Waning Moonlight

Chapters

1 - Nightmare's End
2 - Cracks in the Guard
3 - Acts of Paranoia
4 - Two Blind Fools
5 - Meetings in Shadow

1 - Nightmare's End

"Moonspeaker Tlaocani, it is not often you leave Tzinacatlia. Why come to Blackwatch?" the commander in her crisp, black uniform said with a slight country drawl.

"Dire news, I'm afraid," the aging thestral mare responded. "I have seen a vision in the mists."

"A vision? A vision of what?"

"Of a nightmare rising. Of our princess in danger. Shadows smothering even the brightest of lights." A tinge of fear touched the older mare's voice, sorrow in her violet eyes.

"I swear on the moon and stars, if your cryptic riddles endanger our sovereign—"

"Ease yourself, Commander," the moonspeaker cautioned with a calming hoof gesture. "I will speak plainly. Princess Luna is on the verge of succumbing to darkness. An evil thing infects her soul, and if it cannot be held at bay, it will consume her, transform her into a creature of evil. Very soon, this will happen, and she will strike against her sister in jealousy. You must stop it, if you can."

The commander hesitated a moment before nodding, the rim of her kettle helm shading her silvery eyes and making her gray coat seem almost charcoal. "Lieutenant Nightly and his team are on duty with the princess tonight. I'll get a warning to them immediately."

"No," the older mare said firmly. "You must go yourself. Bring as many as you can. I fear your soldiers there may already have been waylaid."

"I see," the commander muttered, troubled. "In that case, I'll assemble the Guard and move on Everfree, post haste."

"Fortune be with you, Commander. I fear we may already be too late."

Commander Silverbright galloped across the bridge toward Castle Everfree, her fellow soldiers of the Lunar Guard speeding along to the rear with her captains—Starside, Sunsear, and Azure Gaze—at her flanks. In the distance, bright flashes of gold and dark purple magic filled the air, the rumbling cry of two arcane powers clashing deafening all else.

Castle Everfree, the capital of Equestria and home of the two sisters, was being destroyed before her very eyes. That concerned her far less than the consequences for Princess Luna, however. In fact, based on Tlaocani’s strange thestral prognostications, she wasn't sure the thing in there with Celestia still was Luna.

But even if she and the Lunar Guard had arrived too late to stop the transformation, perhaps they could still find a way to save the princess. Both princesses, in fact. Celestia was fighting for her life at that moment, and as a soldier of Equestria, Silverbright needed to remind herself that she too was her sovereign.

She and her companions skidded to an abrupt halt as living shadows erupted from the barely visible crack between Castle Everfree's heavy double doors, forming into the shapes of several dozen ponies as soon as those shadowy tendrils reached the courtyard. In turn, those newly formed pony-esque creatures drew blades of night and sorcery, moving to block the advance of the Guard.

Well... crap.

Silverbright's and the others' hesitation lasted only long enough to notice that one pony hadn't hesitated, hadn't stopped at all. And that pony was one Captain Sunsear.

Now, every member of the Lunar Guard—excepting only recruits and support staff—wore a horseshoe inscribed with arcane runes, small pieces of Luna's power that allowed one to summon a blade of whitest magical energy. "Living moonlight" she'd heard it called before.

Sunsear had a habit of taking everything to the extreme though. Whereas the rest of the Guard had one, Sunsear had somehow convinced Princess Luna to make her two: one for each forehoof. She rarely used them both at once, still needing at least three legs under her for combat, but rather swapped between them at a disorienting pace. Additionally, she kept a steel sword strapped to her side that could be pulled out and used by the mouth if necessary. And that was on top of the daggers she kept tucked into her wings.

It seemed those shadow creatures were finding out just how dangerous all that could be. Silverbright knew from their sparring matches that fighting Sunsear was like fighting an avalanche of swords, all of which inexplicably had a personal vendetta against you and anything else in their way. And these things fared no better than she or anypony else did against that kind of overwhelming pressure.

Only as Silverbright began cutting down the shadows herself did she notice a problem. The first ones to have been taken out, those shred to pieces by Sunsear, were beginning to recoalesce back into their pony shapes. Which meant that Sunsear was quickly becoming surrounded. Of course, being a pegasus, Sunsear could easily fly up to safety, but Silverbright knew she wouldn’t do that. The crazy mare actually liked being in mortal peril.

Silverbright groaned. It would now be up to her to rescue their best fighter. Again. For Luna's sake, Sunsear, what did I tell you about overextending!

She rallied two of the others, Crescent Wind and Deep Dark, to her side. If, even now, Sunsear insisted on cutting further into the enemy rather than turn and deal with those coming from behind, Silverbright would just have to cut through after her.

And so she did. Vigorously.

By the time she reached Sunsear, who was trying to pry open the doors with one hoof while fighting their shadowy foes with another, Silverbright had collected a series of minor wounds and could see that at least one of her compatriots lay unmoving on the ground.

“Get that door open!” she yelled, issuing Crescent Wind and Deep Dark to cover Sunsear’s flanks while she distracted the creatures with a series of aggressive strikes followed by swift retreats.

“Yeah, I know,” Sunsear grunted even as she grabbed Deep Dark and practically threw him and his powerful hooves at the locked door. A moment later, the heavy doors burst open as the stallion got the hint and bucked hard enough to make Rockhoof himself proud.

And yet, just before his hooves connected and the doors flew open, the strangest thing happened: their newfound foes disappeared. There was no fanfare, they were just there one moment and gone the next.

Silverbright had no time to question the strange circumstances, or even what those things had been in the first place. She simply left Captain Azure Gaze in charge of a small force outside, and wordlessly motioned the rest to follow her in.

Within Castle Everfree’s magnificent great hall—now covered in rubble from the fight—lay only the single shape of Princess Celestia, battered and bloody before the shattered thrones of the two sisters. Of the one that mattered to Silverbright most, there was no sign.

“Princess?” She took a step toward the sovereign, motioning the guards to search the area for hostiles. “Princess, what happened? Where’s Luna?”

There was no answer. Celestia just stared at the ceiling, lips trembling, a tear forming at the edge of one eye.

“Princess,” Silverbright took a more vigorous step forward, “do you at least remember what happened to the guards? There should’ve been no less than several dozen Solars stationed here and nearly half that many Lunars. Were they ordered away or did…” she trailed off, following Celestia’s gaze.

She’d thought Celestia was staring at the ceiling, but as it turned out, there was no ceiling. Where stone was only minutes before now existed a clear view of the open sky, the moon and stars mostly unobstructed by clouds. And holy ponyfeathers if the sight of that moon didn't send a chill down the commander's spine.

"Princess Celestia..." Silverbright ripped her gaze away from the new mare on the moon to stare at the pony beside her, "please, where is your sister?"

"Where do you think?" came the hoarse, whispered voice of the broken mare beside her—a mare whose tear-streaked eyes were so enraptured by the moon that the commander could almost have believed she was talking to herself.

"It's not possible." Silverbright shook her head, now noticing the horrified expressions of the guards around her. “It’s just not.”

“Aye,” Captain Starside nodded from his position at Silverbright’s side, "this must be some sort of trick. An illusion! She’s faked her imprisonment or has simply gone to get healing. Either way, our lady wouldn’t let this befall her."

"You’re wrong," Celestia finally dropped her gaze, choosing instead to stare at the battle-scorched floor, "she's gone. Lulu’s just… gone."

"And whose fault is that?" Starside continued, growing heated. “Did you antagonize her? Did you cause all this! Commander Silverbright, perhaps we should place this one under—“

“That’s enough, Starside,” Silverbright interrupted before he could finish that particularly treasonous thought. “Leave the princess to me. I need you to find out what happened to the castle staff.”

“But surely you can’t—“

“When did you enter the business of questioning my orders, Captain?”

“Never, ma’am.”

“Good, then get to it.”

As Starside left and Celestia continued to just sit there numbly, Silverbright once again found herself staring at the moon. Oh Princess, what have you let happen to you? Why? Could Tlaocani’s strange thestral visions not have come a moment sooner? The moonspeaker’s warnings had mentioned an evil rising inside Luna, but there’d been nothing of changes to the moon. Could Luna really be trapped up there? Is that what that meant?

She shook herself. Those thoughts weren’t getting her anywhere productive. Not now. She needed to focus on damage control.

“Your Majesty,” Silverbright reached out to rest her hoof on the distraught monarch’s shoulder, “it isn’t safe here. The castle might still collapse on itself. We need to get you to a more secure location. I’m sure the Solar Guard will have appropriate lodging for you.”

Celestia shook her head. “No. I need to stay here. Just a little longer.”

“But the danger…”

“It won’t collapse. Now, please, leave me be.”

Silverbright pulled her lips into a tight line, but quickly realized there was nothing she could do to convince the princess. She wasn’t about to leave her here completely alone though.

"Commander!" The steady voice of Azure Gaze shouted from the entrance. "We've got company!"

What? Silverbright turned her attention away from Celestia. "But who would..." she trailed off as a contingent of the Solar Guard, garbed all in pristine white uniforms emblazoned with solar flares, marched brazenly past her ponies with all the pomp expected of Equestria's largest pseudo-military force. Several of them even had their swords—of an identical make to the one used by Sunsear—drawn by the jaw from the scabbards at their sides. And at their head was Silverbright's own counterpart within the Solar Guard: Grand Marshal Dovekin.

"Well look who it is," the white pegasus stallion started, his normally easy smile replaced by a grim wariness. "You know, I should be suspicious to find you here ahead of us." His amber eyes flicked toward Celestia. "And surrounding the princess, no less. I wouldn't normally suspect foul play, but you must admit it is convenient that an attack happened right after your guards diverted mine with a false emergency."

"I ordered nothing of the sort," Silverbright quickly retorted, trying to piece together which game Dovekin was playing at this time. Even if orders like that had been given by Princess Luna, she should've been apprised of them.

Sunsear rejoined them from her position to the side, pale yellow eyes holding a dangerous glint. "That's right. And if our ponies were doing anything, I'm sure it was only to serve Equestria. But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"Sunsear," Dovekin practically growled, "I should've known you'd be here. Commander Silverbright, I warned you this pony was a whirlwind of trouble, and I believe I specifically requested she not be allowed back into this castle ever again."

"Well then it's too bad I'm no longer in your chain of command," Sunsear smirked. "I don't have to take your overly-political BS."

Seeing the enraged look Dovekin gave her, Silverbright quickly cut in. "Sunsear, take a walk."

Suprise flashed across Sunsear's face, but as luck would have it, she was still smart enough to snap a salute and march off without comment. That made her slightly less difficult than Starside at least. Silverbright understood quite well both why Sunsear would leave the Solar Guard and why Dovekin would let her go without argument. In fact, had Sunsear not saved her life once before as a Solar, Silverbright probably wouldn't have let her join the Lunar Guard at all. That pony wasn't always worth the trouble, despite her skill.

"My, having problems with insubordination today, are we?" Dovekin mocked. "Perhaps I should loan you some of my trainers. I'm sure they can whip up some semblance of discipline amongst your ranks in no time."

Silverbright sighed. Of course, she couldn't so easily get out of dealing with this one. "It's an emotional time for us all. Now, was there something you actually wanted, or are you here just to parade about in your fancy uniforms."

Dovekin smiled, ignoring her last statement. "Of course. I'm here to takeover security and ensure stability in the region following... whatever just happened here. I've already instructed your own Captain Azure Gaze to give me a copy of the report on everything you and your goons witnessed here, so it seems your part is done. You may leave now. The princess's safety is well in hoof."

"Now hold on, we have every right to be here."

"Do you? Because somepony clearly just attacked Princess Celestia, and now your mistress has disappeared. Honestly, you're lucky I don't consider you enemy agents. Gleaming Edge and some of the others almost certainly would."

Commander Silverbright grit her teeth, glancing around the room. Half her ponies looked as if they expected another fight, and the Solar Guard didn't look any better. Stars, how had it come to this? Tensions had been rising in Equestria for quite some time, but now cooler heads needed to prevail.

"Alright," she relented, "we'll pull out. I'll even order Azure Gaze to give you that report you wanted—she wouldn't without my say-so. But I want something in exchange: for the next seventy-two hours, you share all your reports regarding this situation with me as well."

"Deal," Dovekin smiled, neither of them choosing to mention that the two forces were supposed to share most of their intelligence with each other anyway. That never happened in practice.

With that agreed, Silverbright called out to Starside, Sunsear, and Azure Gaze, having them round up the troops and get them on their way back toward Castle Blackwatch at the foot of the Canter Mountains.

The moment she stepped out the doors of Castle Everfree, Silverbright took one more opportunity to stop and stare at the moon. Its face now reflected back that of a pony, dark spots that appeared as craters making up its neck and head, eye and horn. And even though that shape could very well have been any unicorn, she knew exactly who it was.

Princess Luna was trapped on the moon, but that didn't release Silverbright from service. In fact, her service was more crucial than ever. She might not be able to bring the princess back, but she could protect Luna's supporters and ensure there was still an Equestria for her to come back to someday. And Silverbright wasn't about to let anything stop her from fulfilling that duty, no matter what had happened or whose fault it was.

2 - Cracks in the Guard

"Commander Steelheart, to what do We owe the pleasure?" Princess Luna asked in surprise. "With your retirement in a few days, surely you wish to get your remaining affairs in order."

"Apologies, Princess, but that's why I'm here," he said gruffly, the voice of a stallion who spent too much time with his pipe. "I've found a suitable replacement for my position. Pending your approval, of course."

"Oh?"

"It's Captain Starside, your majesty," he said as if it should've been obvious. "He's fiercely loyal, maintains an iron grip on his subordinates, and has no compunction with completing any sort of task you might imagine. Including the very worst, should you require it."

"He sounds like the worst possible choice," she said coolly, not wanting to offend him but also finding herself baffled at that particularly poor decision.

"What? Respectfully, your majesty, I'm not sure what you mean. He's perfectly qualified. Just look at his test scores or his years of experience with us."

"Starside is overzealous, too easily manipulated, and lacks heart." Luna took a deep breath, appearing to ponder the decision she'd secretly long since made. "How about Captain Silverbright? She once saved Our favorite maidservant, you know."

"Again, with respect, her job was to save you. Servants are expendable, you are not." By his tone, it sounded as if he too was more than a little baffled at her thought process. But of course, he was one of those who still saw Silverbright as little more than an upstart country bumpkin.

"We were safe behind Our barriers," she explained patiently, even if internally she seethed at having to explain herself at all and to her own commander no less. "Rather than waste time worrying over duties that didn't need doing, she intuited Our desires and carried them out without hesitation, saving a life in the process. Besides, she always thinks of the good of Equestria as a whole. We like that."

"Very well, your majesty," he said with tired resignation. "I'll inform Silverbright at once."

Commander Silverbright sifted through the reports on her ebonized oak desk, listening to the dark blue unicorn with eyes that matched perfectly to the name "Azure Gaze" describe the increasingly uncertain situation within Equestria. Ponies were scared. The change to the moon could be seen by all and word of the battle at Everfree had spread faster than camp fever at the siege of Canter’s Motte.

That was nothing compared to the panic felt by the thestrals of Tzinacatlia though. Word was the Moonspeaker Conclave had convened and would soon decide the region's official stance on recent events, but even without a statement from the Conclave many had already decided this was an attack upon the denizens of the night. And Lunar intelligence indicated they were preparing themselves accordingly.

All of this Silverbright had only learned so quickly through the extensive network of eyes and ears the Lunar Guard had at its disposal. The largest in the world, insofar as Silverbright was aware. But even with such a powerful tool at her disposal, Silverbright had to admit the Lunar Guard was in trouble.

Recruitment was expected to fall drastically, the younger members of the Guard openly discussed leaving, and the sense of tension permeating the walls of Blackwatch was palpable. Many expected violence, though nopony knew yet who the enemy might be.

Even their equipment was failing them. The blades of living moonlight they wielded now appeared not silvery white but sickly yellow, a result of the great distance existing between them and their creator. Silverbright just thanked her lucky stars they still functioned at all. The protective barriers around Blackwatch were gone, the portal network Luna helped set up across Equestria was nonfunctional, and the wards in the training rooms that prevented serious injuries were flickering on and off at a dangerous frequency. Even the star bespeckled magi-lamp in the corner of Silverbright's desk seemed a few shades duller. No wonder, since it had been a gift from Princess Luna to Commander Steelheart, who left it when he retired.

Princess Luna had never set in her enchantments in the same way other enchanters often did. She’d feared these items might be used against her or her followers if they fell into the wrong hooves, so she made them reliant upon both her will and her survival. But now that over-cautious mindset was backfiring against them all.

As if things couldn’t get worse, the door suddenly burst open with such a force as to ruffle the blue-purple banner next to the Equestrian flag on the dark stone walls. Following the crash came a practically snarling gray earth pony with purple gold-flecked eyes, a sky blue pegasus with pale yellow mane and eyes not far behind. That would be Starside and Sunsear respectively. Of course.

Starside didn’t even wait to be greeted before shouting, “It's a coup! Those light-blinded Solarists have always hated us, and now they dare to not only banish our princess but also besmirch her good name? Blame her for the whole affair? Villainy, I say! Treason!"

"Are you done?" Silverbright raised an eyebrow. "Not only do you speak without basis, but you know quite well that is not how I expect my officers to act."

"Or what?" Starside snarled. "You need every officer you can get, and we all know you're losing your grip."

"Or I cut your throat," Sunsear answered, sounding almost bored. "We're all expendable, try not to forget that."

Starside turned and stepped up to her, sputtering in anger. "You dare! Commander, this one's probably working with the flaming Solars! How convenient that she should transfer to us less than a year before they enacted this vile plot."

"You're kidding," Sunsear said flatly. "Is there a single pony in Equestria that doesn't know how much Dovekin and I hate each other? You're grasping at straws, and you know it. But then again, anything to back up your delusional conspiracy theories, right?"

"Enough!" Silverbright bellowed just as it was looking like it might come to blows. "Starside, you will not be spreading your conspiracy theories. Sunsear, nopony is getting their throat cut. And both of you, get out of my office before I demote you and put one of the thestrals in your place!"

To his credit, Starside seemed to suddenly develop the good sense to salute and walk out, though his eyes said this wasn’t over. Sunsear, on the other hoof, had to get her last word in.

“Commander, I urge you to remember which of us is on your side, and which isn't."

"We're all on the same side. One Guard, one banner."

"Right," Sunsear scoffed. "Remember that little rebellion at Canter's Motte? Remember how the Solar Guard buried their muzzles in the sand, refusing to believe it could happen until the last moment? Don't make the same mistake." And with that, she trotted out of the room.

Silverbright heaved a sigh of relief at seeing them gone. "Those two... Starside wasn't right, was he? Am I losing my grip? Azure?"

"No," Azure Gaze said. "If anything, your grip is being pulled out from under you. Even the deftest officer would suffer from such problems given the current climate."

"How comforting," Silverbright muttered. "Still, Sunsear was right about one thing: I have to do something. When we're done here, I want you to write up a letter admonishing Captain Sunsear for her recent insubordination. I'll sign it. Oh, and write up another one relieving Starside from his duties. Make it temporary, but with a provision to be made permanent if he causes further trouble. I can't have one of my captains agitating for war with our own people, and I'm sure a 'vacation' will do wonders for his mental health. In the meantime, that thestral lad can take over his post. You know, the one with the name I can't pronounce."

"Enneadecaeteris, ma'am?"

"That's the one. Luna curse me, but he needs a nickname."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Oh, and I suppose I wouldn't be doing my due diligence if I didn't at least look into Starside's claims. Is there any chance some part of what happened actually was caused by Celestia or the Solars?"

“No, ma'am. Our spies would have seen it coming. And if not them then my husband.”

“Right,” Silverbright said. “I nearly forgot. You two are a very dangerous couple. You know that, right?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

"Now, onto the issue of Lieutenant Nightly. He and his unit were supposed to be on guard the night Luna disappeared. Have you discovered what happened?"

"I have. Nightly reports receiving orders from Princess Luna earlier that same night. Apparently, she asked him and the other guards to vacate the castle, and in doing so also fabricate a reason to get the Solar Guard out with them. He claims she ordered him not to report this to Blackwatch, but since the orders were entirely verbal, there is no physical evidence for any of it. Moreover, Nightly appears to have been the only one on duty the princess spoke to directly, so none of the others can corroborate the story."

"I see." Silverbright leaned back in her chair. "Still, with everything that happened with Princess Luna, her ordering the guards away is certainly not out of the question. And Nightly is known for being steadfastly loyal. He would have followed any order from her, even one as strange as that."

"So, you don't think he's just shifting the blame?"

"No. His story may be highly irregular, but it's also the only one that makes sense. It does paint us in a rather unfortunate light though. Makes it look like we were conspiring with Princess Luna to remove the Solars and take over."

"Indeed." Azure Gaze nodded. "I already have our agents working overtime to protect the image of the Lunar Guard. It's unlikely to be completely successful though."

“Naturally.” Silverbright let out a heavy sigh. "I think I've heard all I need to. Any more and it'll only serve to depress me." She eyed the younger mare. "How's your family? It can't be easy at a time like this, what with you here and your husband a Solar."

Azure gave a wan smile. "In all these years, the bonds between he and I have never faltered. They're not about to because of this. We'll be alright."

"And the colts?"

"Good grades, do their chores, plenty of friends. What more could a mother ask for?"

"Good," Silverbright said. "That's very good to hear."

"What about you, Commander? I don't believe I've ever heard you talk about your family."

"None to speak of. Now, once you finish that paperwork, you can take the rest of the day off. Visit that family. I have a feeling things will get a lot worse before they get better."

"Yes, ma'am. And thank you."

Silverbright smiled. "Don't worry about it."

Princess Celestia gazed out the window of her chambers within Castle Everfree, staring at the starry night as she tried to see the beauty she had so long since taken for granted. No matter how hard she tried though, her eyes were always drawn back to the same thing.

It was a cruel twist of fate that her sister’s banishment should mar the moon so. Every time Celestia looked up she would be reminded of her failings. Of how she had refused to listen, refused to believe anything was wrong until it was too late. If only she’d listed to the warnings. She’d certainly had plenty.

Grand Marshal Dovekin once warned her that Luna might try to seize control, but Celestia dismissed it as mere paranoia. She’d scolded him for insulting her sister so, but it turned out he was right. And then there was Commander Silverbright. She once came to Celestia with concerns about Luna’s wellbeing, tried to tell her to spend more time with her sister and to give her more time to have her say within the government. Celestia, in all her foolishness, merely assumed Silverbright was attempting to curry favor with Luna and in doing so increase her own influence.

When Luna became more closed off, began lashing out in anger, Celestia scolded her for making a temper tantrum. And even when she genuinely did try to connect with Luna, when she tried to find out what was wrong, she let herself be rebuffed far too easily.

“It’s all my fault,” Celestia whispered, tears streaming down her face. And yet those tears lasted for only a moment, for when a knock came at the heavy door, she wiped her face clean and answered, “Please, come in.”

In came a member of the Lunar Guard in full, pitch-black combat uniform decked with crescent moons at the collar and left foreleg—Lieutenant Nightly she believed his name was, at least if her recollection of the stallion with a coat and mane as dark as his uniform was correct.

When he bowed, it was as deep as with any member of her Solar Guard, and he spoke with the same respect. “Your Highness, I have the updated security arrangements. Our night patrols will keep a better watch than ever before, and I have names picked out for your own security detail should you have cause to go out at night as Princess Luna so often did. I can also answer any questions you may have regarding these arrangements or the general operations of the Lunar Guard. We understand your relative unfamiliarity with our organization could strain things, but I assure you, Commander Silverbright wishes only to have a fruitful working relationship and we intend to make that as easy as possible.”

“Good speech,” Celestia said, trying to be light-hearted even if her current mood brought it out sounding closer to an insult. “Do you practice these things in front of a mirror?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Nightly said without hesitation. “Would you like to look over the arrangements?” He held out a sheaf of papers.

Celestia almost smiled at the humorous admission. On another day, she would have, but it now seemed likely she would not smile again for some time yet. Instead, she quickly took the papers in her magic and began skimming through them.

“Is Your Highness finding everything to your liking?”

“No.”

“No?”

Celestia set down the papers. “I’m afraid none of this is necessary. After everything that has happened, you and your fellows deserve a break. Please, pass those papers on to Captain Sparks of the Solar Guard. He can make any arrangements that are needed. You and yours should return to your families for the time being. Don’t worry, I’ll see to it that you are well compensated for the time off.”

“Your Majesty,” Nightly said, “I remain more than happy to serve, even now.”

“You have your orders, Lieutenant. Please, enjoy the vacation.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you, Your Majesty.” Lieutenant Nightly bowed even deeper than before, such that Celestia could not see his face for several seconds. When he came up, he wore a small smile, though a slight crinkle around those violet eyes told her he was less than pleased. Even then, had she any less experience in diplomacy and politics than she did now, she doubt she would have noticed it.

Once Nightly was gone, Celestia got the sudden impression that he was unlikely to go straight home. If anything, he and his troops would report straight to Commander Silverbright at Castle Blackwatch. Perhaps she’d have to send a letter to the good commander. The last thing she needed was the Lunar Guard overworking themselves trying to compensate during such a stressful time. That would only lead to conflict. Though she still needed to figure out what to do about them in the long run.

Once that was done, she could finally return to what seemed like her two new favorite activities: weeping and staring at the sky.

3 - Acts of Paranoia

"Princess Luna," the commander saluted. "You requested my presence?"

"Ah, Silverbright. Please come in." Luna spoke with warmth, greeting a friend as much as an officer. "We have much to discuss regarding your new role as commander of Our guard."

"Of course, and I thank you for the opportunity, Your Highness." Silverbright's drawled formality gave no hint of the same warmth, but Luna knew service was just how the commander expressed how much she cared. "In fact, I already have ideas on how to improve our effectiveness."

"Ah, do tell."

"Under Commander Steelheart, the Guard's combat effectiveness rose, but at the cost of allowing our information networks to fall into complete disarray," Silverbright said with such a matter-of-fact tone that it nearly hid the insult toward her predecessor. "I intend to put together a team whose primary task is to rebuild these to a higher standard than they've ever been before. They will act with an increased degree of autonomy as necessary for their mission, their roles kept on a need-to-know basis."

"We see. And how are they to complete such a lofty task?"

"Better you not know, Your Highness. Should we make a mistake, it will be important for you to maintain deniability. And there are those who might detect a lie."

"This... isn't strictly legal, is it?" A hint of trepidation entered Luna's voice, concerned over what Silverbright might be willing to do for her.

"Deniability, Your Highness," the commander responded flatly, stoic face betraying not a hint of what she intended.

Luna considered a moment. How much would she be willing to do to get a leg up on her sister. The answer suddenly seemed obvious: anything. "Very well. In that case, We trust in your judgement. Though we have not ordered you to do anything."

"Thank you, Your Highness. Equestria will be made safer by this. I promise." And with that, Silverbright snapped another salute, then left the princess to her stewing thoughts.

Captain Starside seethed, reading over the suspension letter from Commander Silverbright as he trotted through the halls of Blackwatch. He'd seen it coming, but he still didn't want to believe it. Silverbright had always naively believed that there could be peace under Celestia, but he knew the truth. Unlike the rest, he had seen the Solar Guard at Canter's Motte. He'd seen the way they slashed and burned their way through that old fortress without a care for who was a rebel and who was just caught in the crossfire.

Of course, he'd been but a foal at the time, but when his mother was taken from one of the outlying villages and forced to "attend to the rebels' needs," he was brought right along with. It didn't matter that she was just a slave, a plaything for the rebels, her story still ended with a sun-emblazoned spear lodged in her throat.

Oh, they were all too quick to claim it was just an accident—things got confusing in the chaos of battle, after all—but he'd seen how they dismissed him, how they let a fresh recruit by the name of Dovekin get away with murder. That was why he was always hyper aware of who was hostile and who was just in hostile territory, and why he would pay any price to bring down the Solars no matter what restrictions Silverbright placed on him.

As for whether or not Celestia and the Solar Guard really were at fault for Princess Luna’s disappearance, he didn’t know for sure. He suspected they were, as it fit with what he knew of them, but it didn’t ultimately matter. He would spread whatever stories he needed to in order to get the others on his side. And if they thought him paranoid now, they wouldn't be laughing once Celestia moved against them more openly. After all, it was only a matter of time before she tried to disband the Lunar Guard.

Starside came to an abrupt halt. The mess hall lay directly before him, where a black-coated unicorn with violet eyes was whispering about some gossip or other with several of their compatriots. Starside hadn't even known that Lieutenant Nightly was back—and given that he still wore the lightweight black plate and kettle helm of their combat uniform, his return was unlikely to have been more than an hour gone. His arrival was of no real consequence to Starside though. The important bit was that this gave him an idea.

Among those gathered before Nightly was one Guard Officer Deep Dark. Now, Deep Dark was not known for any wit or cunning, a trade-off for all the muscles they said, but that didn't seem to make him any less popular. He could always find his way into a new social group, largely on account of how easily fascinated he was by nearly any topic of conversation. He was also a hopeless gossip, perfect for Starside’s budding plan.

"Lieutenant Nightly," Starside began, "don't you have a report to give to the commander?"

Nightly turned from with the group with a smile. "She's in a meeting, and I would oh so hate to intrude..." he glanced to the letter clenched in Starside's hoof, "...Captain."

Starside bristled. The letter could have been anything, but he was suddenly sure that Nightly knew exactly what it was for. Luckily, it would be inappropriate for Nightly to reveal he knew without an official announcement having been made, and thus Starside retained an ounce of authority one moment longer.

"Nevertheless," Starside said, "I think it best you wait by her door. I'm sure she'll want to hear from you as soon as she's done."

Nightly snapped a salute, the ghost of a smile still on his lips. "Of course, sir. I wouldn't dream of keeping her waiting."

With him gone, Starside turned to the gathered officers, eyeing Deep Dark in particular. "Now, given that you're off-duty, why don't I get you all some ale? On me. You lot can tell me all about your day, and I can share a few new things I've learned..."

Moonspeaker Tlaocani trudged down the lonely dirt trail, her weary bones aching from the long journey from Blackwatch toward her home in the thestral province of Tzinacatlia. She would have taken a ship, but upon looking into the mists she'd seen a vision of this very trail. This was where she needed to be, regardless of how frail she'd become in recent years.

It was near midnight, a cool and gentle wind rustling the leaves of nearby trees was the only sound beyond the occasional hoot of an owl. It was the perfect environment for a thestral such as her, though her traveling companion—a pegasus of the Lunar Guard—could only barely make out the trail. Even then, the dutiful young stallion never once complained.

Guard Officer Crescent Wind had been sent by Commander Silverbright to notify her of the events at Castle Everfree and thereafter escort her the rest of the way to Tzinacatlia, and thus far Tlaocani had appreciated the company. It was too bad he had ulterior motives. Silverbright no doubt wanted to see if the thestrals could be counted on as allies should a conflict break out, and this “escort” was a perfect excuse to both ingratiate the Lunar Guard in the eyes of Tzinacatlia and discreetly probe their intentions.

Luckily, the political maneuverings of Commander Silverbright happened to work in Tlaocani's favor. They each had the shared goals of maintaining stability and serving Princess Luna. Though there were many in both Tzinacatlia and Blackwatch that would seek to subvert those goals. Agents of the Nightmare still hid amongst the good citizens of the night, and even more would take advantage of any perceived weakness to further their own selfish desires. If only the magic of the Moonspeakers—the images shown in moonlight scattered through mist—would tell her who these renegades were.

The expanse of clouds overhead passed by the moon, allowing its light to shine down upon the winding forest path. It also allowed Tlaocani to make out Luna's image against the face of said moon. A grave reminder of her failure to warn the Lunar Guard in time, and of the consequences of that failure still yet to come.

Tlaocani would not allow herself to dwell on such things though. There was little sense in it, and she was nothing if not a sensible mare. Though she feared the world was fast running out of sensible ponies. The mists indicated that even her own allies might soon find themselves with no reasonable choices left. They would march to their own destruction if she allowed it. Luckily, she was a firm believer in the principles of hope and faith in times of disharmony, and so she still believed that the most important things could and would be preserved.

Under the moon's light, Crescent Wind could finally see with some clarity. He seemed relieved, only to halt in alarm a few moments later. "Do you smell that?"

"Son," Tlaocani said, "I think you'll find I smell very little in my old age. What is it?"

"Smoke." The young pegasus gave her a serious look. "Ma'am, I'll have to ask you to wait here a moment. I'll fly up and take a look around."

"Please do." Tlaocani watched him take to the air, then stepped off the road and sat down to wait. If she was to be stopped, she could at least get a moment's rest in. She probably needed more than a moment, but that would have to wait. Tzinacatlia wouldn't.

Several minutes passed before Crescent Wind swooped back down upon the same spot he left. He did a double take when he realized Tlaocani was absent, then spotted her off to the side and trotted over. "Ma'am, I’m afraid there’s trouble. Looks like a mining camp’s built into the cliffs nearby, but several of the buildings are on fire. There's even two groups of ponies down there: earth ponies and thestrals. I couldn’t see them too well, but it looked like the thestrals were in trouble.”

“What kind of trouble?” Tlaocani asked warily. “Do you mean to say they were under attack?”

“It’s possible.” Crescent Wind nodded. “Either way, the two of us won’t be of much help. If we continue along the path we should pass by them just fine.”

“No,” Tlaocani said firmly. “If ponies are in danger, we must help. We’re going to this camp.”

“Ma’am,” Crescent Wing began with alarm, “pardon my saying so, but you can’t be serious! If the two of us go in there without backup, the only thing we’ll do is put ourselves in danger!”

“And why should we tremble at such danger? Are you afraid, Guard Officer?”

“No, but Commander Silverbright ordered me to escort you to Tzinacatlia, and that’s what I intend to do.”

“Well then,” Tlaocani gave a mischievous smirk, “I think I’m going to take a detour to this camp you’ve found. You may escort me if you wish, or you may drub me over the head and drag me to Tzinacatlia. Your choice.”

“I… frick, okay, let’s go.”

“I thought as much.”

The journey was short, owing to them both having wings, but they still touched down at the edge of the burning camp and approached on hoof. Tlaocani thought that wiser, lest they be taken for attackers and ended up attacked themselves.

As they got closer, it became apparent that whatever was happening was almost over. Several small houses, a couple of supply sheds, and what appeared to be a makeshift tavern were all in ruins with the flames beginning to die down. There were even the remains of a much larger building—probably a storage area for whatever they were mining—that had naught left but ash and blackened debris. It seemed that must have caught fire first, or else it would still be aflame along with the rest.

A thick haze of smoke reduced visibility, but Tlaocani could still make out the shapes of at least two dozen ponies near the middle of the camp. Huddled in the center of them were a group of thestrals, cowering in fear. The earth ponies around them looked fearful too, but also angry.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Tlaocani yelled as she approached, receiving shocked and wary looks in return. “Well? I’ll have somepony explain this mess you’ve all gotten yourselves into.”

One of the earth ponies turned from the group, a torch still clutched in his forehoof. "I suggest you stay out of this, bat," he said coarsely before noticing Crescent Wind. "And everypony knows the Lunar Guard is on its way out. You have no authority here."

"We'll disagree on that, but what of the sheriff?" Tlaocani scanned through the assembled ponies, all of whom gazed back at her with either interest, fear, or—in the case of the Thestrals—hope. "Strange, I don't see him. Do you no longer recognize local law either?"

The pony smiled, a dangerous glint to his eyes. "The Sheriff knows nothing of what we do. He said so himself. Besides, these scum were mining on our lands, using an old shaft our forefathers dug. They had no right. We warned them of what would happen, but they refused to listen.” He glared back at them, disgust and hatred tinging his voice. “And then we found out the iron was being sent to Tzinacatlia for weapons. So you see, bat, we are merely defending our land. Nopony can fault that, can they?"

Tlaocani's thoughts raced. Could they have been so stupid? She stepped past the stallion, earning herself an angry grunt in the process. “Is it true? Were you stealing their ore for weapons?”

None of the thestrals dared meet her stare, opting instead to duck and make themselves even smaller before the assembled ponies.

“Answer me!” Tlaocani boomed. She had as little patience with those who wasted her time as she did with thieves.

A young mare in the group finally looked up. “It… it is…” she bowed her head, recognizing Tlaocani's gossamer shawl, “Moonspeaker.”

“Why?” Tlaocani begged. “We’re in enough trouble as is. Are you trying to start a war!”

“It’s already started,” the pony mumbled as she struggled to maintain eye contact. “The peace between day and night is over. We have to defend ourselves.”

“Finally,” the earth pony who’d taken the lead said, “something the bat and I agree on.”

Tlaocani practically growled. “You,” she pointed to the stallion, “burn this place to the ground if you like, but I’m taking these ponies back home to Tzinacatlia. The justice of the mob has had its time.”

“As long as they walk free, justice hasn’t even begun,” the stallion shot back. “Those bats aren’t going anywhere. Not yet. You can take back whatever's left when we're done.”

A loud crackle caused a stir in the crowd, the sound of Crescent Wind igniting his moonlit blade drawing all attention to him. "It sounds to me like you just threatened murder," he said, the twisted yellow energy of the blade casting strange shadows across his face. "Now whether you recognize our authority or not, Equestrian law still does. I suggest you let them go before this escalates beyond all of us."

The earth pony in charge stared at Crescent Wind in defiance for only a moment. When his eyes hit that glowing blade, it was like all the hot air had been drawn out of him. "Eh, fine. Take the stinkin' creatures. They'll steal that blade and leave you for dead before you can blink twice anyhow."

Crescent Wind didn't dignify that with an answer; he only turned to Tlaocani and nodded. For her part, Tlaocani quickly gathered the frightened thestrals before the earth ponies could think twice about whether or not they could really take on a member of the Lunar Guard. It would be best to be gone swiftly, lest their good fortune in avoiding further violence turn sour.

As the group made for the nearby path, the ever-bold stallion had just enough courage to shout, "Remember who your true friends should be, Lunar Guard! Pegasi and earth ponies have stood together since the three tribes! Don't abandon that for mere bats!"

To that, Crescent Wind shouted back, "Commander Silverbright's an earth pony! I think I'll stand with her just fine!"

And with that, they were off into the peace of night. There were more mouths to feed than before and progress toward Tzinacatlia would be make slower, but neither of those troubled Tlaocani. She was more worried about what the leadership in Tzinacatlia might be doing.

Stealing iron from the surrounding provinces was more than bold, it was reckless. Though necessary for advanced weapons, given the poor quality of iron deposits within those jungles, the thestrals never needed to worry of invasion before. The terrain was too hostile for any serious attack. That they went this route anyway indicated they were desperate, and worse, outright paranoid. The loss of Princess Luna had shaken thestral society down to its heart and soul.

Then there was the troubling idea that the timeline didn't quite fit. Luna only disappeared recently. For this to have so quickly been established, it must have been planned even before—which meant it had been happening right under Tlaocani's nose. Just what was going on in Tzinacatlia? Were the perpetrators guided by madness or darkest reason? And where was it all going? Tlaocani would soon find out.

Author's Note

For those curious, below is the rank structure for the Solar and Lunar guard in this story. While I am aware of a number of real-life rank structures, this is not wholly based on any of them. I felt using any particular system one-to-one from our reality would feel off in a world of magical talking horses. So that said, keep in mind that the ranks listed here don't always mean what they mean in our world.

While the Solar Guard vastly outnumbers the Lunar Guard, they still are not nearly large enough to effectively fight a major war. Were a large conflict to break out, mass conscription would likely be required. Equestria is not a heavily militarized nation, after all.

SOLAR GUARD

Grand Marshal (x1)
General (x2-4)
Brigadier
Colonel
Major
Captain
Lieutenant
Legionnaire (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th File)
Legionnaire Recruit

LUNAR GUARD

Commander of the Guard (x1)
Captain of the Guard (x3)
Lieutenant
Guard Officer (Senior, Mid-grade, Junior)
Guard Novitiate

4 - Two Blind Fools

Princess Luna shuffled through the papers on her desk, finding the updated security measures satisfactory. "We thank you for the report, Commander. Was there anything else before We let you go?”

“Just one thing, Your Highness," Silverbright politely added, the formality sounding as odd as ever with her country accent. "I’ve found a suitable replacement for my old position. I believe Azure Gaze will make an excellent captain.”

“Azure Gaze?" Luna halted a moment to remember the young lieutenant. "Are you sure? If We recall correctly, her combat record is unexceptional, her training figures below average, and she’s expecting a foal to boot. Surely there’s a better choice.”

“I wouldn’t underestimate her, Your Highness. What she lacks as a warrior she more than makes up for elsewhere. And believe me, having her as captain will be vital to my mission. There’s no better organizer out there, and nopony I trust more outside this room.”

“Very well then," Luna nodded her assent. "You shall have her. Though if We were you, We would worry about what Captains Starside and Diaemus might think, what with you promoting one perceived as incapable.”

“Starside can disagree all he wants," Silverbright almost scoffed, "and Diaemus’ opinion won’t matter for much longer. The Moonspeaker Conclave has recalled him to Tzinacatlia. His service is done.

“We see. Do you have a replacement in mind for him as well?”

“I just might," Silverbright frowned, "though it’ll create friction with the Solar Guard. Your Highness might want to consider the effects before agreeing to this one.”

“Actually, they already sound perfect." Luna smiled mischievously. "Our sister’s followers deserve some humiliation.”

“…right.” Silverbright's frown only deepened.

Captain Starside stared at the unmarked letter sitting at the edge of his bed. A letter that had been left inside his locked room whilst he was still sleeping in it. That alone was enough to send shivers down his spine, but its contents held even greater implications.

The words were written in the sort of neat cursive he usually associated with unicorn script, though the first time he read it he'd been too astounded to pay much attention to the details—not to mention furious that somepony could and would get in and out of his room so easily in the dead of night. Upon a reread though, he found himself smiling. It seemed his fortunes were turning out for the better after all. If it could be trusted, of course.

Though he'd already gleaned everything he could from it, Starside found himself rereading for a second time:

Captain Starside,

You do not know me, but I am a keen admirer of yours within the walls of Blackwatch. Long have I resented the power and influence wielded by the ponies of the Solar Guard and despised how our kind has been consigned to lurk in the shadows. Princess Luna was the only one worthy to be sole ruler of Equestria, and what happened to her was nothing short of a tragedy. And believe me, that tragedy was no mere accident. I have it on very good authority that Princess Celestia has been planning to seize control for some years now.

The moment we failed to take our rightful place was the moment Silverbright was made commander, a role that should have gone to you. Enclosed are a set of documents written by Commander Steelheart himself which would have given you the authority to take command of the Lunar Guard. Note that Princess Luna never signed them. It seems that at some point Silverbright was able to get in close and whisper poison into our princess's ear. She convinced Luna to take herself over you and has been consistently suppressing you since, always wary of you taking your rightful place.

Worse, Silverbright has taken every measure possible to ruin the Lunar Guard. She elevated her friend, Azure Gaze, to the rank of captain rather than somepony even half competent—or somepony not married to one of the enemy, for that matter. Then she took a known troublemaker by the name of Sunsear straight from those who plot against us in the Solar Guard. I suspect she even ordered Lieutenant Nightly to abandon his post at Everfree so that our princess could be taken out of the picture, thus allowing Silverbright to exercise her own dictatorial power over the Lunar Guard.

Clearly, Silverbright cannot be allowed to remain in power. That is why I’ve come to you. Only you, our rightful commander, are fit to take the reins and lead us toward salvation. Now, I know you're thinking this is crazy, impossible, but fear not, for I have a plan.

Lieutenant Enneadecaeteris (vile name, I know) will be taking on the training session you had scheduled with the novitiates today. Near the end of this time, Silverbright will be coming to check in on their progress. This is your chance.

You must go to Silverbright’s office and plant the medallion I’ve included with this letter under her desk. Said medallion is enchanted to hold a single spell. When it senses enough bodies in the room at once, it will activate. And thus, when she next meets with her closest supporters, they will be finished. Just make sure you aren’t in the room when this happens. In the meantime, I will draw off any ponies in the area and ensure her door remains unlocked.

I know I am asking you to commit a terrible deed but believe me when I say we will be all the better for it. The Lunar Guard needs this to survive, and I can guarantee that none of this will be traced back you. To that end, you must destroy this letter. Silverbright’s spies will be watching and we must not provide them any rope with which to hang us.

Faithfully yours,
A Friend

Starside briefly looked through the documents which once would have provided for his ascension to commander of the guard, then turned his gaze to the medallion. It was only a small golden piece, but almost its entire surface was covered with the mark of the sun. It was a sort of token the Solar Guard gave out to the families of those who died in service. That couldn’t be mere happenstance. This mode of attack was designed perfectly to provide him an excuse. Once Silverbright was gone, he could take whatever remained of the medallion and use it as proof the Solar Guard were behind her death. He could then justify whatever new approach to the current political landscape he so desired.

That Starside was once destined for the role of commander was unsurprising, yet infuriating nonetheless. He'd often felt slighted that the younger and less devout Silverbright had been chosen over him, and now he had physical proof that his feelings on the matter were correct. Silverbright won that post only because Starside had been too honorable to scheme for it. No more. It would be his, no matter what he had to do.

Oh, how he already dreamed of the things he would do as commander. He'd need to promote new captains for one. He might let Azure Gaze stay, so long as she offered an oath of fealty to him and agreed to use her husband's position to infiltrate the Solar Guard, but Sunsear definitely had to go. He imagined he would knock on her door in the middle of the night, joined by two of the Lunar Guard's finest, and drag her Solarist flank off to some dungeon where she might never be seen again.

The other captains would probably be Nightly and that thestral with the name he couldn't pronounce, purely because they had seniority amongst the lieutenants. He'd be expected to promote them, but if either one acted up, he knew he could disappear them. Then he could get on with the ponies he really wanted. Perhaps his new friend might even take the position, assuming Starside could gain the proper leverage on them to ensure loyalty.

Once his reorganizations were complete, he would strike a bargain with the separatist elements of Tzinacatlia and launch a surprise attack on Celestia and her Solar Guard. If he was very lucky and maintained the element of surprise, Everfree could fall within seventy-two hours and the rest of the country soon after. Then he could get to work on solving Princess Luna’s current predicament.

His only concern was on just how this new ally of his thought they could manipulate him. A pony smart enough to conspire was a pony smart enough to stab him in the back and seize control. But he could worry about that later. For now, he had a job to do.

Captain Sunsear lay prone in a snowbank just outside of Blackwatch, a white cloak covering her so that she might better blend in. Every minute that passed, she crept ever closer to her target. Soon, she would be able to unfurl her wings and spring out at whatever villain dared spy on the Lunar Guard.

That's right, not an hour gone had she been standing at the midnight stone parapet of Blackwatch's walls, gazing out at the landscape, when she saw something rather unexpected: the glint of a spyglass in the sun. Somepony was positioned up on the nearby slopes of the Canter Mountains, trying to get a view over the walls of Blackwatch and into the courtyard. As to why, she could only guess they wanted to get a good view of their defenses but didn't want to risk a pegasus flyover. It was a smart idea, but not smart enough.

Sunsear could see them now, a tan pegasus stallion in a plain but heavy white winter coat. He was camped out in a sitting position with the spyglass in one forehoof while the other shielded it from the sun. It must have been only a brief lapse then that had allowed Sunsear to spot him before. Regardless, she had him now. A few more yards and she should be able to tackle him down without trouble.

The light breeze passing over the snowscape picked up suddenly, catching the edge of Sunsear's cloak for just the briefest of moments. In that instant, the spy's ears perked up and his head turned sharply, eyes locking on Sunsear's position. She was made.

Sunsear didn't hesitate, whipping off the covering as she scooped up a hooffull of snow and chucked it at the stallion with her wing, briefly blinding him. She followed that with a lunge forward, hoping he would be stunned just long enough for her to cover the regrettable distance remaining between them.

It wasn't enough. Just before she could put her hooves on him, he rolled out of the way, scoring a kick to her head in the process with one of his hindlegs—and though her helmet took most of the blow, it still knocked her back enough to win him some space. It seemed this would be a more interesting challenge than she'd anticipated.

Sunsear ignited both of her moonlit blades, now shining a dull yellow rather than their original silvery color. "You want a fight? You got one! Feel free to surrender any time."

The stallion's eyes went wide as the light of the blades reflected off his pupils, then he abruptly launched into the air, kicking off the ground to give himself a boost as he aimed southeast, away from Blackwatch.

Oh, no you don't. Sunsear took off after him, tossing her helmet and the steel Solar Guard-issue sword strapped to her side away to lighten her load, leaving her technically better equipped to fly that the spy in his heavy coat.

But it wasn't enough.

This stallion was a strong flier, and Sunsear decidedly wasn't. She was physically fit for certain, and she'd learned how to use her wings with great expertise in combat, but she wasn't a racer or a scout, and she was born very weak in pegasus magic—the same magic pegasi used to control weather and fly despite having an otherwise unfavorable wingspan-to-body mass ratio. In fact, she'd found herself slowly sinking through a cloud on more than one occasion. And it definitely didn't help that she'd stuffed her feathers full of knives—though come to think of it, that did give her an idea.

"In the name of Princess Luna," Sunsear yelled at the pegasus quickly outpacing her ahead, "surrender now, or I will be forced to take you down."

The spy only looked over his shoulder, saw how hard she was struggling to keep pace, smirked, and kept flying.

That's it. I've warned him. No-holds-barred now. She flipped her wing forward, losing a bit of altitude as one of her knives flew forward directly at her target's right wing. Even as it did, she swooped downward, anticipating having to catch her soon-to-be prisoner. Unfortunately, however, he began turning south-west toward Everfree just as the knife left her grasp.

The knife must still have struck home because the spy was soon falling, directly into Sunsear's waiting grasp. He was as heavy as she anticipated, with her poor flying abilities forcing her to make a sort of controlled fall for the both of them. In fact, even "controlled" was perhaps not the best word, given that if their landing had been any worse it would have to be called a crash. It seemed they were very fortunate to have the snow.

Once Sunsear regained her bearings she quickly looked over the prisoner, only to find that he was not a prisoner at all. That last turn of his had allowed her knife to bypass his wing, instead planting itself directly into his skull. It seemed there would be no interrogation, and as a result, Sunsear might never know who he worked for. Unless, of course, he was stupid enough to carry some kind of identifying mark.

Growling in frustration, she ripped off the dead pony's winter coat and searched through his belongings. The spyglass from earlier was broken from the fall, and the cloth-wrapped remains of his lunch were squished, but everything else seemed to have held together. Sunsear briefly lingered on a portrait of the spy's family, looking for anything that might indicate a place of origin amongst the assembled foals, but tossed it aside when that proved fruitless.

What truly piqued her interest was the small brown notepad with its quill stuck to the side. She knew she should take it back to Silverbright immediately for examination, but since Sunsear was the one to stop the spy, she figured nopony would be upset if she took things just a little further on her own first.

The little book turned out to be written entirely in code, appearing to be nothing more than gibberish to the untrained eye. It was unsurprising, of course, as Sunsear expected any competent spy wouldn't carry uncoded documents on the job. What was more surprising was that Sunsear already understood the code. This did not bode well. After all, she'd been trained in this code when she received her officer's commission in the Solar Guard, and she knew they were just incompetent enough to have not changed it since.

Well... horseapples, Sunsear thought. Silverbright'll have an aneurism when I tell her this.

The book detailed quite clearly how this stallion had been sent to gather information on Blackwatch's defenses and assess the combat readiness of the Lunar Guard. To what ends, it didn't elaborate. Though at the very least one could intuit that the Solars were wary of a potential confrontation with the Lunar Guard. Blackwatch was mere days from Everfree, after all, and everypony knew that no finer defenses existed within Equestria than was offered by the walls of that fortress. Even outnumbering the Lunar Guard more than fifteen to one, the Solars might still struggle to overcome that particular hurdle.

Reading on, Sunsear discovered the spy had been deployed from the Solar Guard garrison at Everfree by one General Gleaming Edge. And that was a name she knew well. Sunsear once served under Gleaming Edge during the war with King Sombra's Crystal Empire. In his prime, he was unstoppable, but he'd long since become little more than a relic. A stubborn earth pony more a decade past the age of retirement, he simply refused to quit. He was even once considered for the position of Grand Marshal, before he was passed over for the younger and better connected Dovekin. That he was involved in this matter said things were getting serious. And of course, Sunsear just had to go ahead and kill one of his agents.

The sound of wingbeats brought Sunsear to full alert. Those could be the sounds of a Lunar patrol, but she doubted it. That spy was unlikely to have been operating alone, and Sunsear cursed herself as ten kinds of stupid for not thinking of that sooner. Her only recourse would be to find cover and hide until they passed. The problem was that she would need to hide the body too, and she was out of time.

A pair of pegasi dressed similarly to the one Sunsear killed landed before her. More out of uniform Solars, this time with blades drawn by the mouth and fire in their eyes.

"Stop right there, scum!" the taller of the two stallions yelled. "In the name of Princess Celestia and her Solar Guard, you are under arrest. Come quietly or we will cut you down!"

Great, more of these idiots, Sunsear thought in annoyance. No doubt I'll have to kill them too. She ignited one of her moonlit blades, assuming a purely defensive stance. There was little chance she could talk her way out of this, but she could still try. Maybe this was that once in a blue moon: the time they'd see reason.

At the sight of her glowing sword, their eyes went wide. "Lunar Guard..." the shorter pegasus whispered. "This ain't good."

"You're not wrong," Sunsear smirked. "Do you know who I am? No? Well, let me inform you. My name is Captain Sunsear, and I am one of the most feared fighters alive. Now, I suggest you allow my return to Blackwatch. We all know fighting here's a bad idea. Let our commanding officers sort this out."

They both took a step back, even as the taller one spoke. "I recognize that name. You used to be one of us. Your exploits in the war with Sombra were legendary." He shook himself, grimacing at the tinge of awe that snuck its way into his voice. "But that's all over now, isn't it? Nowadays, you're nothing more than a traitor and a murderer, and it's our duty to bring you in." He turned to his compatriot. "Come on, Trips. It's two on one. We can take her."

"I don't know, Trails," the shorter one said. "Maybe we're better off going back and reporting this. Unless you want our friends investigating three murders."

"Look," Sunsear said, "I didn't know your friend was with the Solar Guard when I killed him. You're all in plain clothes. As far as I was concerned, he was guilty of espionage. And I'll have you know I gave him ample time to surrender."

"You can explain all you want," the taller one, who Sunsear now knew as Trails, began, "but our espionage laws don't cover watching a closed fortress from afar. You had no authority to kill him, no matter how long he watched, and you will face judgement."

"Whatever," Sunsear said dismissively, deciding peace was impossible. Now was the time to change tack. Dead stallions couldn't talk, after all. "All I'm saying is if your idiot friend didn't want to die, he shouldn't have been caught spying. It's his fault, really. Might as well have jumped on his own sword. But I guess that's just what happens to sun-blinded fools."

"You bitch!" Trails shouted, lunging forward with his blade aimed for her throat. No less than was expected.

Sunsear easily sidestepped the wild strike just before the blade would have connected with her flesh, swinging her own moonlit blade as he passed to gut him straight down the middle. In self-defense, of course. That last part would be important for her report.

With Trails dealt with, she turned to face Trips, only to find him gone. The coward must have taken off the moment Trails attacked because he was already high in the air and gaining speed when Sunsear spotted him. There was little hope she'd catch up to him in an aerial chase, so it seemed he was free to report back after all.

This was beyond frustrating. With both pegasi dead, Sunsear could have covered it up. Only she and Silverbright need have known. With neither of them dead, there was a small chance the Lunar Guard could have spun the first death as nothing more than a tragic accident. But this? This was the worst possibility.

In hindsight, she shouldn't have told them her name or of her affiliation with the Lunar Guard, but she hadn't expected the sheer cowardice required for Trips to have fled so quickly. Now she was once again a victim of her own recklessness, and she was certain that this time, real trouble would come of it. The slaying of two members of the Solar Guard wouldn't just be forgotten. Even her attempt to spin things to her favor was unlikely to help.

Resigned to her fate, Sunsear took to the air. She would go to Commander Silverbright and explain everything, then she would pray for the best. It was the only choice she had.

5 - Meetings in Shadow

“Tell Us,” the moon princess said curiously, “why is a member of the Solar Guard in Our study? Has Our dear sister decided we need a minder now?”

“Not at all.” The uniformed pegasus stepped forward, eyes like sunlight implying a smile that wasn’t there. “Princess Luna, my name is Major Sunsear, and while I may still be a member of the Solar Guard for a little longer, I can assure you that I’m done taking orders from Celestia. In fact,” she revealed the hint of a smirk, “I’ve come to offer you my loyalty. Should you accept it, I believe Commander Silverbright has prepared a position for me within your Lunar Guard.”

“This is… most unusual.” Luna sat back in her black-painted oak chair, perplexed but definitely interested. “How does a pony named Sunsear come to abandon the sun entirely?”

“My family has served in the Solar Guard for the last six generations. They named me in expectation of that continued service. I thought it was what I wanted too, until I saw how they put politics, bureaucracy, and self-interest ahead of their service to Equestria.”

“Is that all? Surely, there must be more. What specifically caused this about-face?”

Sunsear grimaced, brought back to a bad memory. “My realization of this truth began when I was ordered to call off an investigation on embezzlement and bribery. It turns out, the young stallion behind it had a politically influential father—one of Celestia’s supporters no less. In the end, his father promised to keep a closer eye on him, and the matter was dropped. The funds stolen weren’t even repaid; the burden was dropped on the taxpayers. And my superiors wouldn’t even allow a report on the incident to reach Celestia.

“You see, Princess, I stand before you now because I believe the Lunar Guard is better than that. They operate in the shadows, never caring to receive credit or personal glory. Whether a pony is wealthy or influential means nothing to them. And where the Solar Guard hold parades and stand about in neat lines with shining armor, your servants act as a scalpel, cutting away the rot that infects our society. Rot like the very same ponies who fund said parades and shiny armor.”

“That is… very insightful of you.” Luna said cautiously. “What makes you so confident my guards are different? None of what you just said is in their official description.”

“Let’s just say I’ve been paying attention.” Sunsear leaned over the desk conspiratorially, continuing in a low voice not quite a whisper. “I notice when a corrupt noble disappears, or when somepony who threatens the crown suddenly becomes suicidal. The Solar Guard are too busy prancing about and fining good citizens for small misdemeanors to even notice such threats, let alone care to act on them.

“My talents are wasted on them, but as one of your servants I’d be more than happy to do what needs doing. I’m not above wetwork if it ensures continued peace, freedom, justice, and security within the Equestrian state. And unlike many ponies these days, I’m not afraid of the dark.”

“Most impressive.“ Luna smiled, leaning back in her seat. “Very well, We shall accept your loyalty and induction into the Lunar Guard… on one condition: you must inform Celestia of your leaving and explain in detail the reasons why—just as you did here with Us, minus the incriminating bits on the Lunar Guard. Oh, and do it in the middle of her day court. We shall shield you from any consequences. Our dear sister should find it most humiliating.”

“Huh. Sounds like fun.” Sunsear smiled back, showing teeth. “I’ve got a feeling I’m going to enjoy working for you.”

Captain Starside laid awake in bed despite the late hour, contemplating all he did that day and all he had yet to do.

The medallion from the now-burnt letter sent by his mysterious benefactor rested in Silverbright’s office, awaiting the grouping of ponies required for activation. Everything else went off without a hitch. Nopony saw him going in or out, and Silverbright had returned from her examination of Lieutenant Stupid Name’s training none the wiser.

Though rumors had it Silverbright was less focused on the training and more preoccupied by some problem with Sunsear. Starside didn't know the specifics, but he was sure Sunsear probably hurt somepony or broke something. Again.

A series of heavy knocks sounded off Starside's door, startling him from his bed and into a ready position. It was far past any sane hours for a visit. Perhaps his new friend decided to meet at last? Or maybe Silverbright was on to him. Either way, there was nothing to be done but to answer.

Starside flung the door open, only to immediately blanch. A smiling Captain Azure Gaze stood before him, flanked by two ponies in unfamiliar black cloaks and beaked masks. Given all the secrecy, there were only two possible conclusions: either she was somehow his fellow conspirator, or more likely he'd just found Silverbright's spymaster.

"Hello, Starside," Azure Gaze said as sweetly as if she were coming to check on his health, "I understand you've been busy lately. You know that's not allowed during your suspension."

"Of course," he breathed, his mouth dry, "my sincerest apologies. I just had some things to finish up."

"Like committing treason?" Her eyebrow rose. "I'm sorry, but that is unacceptable. I'm afraid we'll have to take you now."

"Take me?" He stepped back, his heart pounding. "Take me where?"

"Somewhere you'll never be seen again. You see, your plan has failed. We've taken the item you placed in Silverbright's office and placed it in quarantine. Soon, you will tell us what it does and who you were working with. Is that understood?"

"I... no!" Starside lunged forward, hoping to stun the trio just long enough to scramble past. It was a slim hope, but since his moonlit blade had already been confiscated, it was all he had.

Unfortunately, he wouldn’t even reach them before Azure's horn lit up and her eyes somehow became even more impossibly blue. The sight of those eyes brought him to a halt on the spot. His heart beat off-rhythm; he struggled to breath; his ears rang; his limbs became jelly.

Azure's smile widened as Starside's vision faded to a blur then to nothing at all. The panic filling him was slowly replaced by lightheaded drowsiness and confusion as his mental faculties failed him.

The last thing he heard before he lost all consciousness was a sweetly mare's voice saying, "that's right, go to sleep. Soon these troubles will be far beyond your control."

Commander Silverbright eyed the mare across the desk, pondering her deceptive appearance. A mane like a ray of gentle sunlight illuminated a coat of cloudless sky, a face of soft curves bore an easy smile that gave the impression of placid meekness. It was a look that reminded one of easy summer days, and led so many into underestimating its wielder. It was only in recent years that ponies were learning better.

Captain Sunsear’s cutie mark should have been the first sign this pony was trouble. The angry red solar flare with a brilliant white line across it could represent the sun lashing out at its enemies with a beam of righteous flame, or it could be a lance of silver energy daring to assault the sun itself. The Solar Guard had once accepted the first interpretation, but now the latter weighed heavily on Silverbright’s mind. It was not lost on her that the color of said line was the same as their moonlit blades.

The report laying on Silverbright’s desk detailed a most troubling account of how Sunsear caught and accidentally killed an unknown pony spying on Blackwatch, only to discover they were a member of the Solar Guard. When two more showed up, Sunsear tried her hardest to talk them down but failed, resulting in her having to kill one in self-defense.

Something about this account didn’t seem right to Silverbright. It told a story of a slightly more reasonable, less impulsive Sunsear than the one she knew. Moreover, even if they didn't believe Sunsear, the Solar Guard should have tried to arrest her, not cut her down on the spot.

“Sunsear,” Silverbright began, already worried at the response she'd get, “are you absolutely sure you did nothing to antagonize them?”

“Besides accidentally killing one of them?” Sunsear said with just a hint of snark. “No. I took the first down, found out he was Solar Guard, then two more swooped out of the sky and attacked me. I tried to talk them down, but they wouldn’t see reason. And then one of them charged me. I wanted only to block his blade, but I misjudged the angle and ended up killing him. The other fled after that, and I let him get away. There was no need for more bloodshed.”

“I see.” Silverbright frowned into her cup of tea, now cold. "You know, you don't often make mistakes like that with your swordswork. I should hope you aren't slipping."

"Everypony makes mistakes, Commander. Especially me. You ought to know that by now." Somehow, despite what had just happened, Sunsear had the gall to smile.

“Right," Silverbright said dubiously. She doubted she'd get anything more out of this conversation. "In that case, you may leave. Though I must ask that you remain within the walls of Blackwatch, at least until we get this mess sorted out.”

“Hold on,” Sunsear stood from her simple wooden chair abruptly, placing her hooves a little too forcefully upon Silverbright’s desk, “you’re putting me under house arrest? But I’m in the right! You can’t do this!”

Silverbright sighed heavily, eyeing the still-dirty hooves on her desk with distaste. “Calm yourself, Captain. It’s not like that. You must understand, the Solar Guard will be out for blood, and we are more vulnerable than ever. Your confinement here will prevent further incidents and allow us time to conduct our investigations, plan our next course of action.

“Eventually, the Solars will demand you be put on trial, but we both know any trial headed by them can go in only one direction. That means we need to stall—avoid giving you up, while playing nice with those who would hang you. Or else our options become only death or dishonor: a war we cannot win or the betrayal of our own. And rest assured, I would never turn my back on any true follower of Luna. Not even to prevent war.”

Sunsear's mouth hung open a moment before she blinked and quickly recovered, sitting back down. "Well then, if that is the case, I suppose I can wait around here a while. This won't just blow over though. The Solars will keep chipping at our armor until we're too weak to fight back. Eventually, if you stick to that middle-ground, it'll fall out from under you. Conflict is certain. And when it happens, I hope you remember I'm still the best fighter you've got."

“I remember, but you remember this: you’re just one pony. Even you can’t win a war on your own.”

“You think I don’t—“

“Dismissed, Captain,” Silverbright cut in sharply. “We’ll speak again later.”

Sunsear snapped a salute that bordered on lazy in its form then made her exit, closing the door with a squeak that said it was time to oil the hinges. Too bad half the maintenance staff left after Luna disappeared.

With Sunsear gone, Silverbright finally let out the growl she’d been holding in. Between her own ponies and the blasted Solars, she had no end of problems! Rampant insubordination, enchantments failing, ponies leaving, and now outright murder? If she was any less loyal to Luna’s cause, she’d burn it all down.

Silverbright sighed, standing from her chair and moving over to window. From there, she could clearly see a vague impression of Luna's face stretched across the full moon. Though it was a cloudy night, not a one crossed that disc of silver light. Perhaps even they were afraid of incurring the nightmare's wrath.

"Oh, Luna, forgive me." Silverbright stared at the crater that marked its eye, imagining it as the cyan she remembered. "I have failed you. Moreso than any Lunar Guard in history, I have failed."

Some might blame Celestia for Luna’s fall, but Silverbright didn’t think that entirely reasonable given the heap of duties laid on Celestia’s back. Others blamed Luna herself, but Silverbright could never fault a princess so perfect as her. No, the responsibility was on Silverbright herself, and now it was also on her to somehow salvage whatever was left.

But more crushing than the guilt of failure was the sense of loss. She missed Luna, as a friend and superior both. She didn’t like having to be the one with all the answers, but now if she wasn’t, Luna would one day find no followers left to come back to.

When she felt her eyes growing misty, she knew it was time to pull herself away. Commander Steelheart would have scolded her for the useless sentimentality. She had a job to do and no amount of “woe is me” would make it easier.

First on the agenda: find a way to deal with Sunsear’s mess. It was clear to her that Sunsear lost control of both that encounter and herself. Even she wouldn’t have gone in intending to kill members of the Solar Guard, but a heated exchange could get out of control and Sunsear might have covered it up out of fear of being turned over.

On that note, turning her over was never an option. Even if the Solars were in the right, doing that would break any trust the Lunar Guard had in her. Silverbright would find herself unable to effectively command. Even if she suspended Sunsear as she had Starside, it wouldn’t solve anything. Worse, the Solars would see it as an admission of guilt. Besides, Sunsear was right about one thing: Silverbright needed her skill.

The Solars also wouldn’t forget this. Silverbright’s best bet was engage with it quickly but quietly. She’d pen a letter to Dovekin, see if she couldn’t cut a deal. Something that wouldn’t disgrace the Guard. It wasn’t as if Dovekin wanted war any more than she did after all.

A sudden light flashed through the room, Silverbright nearly jumping out of her coat as Azure Gaze appeared before her. "Moon and stars, Azure! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry, ma'am." The captain dipped her head apologetically. "I would have teleported into the hall, but you requested I keep my knowledge of the spell a secret."

"Right," Silverbright nodded, though she was fairly sure it had been Azure's idea. She herself would have preferred no teleportation at all. She didn't know why, but that spell gave her a bad feeling. "You have something to report then? I imagine you'd have taken the stairs otherwise."

"I do. Starside is in custody and the enchanted medallion placed in quarantine. He'll be all set for interrogation tomorrow. We'll find out who's behind this."

“Good. I trust my involvement isn’t needed then?”

"No, ma'am," Azure Gaze reassured. "We have matters well in hoof. I'll keep you apprised on our progress though, and the decision on what to do with him when we're finished remains with you."

"He's a traitor," Silverbright said. "You already know what I need done."

"For something like this, I need to hear the order." Azure Gaze's eyes locked with Silverbright's for a strong moment, briefly weighing the room down with silence.

"Ashes, Azure. That's all that need remain."

"Understood."