar Guard, and then he created one named Stellar Shield. After all this time, I'd be happy to receive...comments, likes/votes...and don't forget to follow, favourite and share! A guard's past.Candy’s P.O.V: Just a few seconds after I had woken up, Flash Sentry came into my room with a tray on his hooves. He put it on a table and said, “Morning, Candy. Here’s your breakfast.” Even though I was still a little scared, I smiled and replied, “Morning Flash.” Flash was about to leave, when out of the kindness in my heart, I asked him, “Do you want to share with me?” He said, “It’s your breakfast, Candy. And also, I’m supposed to be guarding you.” “I don’t mind sharing. And you must be hungry.”, I replied. Flash started to say, “I’m not hungry-”, when his stomach decided to say otherwise and rumbled loudly. “I’m still not hungry. I-I had my breakfast not long ago!”, Flash said, blushing. “Then what was that I just heard?”, I asked. “Thunder. You heard thunder.”, was his reply. “You don’t have to be embarrassed to say that you’re hungry.”, I told the embarrassed stallion. “Fine. I didn’t have my breakfast this morning.” “Why not?”, I asked. “Because, I missed my alarm and I was so worried that I was going to be late.”, was Flash’s reply. “Oh.”, I said. “Then you must let me share my breakfast with you.” Flash Sentry’s P.O.V: Candy asked me, “Why not?” I tried to keep the blush from my face as I told her, “Because, I missed my alarm and I was so worried that I was going to be late.” Candy’s reply to this was, “Oh. Then you must let me share my breakfast with you.” I gave up. “If you insist.” Candy got out of bed and said, “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” With that said, she headed towards the bathroom. A few seconds later, I heard the shower turning on. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Candy had finished her shower and came out of the bathroom. I could barely take my eyes off her. Her mane sparkled in the sunlight, and her fur shone. She did look so very beautiful. I heard her saying, “Flash? Are you alright?” I snapped out of my daze and said, “Yes, I’m fine. Just got lost in my thoughts.” “Ok.”, said Candy and sat at the table. I did the same, and then we shared her breakfast which was donuts. We sat in silence, the only sound being that of our chewing, when Candy asked, “Um...Flash? I really want to ask you a question.” “Ask away.”, I said. Candy then asked, “How did you become a guard in the Crystal Empire? I mean, you’re from Equestria, and I think I’ve seen you as a Canterlot guard, so why did you leave Canterlot?” I choked on my food and Candy tapped me. “Are you alright?”, she asked. I replied, “Yes, I am. It’s just that the question was unexpected.” “If you don’t mind, could you please tell me?”, she asked. “Sure.”, I said. I finished chewing and started, “I used to be a guard in Canterlot, but then I left. There was this section in the library that had lots of files. I got curious and decided to look at them. Inside were all the crimes ever done by Celestia. After reading every single file, I quickly shut them and moved away, hoping that nopony would notice. But what I didn’t know was that I was being watched by a guard. That guard, I think his name was Crimson Star, told Celestia about what I had done and I was taken to the throne room. Celestia was going to have me killed, but just before she could cast the spell, a solar guard saved me, teleporting us both away from Canterlot.” I took a deep breath and continued, “We couldn’t stay in Equestria long, since there were wanted posters with our pictures. When our houses were burnt down by the guards, we decided to go to the Crystal Empire, and to our surprise, we were let in and allowed to live here after being interrogated.” By then, I could do nothing apart from let the water spill from my eyes. The memories were too painful. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ King Sombra’s P.O.V: With morning approaching, I decided to check on my...guest. My ears twitched at the sound of her voice as I got to the door. “That must’ve been really hard for you. A kind pony like you doesn't deserve to have had such things happen to him. ” She sounded like she had sympathy. “I try to bury the memories.'' He replied before I opened the door, my eyes widened in surprise. They both had breakfast together, and Flash looked like he had been crying. He quickly stood up and saluted, trembling. “S-sir?”, he stuttered. Candy looked with equal fear at me before I slowly smiled. “At ease. It pleases me to see you two get along well.” I sounded happy and proud. “Th-thank you, sir!”, stuttered the guard. “Why don't you give her a tour?” I suggested and he nodded. “I guess it could help me to know my way around.” The mare commented, ”I just hope my parents and family won’t be too worried about me.” This made me a little concerned. Unlike Flash, she was not a wanted pony. But I couldn't allow the slaver to get back at her. Nor could it be said how Celestia might react to her stay under my hospitality. I breathed and said, “Worry not, Candy.” Flash then took Candy to give her a tour. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Flash Sentry’s P.O.V: After I had finished telling Candy my story, the tears started falling. I tried wiping them away, but it was to no avail. The memories were fresh in my mind now. I remembered waking up in the middle of the night to see my house on fire. I tried using water to get rid of it, but it didn’t work. The fire was magical one, and since I was a pegasus and not a unicorn, I could do nothing but watch as my house burnt. My parents were still there, and I tried to save them. But just as I was flying them out of there, (they were too old) they lost their grip on my hooves and had burned with the house. I wasn’t even able to have a funeral for them as the solar guards who had set my house on fire had tried to kill me as I flew away. I was pulled out of those memories by somepony hugging me. I hadn’t realized that I had been saying that out loud, every part of that memory. Candy was hugging me, and crying too. She said with a voice full of sympathy, “That must’ve been really hard for you. A kind pony like you doesn't deserve to have had such things happen to him. ” I replied, “I try to bury the memories.” Just as Candy was about to say something, the door opened. I jumped up with my spear when I saw it was King Sombra. I started shaking where I stood. Did he come to punish me for not guarding? I stuttered out, “S-sir?” Candy also jumped up in surprise and her eyes were wide with fear. King Sombra slowly smiled and said, “At ease. It pleases me to see that you two get along so well.” He sounded happy and proud. “Th-thank you, sir!”, I stuttered. “Why don't you give her a tour?”, the King suggested, and I nodded. “I guess it could help me to know my way around.” , said Candy. ”I just hope my parents and family won’t be too worried about me.” King Sombra said, “Worry not, Candy.” I then took Candy saying, “Let’s go now.” She nodded and followed me. She was a little scared of the other guards, but I told her that they wouldn’t hurt her. Once out of the castle, I showed Candy a statue made out of crystal. I explained, “This is the statue of Moonlight Amethyst Shade, the pony who is the reason why King Sombra isn’t as harsh as before. And she also is the reason why the Crystal Ponies live in freedom.” “Wow.”, said Candy. I then showed her other places and told her about it. By the time I had finished, it was night. Everypony slept at night, so it was dark. Candy’s horn glowed with a light and we found our way back to the castle. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Candy’s P.O.V: Once Flash had finished showing me around the Empire, night had fallen. It was completely dark, so I did a spell that made the tip of my horn glow. It was silent until we reached my room in the castle. I said, “Goodnight Flash.” To which he replied, “You have a good night too, Candy.” I then entered my room. I decided to have a shower before I slept, since it made me feel good. And, it had been a hot day, even if I was in the Crystal Empire. I brushed my mane, and then went into the bathroom, turning the warm water on. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Author's Note This chapter was made with the help of Bronycommander. I do not own Moonlight Amethyst Shade. She belongs to Angel Midnight. Before you go, don't forget to...Vote...Like...Comment...Share! Btw, this story was an idea from Bronycommander, that I thought was a request story. And one more thing. I proudly announce the co-writer of this story as the one and only...Bronycommander!
Saved.Candy was a unicorn mare, with a mane that was striped purple and white. She had white fur and blue eyes. Her cutie mark was a notepad, and she used to be a nurse. A few years before getting a job as a nurse, she had been foalnapped by a stallion who had tried to sell her. He had kept her for a week before she managed to escape, and she lived in fear of being foalnapped again. Candy had just been going to the hospital where she worked when she was foalnapped by a bunch of stallions that had come out of nowhere. After foalnapping her, the group had taken her far from Canterlot. Somewhere near the Crystal Empire. Then they had tied Candy to a pole, making her stand on her hind hooves, with her forehooves tied behind her back. When Candy had started screaming at them, one stallion had come and threatened to cut her tongue off if she didn't stop screaming. Candy had immediately stopped screaming as it would be painful to get her tongue cut off. From where she was tied, Candy could see all the terrible things they did to the mares that weren't sold. She didn't want to lose her virginity like this, so that night after the slavers had fallen asleep, Candy started rubbing her forehooves against the pole. It was a trick she knew that would get rid of the ropes tying her hooves. She couldn't use magic because when they had caught her, the slavers had put a magic suppression ring on her horn. It had been three hours since Candy had started rubbing, and she thought, 'Just a little longer and then I'll be free.' As soon as she had thought that, the rope snapped. Candy quickly untied her hind hooves and then ran. In her haste, she knocked over a lantern that hit a bell, which turned an alarm on. One of the slavers got out of his tent and saw Candy standing there like a deer caught in the headlights. He then yelled, "The new mare's escaping!" As soon as he said that, six stallions ran out of their tents and chased Candy. The petrified mare ran as fast as she could and as far as she could. She ran for a full three hours before she stopped, out of breath and energy. Candy could hear the slavers getting closer, and she was scared. She knew what they would do if they caught her, and she didn't like the sound of it. She used all the energy she had to get up and start running. But near the gates of the Crystal Empire, her energy finished. She collapsed on the ground, and the slavers had finally caught up with her. Candy started shaking in fear and tried to get up, but her hooves gave up on her. She fell and when she thought that it was all over, that she would be killed or raped, a few guards came and saved her. She fainted in her rescuer's hooves. While this was happening, King Sombra was in his throne room, talking to somepony. A guard knocked on the doors of the throne room, and King Sombra said, "Come in." The guard entered, bowed, and said, "My King, we've found a mare near the gates of the Empire." "Where is she now?", asked the King. "We have taken her to the dungeons.", replied the guard. King Sombra said to the pony he had been talking to before the guard had come, "Come later." The pony bowed and left, and the guard went with King Sombra to the dungeon. King Sombra saw a white-furred mare with a purple and white striped mane. Her cutie mark was a notepad. He thought, 'She could be a spy.' King Sombra went inside the cell and asked, "What's your name?" "C-Candy.", was the answer. " You're a spy, aren't you? ", asked Sombra. Candy replied, " I-I'm not a spy." "Oh, really?", said Sombra. " Then why were you near the Crystal Empire? You're an equestrian. " "I swear, I'm not a spy.", said Candy. Sombra asked, " Then why did you come here?" "I-I was foalnapped by slavers. They're sex-slavers, and I didn't want to be raped, so I escaped and they chased me, and they would've killed me if the guards didn't save me.", explained Candy. "Hmm.", was all Sombra said. He walked closer to Candy, and she walked back. She kept going back as he got closer until the wall prevented her from going any further. She was cornered and shaking. She stuttered, "P-please d-don't hurt m-me." "Why would I hurt you?", asked King Sombra. But Candy was too scared to hear him. She shook more and kept saying, "Please don't hurt me. I'm not lying, I'm telling the truth." Sombra got bored and said, "To stop you from having a panic attack, I'll look inside your mind and see if you're telling the truth." Sombra did exactly what he had said, and found that the mare was telling the truth. He said, "I believe your story. You may stay in my castle to be safe." "S-so you won't hurt me?", stuttered Candy. "No, I won't.", said Sombra. "Celestia might have made you think that I'm heartless, but that's not true. Now come, I won't hurt you." Candy slowly moved one hoof in front of the other. Sombra would've shouted if it had been anypony else, but he could see that this mare was scared. One wrong move and she'd be scared forever. Once she was out, Sombra told a guard to take Candy to a guest room. The guard did as he was told. After the guard left, Sombra said, "You could have a shower, if you want." Candy was about to do that when Sombra said, "Come here." Candy went confused, not knowing what he would do to her. But all that Sombra did was take her magic suppression ring off. She stuttered, "T-thanks, K-king Sombra." To which Sombra replied, "You're welcome." Candy went into the bathroom to shower and clean herself, and Sombra stayed where he was. After she was fully clean, Candy dried herself and hung the towel. Then, she left the bathroom. Her fur was shining like the crystal ponies, even though she wasn't one. Her mane was also shiny. She sat next to Sombra, still a bit scared and asked, "So...You won't hurt me?" Sombra put a hurt look on his face and said, "Why would I have given you a guest room, a free shower, a place to stay if I just wanted to hurt you?" "I guess you're right.", was Candy's reply. "I won't hurt you, from what I saw in your mind earlier, you've been through a lot.", said Sombra. "Get some rest, I'll send a guard to check on you later." "Um, ok.", said Candy. "Thanks again!" After Sombra had gone, closing the door behind him, Candy lay on the bed, sinking into the soft mattress. She pulled a blanket over her and drifted to the land of sleep. Author's Note Author's note: This story is done for a request from Bronycommander-fimfiction. I do not own Candy. She belongs to Bronycommander. This is all for now. I'll be writing more soon. Don't forget to leave a like, a vote, and a comment.
N-no!King Sombra's P.O.V: After I told the mare, Candy, to have a shower, I was in deep thought. Why did I not keep her in the dungeons like every other equestrian who had come here? Why did I let her stay in a guest room in my castle? A voice in my head told me it was because I still had a heart, and she was a pony. I ignored it and thought, why did I be gentle with her? Why didn't I take advantage of her state and scare her more? At that very moment, the mare of my thoughts came out of the bathroom. I looked at Candy. She was so beautiful, with that shine on her. So- What was I thinking! She sat next to me, still scared and asked, "So...You won't hurt me?" (Just for fun) I put a hurt look on my face and asked, "Why would I have given you a guest room, a free shower, and a place to stay if I just wanted to hurt you?" "I guess you're right.", was Candy's reply. "I won't hurt you, from what I saw in your mind earlier, you've been through a lot.", said I. "Get some rest, I'll send a guard to check on you later." "Um, ok.", said Candy. "Thanks again!" I could tell that she was still scared. To stop my mind from thinking about her, I left the room and shut the door. I said, "Flash Sentry?" The guard came and bowed. "Yes, my King?" I told him, "I want you to guard this room. Nopony is allowed in or out. Understand?" "Yes, my King.", said the guard and started guarding the room. My reasons for telling the guard to guard Candy was because...Because I didn't trust her. She was a unicorn, and she could've made false memories. But she did have a magic suppression ring on when in the dungeon. Maybe she wasn't a spy. But someponies were very good at acting, and Candy could be one of them. I shook my head and walked away. Maybe a walk could help me think clearer. Her mind showed that she was truthful after all. Though, it sent a chill down my spine what those slavers had intended for her. I may have enslaved the crystal ponies at first, yes but I would never go that low. Even if I seemed like a heartless monster, I had standards. Nonetheless thanks to a mare, who saw me not as a monster, but as a pony who deserved a second chance. She was currently visiting an ally of ours. I was wondering how I could explain Candy to her. Maybe I should hide her. Moonlight was a sweet mare, but she was kind of...possessive. If I talked to another mare, she would make sure that I didn’t get too close to them. As my mind wandered, I passed some guards who saluted me. This reminded me, I should thank those guards who had saved Candy from the slavers. And, I wondered what had happened to the slavers. Fought off? Killed or captured? The guards had only told me about Candy, but not of the slavers. And frankly, that Candy managed to make it all the way here...was impressive. Also, having seen her past through her mind, made me feel pity for her in a way. Kidnapped and barely escaped, living in fear and then looked down by school mates...she did not deserve this. Maybe, she could live in the Crystal empire where she would be safe, similar to Flash Sentry and find a stallion to love. I certainly would… Again, I shook my head. Pull yourself together! She is a beautiful mare, that I would not deny, but I already had a mare to love, and I would never betray her. But showing Candy she was safe here was the least that I could do for her. I sighed. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Candy’s P.O.V: After King Sombra left the room, I shut my eyes. To tell the truth, I was exhausted from all the running that I had done today. The shower that I had before helped to refresh my mind. I wondered why King Sombra had been so...kind to me. Back in Equestria, I had heard that King Sombra was evil and took pleasure in hurting others. But he was nothing like that from what I saw. Before I could think anymore, I was taken by sleep. I opened my eyes and saw that I was tied up. How could that be possible? The last thing that I remembered was sleeping. I tried to untie myself, but was unable to. I heard somepony coming and my heart started beating faster. I asked, “Can somepony help me?” The pony coming revealed himself and it was...I shook in fear. It was one of the slavers. He smiled, showing his gold tooth. He laughed, “Nopony is going to help you.” I screamed in fear as he came closer to me. “These walls,” he tapped a wall with his hoof, “are soundproof. No matter how loud you scream, nopony will come to save you.” He came so close to me, he was breathing on me. He pressed a knife to my horn. “So, I advise that you stop screaming, or I’ll cut this nice horn of yours off.” “You are at my mercy.”, he continued. “We are the only ponies here. So, I can do whatever I want with you. And you know what I want?”, he asked. I stuttered, “N-no?” “I want revenge.”, he declared. “All because of you, I could’ve spent my life in prison. And now, you’ll pay. You’ll pay.” I screamed again knowing what he was going to do. “Somepony, anypony, help me!” ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Flash Sentry’s P.O.V: I was just guarding the room that I had been told to, when I heard somepony scream, “Somepony, anypony, help me!” Fearing that there may be an intruder, I rushed into the room with my spear, ready to...comfort a crying mare? I kept my spear with me, and went closer to her. The mare had white fur, and was a unicorn. Figuring that she was having a nightmare, I tapped her lightly saying, “Wake up. It’s just a nightmare.” She opened her eyes, and when she saw my spear, her eyes went big and she started shaking. “W-who are y-you?”, she asked. I told her, “I’m one of King Sombra’s guards.” She stuttered, “D-don’t hurt me.” I threw my spear away, and said, “I won’t hurt you. Don’t worry. What’s your name?” She stopped shaking a little and said, “My name is Candy.” I smiled, “Nice to meet you, Candy. I’m Flash Sentry. You can call me Flash.” Candy said, “Oh. It’s nice to meet you too, Flash.” She then tried to smile, but was too scared to. I told her, “I won’t hurt you, I’m just here to help you.” “Um...ok.” I decided to leave. I said, “If you need anything, don’t be scared to tell me.”, and then I picked my spear up and left, shutting the door behind me. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Candy’s P.O.V: I sighed in relief after Flash closed the door. It had just been a dream. Still, a part of me wished this was not true, being in an empire ruled by an evil king. But then again, he had treated me kindly. When I was in the cell, I feared for my life. And Flash Sentry seemed like a nice stallion. Something dawned on me. He was a pegasus. How did he end up in the Crystal Empire? He was an equestrian, since he didn’t look like a crystal pony. And come to think about it, I think Flash used to be one of Celestia’s guards. I should ask him when I get the opportunity. But for now, I should try to get some rest again. With that, I laid down and closed my eyes, falling asleep again. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Author's Note This chapter wouldn't be here if Bronycommander didn't help me. So, TY Bronycommander. Before you go, don't forget to...Vote...Like...Comment...Share! PS: Anypony thought about what Flash's reason for coming to the Crystal Empire and becoming one of Sombra's guards might be?
Moonlight.King Sombra's P.O.V: Today was the day that Moonlight would return, and I was both happy and worried. I was happy because Moonlight was going to come back, and the thought of what she would do if she found out about Candy worried me. She would think that I betrayed her, and things like that. I wasn't eager for a fight. So, I decided that Flash would take care of Candy, as the two got along well. I teleported to where Flash should be now, guarding Candy. Flash bowed, and I started, "Flash, today Moonlight is going to come back from her trip, and I don't want her to get the wrong thoughts after seeing Candy, so I want you to take care of Candy, and if she needs anything, then give it to her. Do you understand?" "Yes, your Majesty.", he replied. I then teleported to my room to make things...tidier. Flash Sentry's P.O.V: "Yes, your Majesty.", I replied, and the King teleported away. A maid arrived with Candy's breakfast, and I knocked on her door. Candy's P.O.V: I was drying my mane when I heard a knock on the door. "You may come in.", I said, and the door opened, showing Flash. I smiled, "Good morning, Flash." "Good morning, Candy.", he replied. Putting the tray on the table, he told me, "This is your breakfast." He was about to leave when I asked, "Would you like to eat some?" Seeing the look in my eyes that said he must, he sighed, "If you don't mind." "I don't mind.", I told him. Flash Sentry's P.O.V: I had just finished eating, and was now drinking some water. “Can I ask you something, Flash?” Candy spoke up all of a sudden, catching me off guard. “Sure.”, I replied. “Why did you become a royal guard?” Candy was curious, yet formed an expression of sympathy seeing the look on my face. “You don’t have to tell me, if you don’t want to.” My shoulders shrugged in response. “There is not much to tell to be honest. Like many, I saw it as an honorable job, keeping others safe and the pay was good. Plus, I thought it would be like an adventure.” Now, I could not help but sigh. “I owe that other Solar Guard my life. I think her name is Sunset Shimmer.” A hoof wandered to my chin. “There were some rumors that she used to be Sunbutt's student, but I never paid much attention to them..” “Do you know her?”, Candy asked. “Not directly. After we escaped, she said she had to save her family and find a way to keep them safe from the solar guards. I think she managed to do so, that in my own panic, I never once checked on her…” I trailed off as I began to get worried about what could've happened to Sunset. “I hope she managed to save her family, her family shouldn't suffer." Trying to change the topic, Candy said, "As for me, I became a nurse, as I was very good at reports.” She pointed to her cutie mark, which was a notepad. “My mother was a doctor, so I took after her, saving lives. Another reason why I became a nurse is because it's a good job.” In response, my lips formed a proud smile. “A honorable act of you.” King Sombra’s P.O.V: Slightly tensed, I walked towards the entrance of the castle, forcing a smile as the door opened and a green batpony mare walked in, escorted by a few guards. “Moonlight, it's nice to see you again.”, I started. She pulled me into a hug. “Same, Sombra, I missed you terribly.” “Me too, but how was your stay?” I asked as we walked through the corridor and she grinned. “To be honest, it was great. Sugar Belle showed me some of her specialties, I played some games with Party Favor, and even got taught how to use skis by Double Diamond.” Moonlight told me with glee in her voice , causing me to smile. “I'm glad you had fun, dear.”, I smiled. “And you?” She sounded eager. “Oh, nothing much, everything was mostly quiet while you were gone. Apart from making sure that everypony was happy, there was nothing to do.” My eyes darted around, something she took notice of with a worried expression. “Were you attacked?”, she asked. “No, just…”, I started to say but she cut me off. “You know our rule, no pain, no lies, no secrets, and no spies.” Her voice raised slightly and I sighed, lowering my head. “Of course. A few days ago, we got a refugee, a unicorn mare called Candy.”, I told her. I waited for her reaction to this news. As I feared, her purple eyes went wide and she paced rather quickly towards Candy’s room and I tried to keep up. With slight force, Shade threw the door open, facing Candy with outright hostility, who shivered in fear upon seeing the angry batpony, with Flash doing the same. “You…You dare to come here and try to take Sombra away from me?!” Moonlight yelled loudly, her eyes blazing with dark magic, Candy was cowering in the corner and so did Flash who was standing in front of her protectively, completely taken over by fear. “N-no…-P-please…”, Candy started stuttering. “You can consider yourself lucky that I'm not going to throw you into the dungeon right this second!" , my mare hissed and stormed out. I could only look after her in shock, never expecting to see her so angry. “S-s-sorry…” A whimper made my ears twitch, my eyes looked with pity at Candy, who buried her face in her hooves. “I am…sorry…” Realizing she was blaming herself, I gently kneeled down to her, a weak smile forming on my face. “Shh…calm down, Candy, this is not your fault. Moonlight just has a hot temper. I'm sure that she'll be fine in a few days." I just hoped that would be true. Author's Note Hey everypony! This chapter took a while but me and Bronycommander managed to finish it. Actually, most of the credit for this chapter goes to Bronycommander. He wrote most of it. Btw, if you liked this, then vote/like and comment!
Apologize...Moonlight's P.O.V: I felt...betrayed. Sombra had found another mare while I was gone. He had...replaced me. For the last few days, he's been trying to tell me that it's not what I think it's like, but I don't believe him. He was the only one that I truly trusted, and now...now I don't trust him anymore. I gave my heart to him, and when I was gone, he gave it away. He gave his heart to somepony else. Candy. I hated her now. She came and dared to take Sombra away from me. She would pay dearly for this. I would get my revenge. There was a knock on the door, pulling me from my thoughts. "Who is it?", I asked. "It's Candy.", was the reply. "I know that you're angry at me now, but if you let me explain-" I cut her off. "NO! I don't want to talk to you, or even see your face." Candy's P.O.V: I felt guilty for what had happened, even though King Sombra told me that it wasn't my fault. I felt like I needed to apologize to Moonlight. So I went. I asked Flash, and he told me where her room was. When he asked me why, I told him that I wanted to talk to her. I reached the door, and knocked. "Who is it?", I heard a voice ask. "It's Candy.", I replied. " I know that you're angry at me now, but if you let me explain-" I didn't get to finish my sentence, as I was cut off by an angry, "NO! I don't want to talk to you or even see your face!" "Please, give me a chance.", I pleaded. "No! I will not give you a chance. I hate you, Candy. You took my Sombra away from me.", was the reply. I sighed. Talking to Moonlight would be harder than I thought it would be. When Flash saw me with a sad expression on my face, he asked, "I take it that Moonlight didn't let you talk to her?" "She told me that she hated me, and wanted nothing more than for me to rot in Tartarus because she thinks that I took King Sombra away from her.", I told him. "Oh. Talking to Moonlight when she's upset or angry is impossible.", he said. "How do you know?", I asked him. "Once King Sombra pranked her by putting a fake spider inside her bowl of cereal. She hates spiders, and didn't talk to him for a whole week after that. He even tried making crystal flowers for her.", Flash replied. "Oh, okay.", I said. "You still feel guilty and sad, am I right?", he asked. "Yes.", I replied. "It wasn't your fault, Candy.", he said in a soft voice. "I know, but the feeling doesn't go away.", I sighed. After talking to Flash, I felt better. King Sombra's P.O.V: It was as I had feared. My lover thought that I had betrayed betrayed her. As I walked to calm myself, a sigh escaped my mouth. This will take some time to fix. Sometimes I wished that Moonlight would be more understanding. I wonder, what caused her to jump so quickly to such assumptions? "Sir? Are you okay?" One of my guards, his voice full of concern as I walked past. "I'm fine, just lost in thought." I replied with a weak smile to show that I appreciated the guard's concern. Nonetheless, I went after my own duties, and the time passed, making it midday. I was heading to much, when the door to the dining room opened, and Moonlight walked in with a much calmer expression than before, causing me to smile slightly. "I'm glad that you decided to join me, my little bat.", I smiled at her. "Well, I can't work with an empty stomach, can I?", she asked as she sat down. "I'm still going to keep my eyes on Candy. How did she even get here in the first place?" King Sombra's P.O.V: It was as I had feared. My lover thought that I had betrayed betrayed her. As I walked to calm myself, a sigh escaped my mouth. This will take some time to fix. Sometimes I wished that Moonlight would be more understanding. I wonder, what caused her to jump so quickly to such assumptions? "Sir? Are you okay?" One of my guards, his voice full of concern as I walked past. "I'm fine, just lost in thought." I replied with a weak smile to show that I appreciated the guard's concern. Nonetheless, I went after my own duties, and the time passed, making it midday. I was heading to much, when the door to the dining room opened, and Moonlight walked in with a much calmer expression than before, causing me to smile slightly. "I'm glad that you decided to join me, my little bat.", I smiled at her. "Well, I can't work with an empty stomach, can I?", she asked as she sat down. "I'm still going to keep my eyes on Candy. How did she even get here in the first place?" She sounded distrustful. I raised my voice slightly. "I would've told you if you hadn't run off in your anger. She was captured by slavers, and had managed to escape. The guards saved her, and what else should I have done? Left her to a terrible fate?" In my mind, a smile formed as she blinked in surprise. "I suppose not." "And being friendly to her is the least that I can do. I never would've left you for her, Moonlight.", I added. Then I heard somepony laughing, and Flash stood in front of the doors, as it was his turn to guard. His expression was one of guilt as he saw us. He rubbed the back of his head while smiling sheepishly. "Sorry Sir, Candy just told me something so funny that it won't leave my head." Hoping that it would bring a smile to Moonlight's face, I asked, "And it is?" He replied, "While Candy was still a nurse, she once had a patient who had a toy stuck in his nose.The funny thing is that he wanted to know how his son managed to get the same thing done!" He burst into laughter once again, and we both laughed. Moonlight commented, "Some ponies are really stupid, aren't they?" Moonlight's P.O.V: I was walking to Candy's room, to apologize to her. I had been rude to her, and Flash Sentry told me that she was feeling sad and guilty. I knocked on her door, but heard no answer. I knocked again, but still getting no answer, I got worried. I opened the door, and walked in. What I saw next nearly made me scream. Candy was sitting on the balcony's railing, looking as if she was about to jump off. "Candy?! What are you doing?!", I screamed, and she jumped at my voice. She screamed as she fell, and I flew after her, managing to catch her just before she hit the ground. "Thanks for saving me.", she said. "You're welcome.", I replied. "What were you trying to do?" "I felt terrible after what happened a few days ago, and after hearing what you said to me this morning, I felt guilty. I did my best not to make Flash worry, and then I...", she explained, but trailed off as she reached the end. "I'm sorry for making you feel that way, Candy. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions so quickly." My ears drooped as I said that, realizing that I made her feel so bad that she had wanted to end her own life. "Will you forgive me?" "I forgive you.", she smiled. "I guess the King told you about how he found me?" "Yes, Sombra told me." I got an idea, and asked, "You used to be a nurse, right?" "Yes, I did.", she replied. "Why?" "Do you still want to be a nurse?", I asked. "I would love to." "Then you could be a nurse at the Crystal Hospital. If you want." Author's Note 'Last christmas I gave you my heart, but the very next day, you gave it away. This year, to save me from tears, I'll give it to someone special.' This inspired me for the first part of the chapter. And now you all know what the suicide tag was for. It took some time, but me and Bronycommander worked hard on this. I hope you enjoyed this, and don't forget to vote/like and comment.
Diary...Candy's P.O.V: I was sitting on the balcony's railing, thinking if I should jump off or not. On one hoof, if I jumped off and died King Sombra and Moonlight Shade wouldn't be fighting anymore. On the other hoof- Before I could finish that thought I heard somepony yell, "Candy?! What are you doing?!" and I jumped, scared. I heard Moonlight shout, "Candy!" and she dived after me. It felt so natural to scream as my life flashed before me. As the ground seemed to be coming closer and closer, I was reminded of the fact that it was impossible to survive a fall from this height. "Phew, I've got you," Moonlight said as she managed to catch me, just mere seconds before I touched the ground. She flew us back up and then asked, “Candy? Are you alright? Everything’s gonna be fine. Don't worry.” The batpony had worry in her voice as I was trembling heavily, not responding, just staring. Slowly, I brought my forelegs around her for a hug. “Th-tha-thank you...” I stuttered, still shocked. Moonlight smiled. "You don't need to thank me; I never would've let a pony die." She asked, "Why were you sitting there of all places?" "I felt terrible after what happened a few days ago, and after hearing what you said to me this morning, I felt guilty. I did my best not to make Flash worry, and then I..." I explained, but trailed off. "I'm sorry for making you feel that way, Candy. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions so quickly." Her ears drooped as she said that. "Will you ever forgive me?" "I forgive you." I smiled. "Friends?" Moonlight smiled back. "Friends." Moonlight's P.O.V: I got my diary out, and started writing. Today I calmed down, and listened to what Sombra wanted to tell me. He said that Candy was captured by slavers, and had managed to escape, and was saved by the guards. So Sombra have her a place to stay as he couldn't have left her to a terrible fate. After lunch when I went to apologize to Candy, I saw her sitting on her balcony railing. I screamed and she jumped, falling off. But I managed to save her just before she hit the ground. After I flew both of us up, I asked her why she was sitting there. She told me that it was because she felt guilty and sad for what had happened during the last few days. After that, I felt...terrible inside. Just terrible. Because of me, Candy was feeling so bad that she was about to end her own life. Oh my Celestia, that's not something that I'm going to forget for a while... I'm just glad that nothing went wrong. A few things did go wrong, but I mean that I'm glad that I was able to save Candy, because if I didn't, then I never would've forgiven myself. I mean it when I say that this wasn't one of my smartest movements in history. After being judged and misunderstood by other ponies myself, I should have known better. Honestly... I didn't know the full story here. Just because somepony seems completely fine on the surface, it doesn't mean that they don't have any problems in their life. I saw Candy as this young idealistic mare who Sombra saw in the Crystal Empire and decided he liked her because of her good looks. I didn't see all of the horror she had to go through to get here. I guess I should feel a bit of sympathy for Candy. I've faced trouble in my life, both before and after meeting Sombra, but I've also had time to heal and the right ponies around me. I was lucky that I was able to come to terms with the past and move on pretty quickly. Other ponies don't have that. So maybe I should be a little nicer to her. As long as I know that she and Sombra aren't doing anything behind my back. Without him it feels like it's just me against the world. At least when I'm with him, I know that there's two of us. But I'm just glad that Candy is okay now, and that she forgave me. When I asked her to forgive me, I was surprised when she said that she did. We decided to be friends, and remembering how Sombra told me that she used to be a nurse, I offered Candy a job at the hospital. She accepted. I've decided to ask her about her past some time this week. I hope that it won't be too hard for her. -Moonlight. After I finished writing, I put my quill down and closed my diary. After putting it under my pillow, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep. King Sombra's P.O.V: It was a beautiful morning when I woke up. I stretched and then walked out of the bedroom for breakfast in the dining room. Shortly after, Shade joined me, with a…guilty expression? “My little bat, what’s wrong?” I asked, concerned. She sighed. “Yesterday, Candy almost…committed suicide because of me…” This caused me to gasp. “Suicide?!” “Y-yes…” Shade stuttered, “She almost…jumped off the balcony, had I not stopped her…just because I was angry at her…" While shocked, I instantly wrapped her into a hug. “Shh…I don’t blame you; you just cared for me and I am happy you managed to save her life.” “Thanks…” She returned it. “I offered her a job at the hospital.” “That’s good, dear. Maybe, we should check up on her. Though, there is one problem…” I trailed off. “And that is?” She asked me, clueless. “With her being missing and now here…how would Sunbutt react to this?” “That's a good question. I think Sunbutt would try to get her back.” Shade replied and I nodded before we walked towards the hospital, with Flash Sentry joining us. As we entered the hospital, our ears twitched at Candy’s voice. “There you go, little one, all better now.” Our hearts melted at the sight of her treating a hurt foal, having bandaged its left foreleg, and it smiled weakly. “Thank you!” “It pleases me to see you are doing well.” I commented and she started slightly but smiled back. “What can I say, I love to help ponies, especially foals.” The unicorn admitted cheerfully before lowering her head. “It's nice here but…I hope my parents aren’t too worried...or hurt.” Now, fear was in her voice. "Don't worry," I told her. "You could write a letter to them and I'll tell somepony to deliver it." "R-really?" she asked, her smile back. I nodded. "Yes." Author's Note This took a while, I know. I had a block... Anyways, about the beginning, I rewrote that part and put it here because Bronycommander said that there should have been more... Also, you can thank Angel Midnight for Moonlight's diary entry. I hope you enjoyed this, and don't forget to vote, like, comment, fav, and follow! PS: Without Bronycommander and Angel Midnight's help, this wouldn't be here.
The Messenger...Candy's P.O.V: "You really want to know?" asked Moonlight. It was the weekend, and Moonlight and I were getting to know each other better. I had asked her about the statue. "Yes," I replied. "Alright then..." "Sombra!" Moonlight yelled. "Yes, my love?" The bat pony thrusted a hoof in the direction of the enormous statue behind her. It was a perfect likeness of her, except much larger than she was, and it showed her rearing up on her hind legs with her wings and head high in the air, her mane and tail being blown to one side by a strong gust of wind. "Why in the name of Tartarus is there now a huge statue of me in the city center?!" she demanded. "Do you not like it?" Sombra asked her, grinning. "Well," she hesitated, "it's not that I don't like it, but - don't you think it's a bit - uh-" she waves her hoof in the air as she searched for the right word, "excessive? It seems like something Sunbutt would do. Statues of herself to show how great she supposedly is." "I can have it removed if you would like that." He didn't look directly at her, but he was still smiling. "Well, it's here now, and it looks like it took a lot of work to carve, so it would be a waste to get rid of it now, and it would also look really rude to everypony else, so..." she sighed. "Fine, it can stay. But make sure everypony knows that this was not my idea." She stared at him and narrowed her eyes. "What is the matter? I thought that it would be romantic. A gift for my little heroine." She grinned back. "Oh, really? Well, if you're in the mood for buying me gifts, I'd like a large bouquet of roses, a ten-tier chocolate cake, five pet pure-bred kittens, as large a shipment of mangoes as you can afford, a diamond necklace, a new royal party dress made by one of the top fashion houses in Prance..." "And do you know what happened after that? Sombra was actually going to get me all those things!" We both burst out laughing. “Although, I am simple in living.” Shade added, causing me to nod. “Despite having grown up in Canterlot, I prefer simple things. It's just that I spent most of my life there, so I couldn't imagine moving to another city or town.” “Understandable. As for me, I could have never imagined to be a Queen and live in an Empire. It's funny how life can turn out. I just wanted to show ponies that even Sombra can change and…here I am.” The batpony looked briefly down. Now, I could not help but sigh. “Any news from the messenger yet?” “Not yet but I assure you, we’ll do anything in our power to show your family you're safe and get you back home, But if Celestia makes things hard on us…” Her eyes narrowed slightly. “You’ll have a home here.” “Much appreciated.” Forcing a weak smile, I could not help but worry about my parents and myself. Would Celestia see me as a traitor and…execute me? Brand my family too? The very thought of that happening made me shiver. Shade seemed to notice my fear and pulled me into a hug. “Shh, don’t be scared, Candy... You're safe here; I promise.” “Ma’am!” A Crystal guard rushed in. “It's urgent!” “What is it?” Shade asked as the guard saluted. “A Solar Guard by the name of Stellar Shield has requested to meet you. He says he has a message to deliver to you from Princess Celestia. " The mare turned towards me. “Candy, stay behind me.” I did as told as she switched into her armour, going outside towards the entrance to the Empire. My eyes fell on a stallion in golden armour. His fur was grey, and his dark blue mane fell over his golden eyes which looked tired but still focused as he looked at me and the batpony with a neutral expression. “What happened to the messenger I sent?” Shade asked with slight distrust. “He sadly did not make it, I was sent as a replacement,” Stellar spoke with an accent I could not place. “Her Majesty, Princess Celestia, has a simple demand. Release the Equestrian Citizen you hold captive at once, or force will be used.” “What?!” I exclaimed, not able to hear what was just said, “No, they treated me fairly, I swear! And I am not a captive! King Sombra and Queen Moonlight saved my life!” “Yes, I can confirm this, tell Celestia we won’t tolerate such lies!” my host warned, and the guard seemed to sigh as his gaze fell upon me. “I did try to get you to listen, " he says, and then whistles loudly. Shade and I look at each other in confusion, and then an arrow comes whizzing through the air, aimed for her. Shade saw it coming and casted a shield spell, deflecting the arrow, only for the guard to smile as he cracked her shield and lunged at her with a knife. My host grabbed the knife to prevent her attacker from killing her. I wanted to help but my body was frozen in shock. A cry of pain tore me out, as Shade got stabbed in her chest, which was an unprotected area. And then dark mist suddenly surrounded the guard, making him clutch his head as he screamed in pain before being thrown off. I used this opportunity to check on Shade, she was pressing her hooves on her wound, trying to stop the bleeding. “Take this Solar Guard to the dungeon at once!” Sombra ordered some of his guards. "Yes sir!" While the Crystal Guards took Stellar away, I knew that I had to get Moonlight to a hospital. Because if I didn’t get her there in time…she would die from the blood loss. “King Sombra!” I shouted as I ran towards him. “Shade’s in danger! She’s losing lots of blood, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to get her to the hospital in time!” King Sombra immediately stopped what he was doing and ran towards Moonlight, teleporting the three of us to the hospital. I got a stretcher, and he levitated Moonlight onto it, after which I took her to an emergency room to begin the operation. Author's Note So...you weren't expecting that, were you? Thank Bronycommander for it; he came up with the idea! Like seriously, he wrote most of the chapter. And you know that flashback at the top? Thank Angel Midnight for it! She's wonderful with writing things. I swear, whatever she writes is magic. As for the Solar Guard OC that attacked Shade... Thank LyraAlluse! Seriously, he saved the story, and I'm not exaggerating this at all. We were actually struggling to think of an OC to be the Solar Guard, and then he created one named Stellar Shield. After all this time, I'd be happy to receive...comments, likes/votes...and don't forget to follow, favourite and share!
A guard's past.Candy’s P.O.V: Just a few seconds after I had woken up, Flash Sentry came into my room with a tray on his hooves. He put it on a table and said, “Morning, Candy. Here’s your breakfast.” Even though I was still a little scared, I smiled and replied, “Morning Flash.” Flash was about to leave, when out of the kindness in my heart, I asked him, “Do you want to share with me?” He said, “It’s your breakfast, Candy. And also, I’m supposed to be guarding you.” “I don’t mind sharing. And you must be hungry.”, I replied. Flash started to say, “I’m not hungry-”, when his stomach decided to say otherwise and rumbled loudly. “I’m still not hungry. I-I had my breakfast not long ago!”, Flash said, blushing. “Then what was that I just heard?”, I asked. “Thunder. You heard thunder.”, was his reply. “You don’t have to be embarrassed to say that you’re hungry.”, I told the embarrassed stallion. “Fine. I didn’t have my breakfast this morning.” “Why not?”, I asked. “Because, I missed my alarm and I was so worried that I was going to be late.”, was Flash’s reply. “Oh.”, I said. “Then you must let me share my breakfast with you.” Flash Sentry’s P.O.V: Candy asked me, “Why not?” I tried to keep the blush from my face as I told her, “Because, I missed my alarm and I was so worried that I was going to be late.” Candy’s reply to this was, “Oh. Then you must let me share my breakfast with you.” I gave up. “If you insist.” Candy got out of bed and said, “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” With that said, she headed towards the bathroom. A few seconds later, I heard the shower turning on. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Candy had finished her shower and came out of the bathroom. I could barely take my eyes off her. Her mane sparkled in the sunlight, and her fur shone. She did look so very beautiful. I heard her saying, “Flash? Are you alright?” I snapped out of my daze and said, “Yes, I’m fine. Just got lost in my thoughts.” “Ok.”, said Candy and sat at the table. I did the same, and then we shared her breakfast which was donuts. We sat in silence, the only sound being that of our chewing, when Candy asked, “Um...Flash? I really want to ask you a question.” “Ask away.”, I said. Candy then asked, “How did you become a guard in the Crystal Empire? I mean, you’re from Equestria, and I think I’ve seen you as a Canterlot guard, so why did you leave Canterlot?” I choked on my food and Candy tapped me. “Are you alright?”, she asked. I replied, “Yes, I am. It’s just that the question was unexpected.” “If you don’t mind, could you please tell me?”, she asked. “Sure.”, I said. I finished chewing and started, “I used to be a guard in Canterlot, but then I left. There was this section in the library that had lots of files. I got curious and decided to look at them. Inside were all the crimes ever done by Celestia. After reading every single file, I quickly shut them and moved away, hoping that nopony would notice. But what I didn’t know was that I was being watched by a guard. That guard, I think his name was Crimson Star, told Celestia about what I had done and I was taken to the throne room. Celestia was going to have me killed, but just before she could cast the spell, a solar guard saved me, teleporting us both away from Canterlot.” I took a deep breath and continued, “We couldn’t stay in Equestria long, since there were wanted posters with our pictures. When our houses were burnt down by the guards, we decided to go to the Crystal Empire, and to our surprise, we were let in and allowed to live here after being interrogated.” By then, I could do nothing apart from let the water spill from my eyes. The memories were too painful. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ King Sombra’s P.O.V: With morning approaching, I decided to check on my...guest. My ears twitched at the sound of her voice as I got to the door. “That must’ve been really hard for you. A kind pony like you doesn't deserve to have had such things happen to him. ” She sounded like she had sympathy. “I try to bury the memories.'' He replied before I opened the door, my eyes widened in surprise. They both had breakfast together, and Flash looked like he had been crying. He quickly stood up and saluted, trembling. “S-sir?”, he stuttered. Candy looked with equal fear at me before I slowly smiled. “At ease. It pleases me to see you two get along well.” I sounded happy and proud. “Th-thank you, sir!”, stuttered the guard. “Why don't you give her a tour?” I suggested and he nodded. “I guess it could help me to know my way around.” The mare commented, ”I just hope my parents and family won’t be too worried about me.” This made me a little concerned. Unlike Flash, she was not a wanted pony. But I couldn't allow the slaver to get back at her. Nor could it be said how Celestia might react to her stay under my hospitality. I breathed and said, “Worry not, Candy.” Flash then took Candy to give her a tour. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Flash Sentry’s P.O.V: After I had finished telling Candy my story, the tears started falling. I tried wiping them away, but it was to no avail. The memories were fresh in my mind now. I remembered waking up in the middle of the night to see my house on fire. I tried using water to get rid of it, but it didn’t work. The fire was magical one, and since I was a pegasus and not a unicorn, I could do nothing but watch as my house burnt. My parents were still there, and I tried to save them. But just as I was flying them out of there, (they were too old) they lost their grip on my hooves and had burned with the house. I wasn’t even able to have a funeral for them as the solar guards who had set my house on fire had tried to kill me as I flew away. I was pulled out of those memories by somepony hugging me. I hadn’t realized that I had been saying that out loud, every part of that memory. Candy was hugging me, and crying too. She said with a voice full of sympathy, “That must’ve been really hard for you. A kind pony like you doesn't deserve to have had such things happen to him. ” I replied, “I try to bury the memories.” Just as Candy was about to say something, the door opened. I jumped up with my spear when I saw it was King Sombra. I started shaking where I stood. Did he come to punish me for not guarding? I stuttered out, “S-sir?” Candy also jumped up in surprise and her eyes were wide with fear. King Sombra slowly smiled and said, “At ease. It pleases me to see that you two get along so well.” He sounded happy and proud. “Th-thank you, sir!”, I stuttered. “Why don't you give her a tour?”, the King suggested, and I nodded. “I guess it could help me to know my way around.” , said Candy. ”I just hope my parents and family won’t be too worried about me.” King Sombra said, “Worry not, Candy.” I then took Candy saying, “Let’s go now.” She nodded and followed me. She was a little scared of the other guards, but I told her that they wouldn’t hurt her. Once out of the castle, I showed Candy a statue made out of crystal. I explained, “This is the statue of Moonlight Amethyst Shade, the pony who is the reason why King Sombra isn’t as harsh as before. And she also is the reason why the Crystal Ponies live in freedom.” “Wow.”, said Candy. I then showed her other places and told her about it. By the time I had finished, it was night. Everypony slept at night, so it was dark. Candy’s horn glowed with a light and we found our way back to the castle. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Candy’s P.O.V: Once Flash had finished showing me around the Empire, night had fallen. It was completely dark, so I did a spell that made the tip of my horn glow. It was silent until we reached my room in the castle. I said, “Goodnight Flash.” To which he replied, “You have a good night too, Candy.” I then entered my room. I decided to have a shower before I slept, since it made me feel good. And, it had been a hot day, even if I was in the Crystal Empire. I brushed my mane, and then went into the bathroom, turning the warm water on. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Author's Note This chapter was made with the help of Bronycommander. I do not own Moonlight Amethyst Shade. She belongs to Angel Midnight. Before you go, don't forget to...Vote...Like...Comment...Share! Btw, this story was an idea from Bronycommander, that I thought was a request story. And one more thing. I proudly announce the co-writer of this story as the one and only...Bronycommander!
