The Companions of Equinoxe

A lone soldier stands on the battlefield. He is nameless, faceless, guised by his arms and armor. His only purpose is to fight, and maybe, to die. If he dies, he is another number among bodies, but if he lives… he does so to fight another day. Maybe until he’s old and decrepit, maybe until he eventually sees himself fighting on the other side, or maybe until his head has been planted on a pike and stuck outside the wall of a fort. A soldier stands among his ranks, facing an armada of foes. Warriors screaming and boiling with anger, eager to lay waste to everything, and yet they are unflinching. Those who do never last long.

This campaign they are on was hard-fought, and the peace will certainly be purchased with blood, but in that moment nothing else matters besides the enemy army. They draw their weaponry and charge into the fray, where blood is spilled and people fall to the dry, blood-soaked earth. At that moment, most soldiers were nobody. Enemies and allies, that’s all there is.

But not every soldier is nameless, or even faceless. Some carry out their duties for glory, others for gold, and some because it’s their gut move in life. For honor, for loyalty, for an end to the bloodshed. There are those who fight for the sake of war, but a true fighter is one who battles for peace.

The named soldier runs into battle alongside his countrymen. He faces the enemies that swarm like a hive, but he does not flee, instead he fights. His sword cuts through the foes that threaten him and his country, leaving them as bloodied remains on the ground. The numbers escalate as more challengers fall, and then the named soldier sees him, the Lord of the enemies. He’s running into battle alone, a foolish gesture on his part, and he’s armed with nothing but a sword and shield to protect him. The named soldier understands the opportunity presented, and follows.

The Lord is completely unaware as the named soldier uses the chaos to hide himself until the right moment, when the Lord is about to strike down a comrade. The named soldier rears back his blade and plunges it into the back of the Lord’s right knee, splintering the knee joint and separating the femur and tibia. The Lord screams and dies in a pool of his own blood, and he too joins the list of casualties. The named soldier is victorious, leaving the banner of the equestrian crownlands to fly high on a dirt mound soaked with viscera.

The war, at last, is over.

The men trooped into the Canterlot Palace, hot and exhausted. The trip up the Canterhorn, even by wagon, is tiring for the well-traveled, and the chilling mountain air comes as a welcome. It does not last, and quickly dissipates once the soldiers have entered the warm confines of the royal halls, where they march through into the throne room, their presence awaited. Nobles, Lords, Counts, and Dukes line the sides as they watch the court proceed. On respective thrones sit the wise Queen and the enigmatic King to award the men for their valor. The King had skin dark as night, with hair likened to the space between stars, and violet eyes. Accompanied were a pair of dark wings, a black crown with a indigo-colored jewel shaped like an oval in the center, and above all he appeared near-ethereal.

The looks the men receive are not welcoming for some. A few of the nobility are disgusted at their ragged tabards and filthy coats of blood-soaked mail, and some do not bother staying here at all, disregarding even the King’s orders to watch the procession. With war comes change, and some must adjust to being under the watch of a new King, especially one who is immortal and has a Queen of equal standing.

The warriors line up side-to-side in front of their majesty, arms at their sides and standing at attention. The King stands from his throne, steps forward, and surveys them deliberately. A few rewards go out to well-meaning soldiers, and as the King’s eyes pass over each of them, he clears his throat importantly.

“Who is the one who struck down Dragon Lord Slag?” The King asked, to a resounding silence.

The men look at each other, before the Captain steps forward from the line, and points an affirming finger towards-

“Him.”

The named soldier. He is dressed in a tabard and mail like the rest, and is marked by the helmet he wears, a great-helm. He too is bloodied by the conflict, but he shows no signs of weakness, nor injury. The King approaches him.

“Who are you?” the King asks curiously, sizing him up.

The named soldier clasps his hands around the sides of his helmet, and he lifts it off carefully, before tucking it under his right arm. Revealed to the people is lead-colored skin, navy eyes, and a head of shimmery silver hair. The man is strong, stone-faced, and plain. His majesty cocks an eyebrow, indicating a response, which the named soldier gives.

“My name is Ever Vigilant, sire.” the named soldier introduces formally, “T’was I who slayed Dragon Lord Slag in combat.”

A murmur rang throughout the crowd. The King smiled knowingly.

“How did you do it?” he asked ponderingly, as he paced from side to side.

“I pierced him in the back of the knee, sire,” Vigilant answered immediately, his eyes forward and unshifting, “He bled out.”

There was a pause, and another murmur, louder this time. A few faces scrutinized him. Vigilant’s liege had a look that expressed mild amusement.

“You have done well, Vigilant,” The King told him, “I ask you now to kneel before your king.”

The soldier, Ever Vigilant, went down on one knee and bowed his head at once. The King motioned for one of the royal guards to approach, and one did, handing the king their sword. The King raised the sword and set it gently on Vigilant’s shoulders.

“I, King Cosmos of Equestria, do hereby dub thee, Ser Ever Vigilant, as a reward for his service to the crown.” Cosmos announced, “Arise, and may you defend Equestria for all your days and nights.”

There was a cheer from the soldiers and the royal guardsman, but most of the nobility were furtively silent. Queen Galaxia, sitting on her throne with her midnight blue-gold hair, pale skin, and gray-yellow eyes, clapped politely. Ever Vigilant rose to his feet, and performed an honorable standing bow to his liege.

“Now, enough talk,” Cosmos continued, “Let the feast of victory begin!”

There was another roar of approval, this time from all parties, and the people of the court began filing out of the hall to the royal dining room. Cosmos stopped Ever Vigilant for a moment, and as the room cleared out, Cosmos finally let out a gregarious smile unbefitting of a King.

“Evan!” he proclaimed playfully, “I should’ve known you’d end up killing Slag! “You’re a better fighter than most of our personal guard.”

Evan cracked an almost-smile, as Cosmos nudged him in the ribs.

“The opportunity presented itself, Cosmos, and a fine one at that. Without it, we may still be at war.”

Cosmos laughed like a happy bear.

“Lady luck seems to enjoy kissing you on the lips. Perhaps you would finally consent to finding a lady to warm your bed?”

Ever Vigilant frowned at this idea.

“No.”

Galaxia made her way over to the pair of them just in time, and stood between the two, facing Vigilant.

“You did well, Evan. Or should I say Ser Ever Vigilant?” she said with a giggle, “It’s a wonder Cosmos didn’t have you knighted sooner.”

“I had to find a reason, Xia,” Cosmos justified to her, “The nobility don’t like it if I do things without reason.”

Galaxia gave a gentle chuckle. Suddenly, a pair of young girls raced into the room towards Evan and accosted him. He shifted a little with the force of their movement.

“Evan! You’re here!” Tia squealed with excitement, “Did you really kill the Dragon Lord? What was he like? Can he really breathe fire?”

“Did he have wings like mommy and daddy?” Woona asked him, continuing the inquiries, “Did he ride a dragon? How many people did he kill?”

“Girls!” Galaxia said quickly, holding the both of them back from the pleasantly surprised Evan, “Please, calm yourselves. Those are not questions you should be asking right now.”

The two of them whined and looked at their mother with solicitous eyes; as a pair in unison.

“Oh puhleeze?” Tia begged, “We just wanna know what the Dragon Lord was like! Can’t we ask just one question?”

Galaxia looked at Evan, but he was almost-smiling, and she relented.

“Alright, fine, one question, and no more.”

The two girls squealed loudly with delight, and they confronted Ser Ever Vigilant. He knelt down to the two of them.

“Do not fret, girls, I can tell you the truth about Dragon Lord Slag. I saw him for myself, and he was a true terror. Ten times bigger than me and with real dragon scales!”

The two gasped in wonder, their eyes filled with glee, their mouths wide with smiles of pure excitement.

“Tell us more!” they both said at once,

“Yes, indeed!” Evan continued, spinning a yarn for the both of them, “His flame breath could boil men’s skulls, and he had a tail as long as an open field! I first encountered the beast when-”

And he went on for some time. The two didn’t care for anything else, and neither did he. As long as they were happy, that was what mattered.

Some Years Later…

The interior of the thrice-blessed ruler’s solar wasn’t particularly sweltering, but it did make Starswirl slightly uncomfortable, even if he did enjoy advising the King and Queen. The notion that the King and Queen sought out his perfect ideas for magical advancement fulfilled him, and he relished in the feeling. The meeting was between him, the King and Queen, and The Royal Advisor, who was also present as well. The Royal Advisor had just gotten word back from some scouts they had sent out to survey the lands, and he was delivering his determination regarding the state of the crownlands to them.

“The consolidation of the southern provinces is on the way, but it is slow, your majesties,” the Royal Advisor explained, “They are loath to fully integrate themselves into the crownlands. Many are disgruntled still from their displacement in the wars.”

Cosmos tilted his head downward with introspection, and stroked his chin with his fingers. He let out a noise like ‘hrm’ and his eyes wandered to the windows. Galaxia patiently awaited her husband’s thought process to conclude decisively.

“Is there any way that we can speed up the process?” Cosmos inquired, “My daughters are coming of age, around the same time Galaxia and I ascended. I do not want to have the danger of a mismanaged nation for them to deal with when they join us on the throne, nor any threat of an uprising to be a danger to them.”

The Royal Advisor cleared his throat to draw their attention, and he beamed insightfully.

“Actually, your majesty, there is a solution that I have prepared to organize.”

Cosmos inclined his head towards the Royal Advisor, and both Starswirl and Galaxia listened intently.

“I believe that if the princesses were to, essentially, tour the land and meet with the peoples there, then we could establish order through these diplomatic visits.” they suggested,

Reaching onto the round table, which was scattered with documents and maps, the Royal Advisor grabbed a chart of Equus. Written in different-colored ink were various symbols and markings, of which The Royal Advisor pointed to them enthusiastically.

“I have already had the scribes mark several ideal locations that are in need of or could benefit from a diplomatic visit. It would not only help ensure stability, but give the young majesties experience with the land and peoples they are ruling-”

He turned to Starswirl the Bearded.

“-And I was hoping that the honorable Star Swirl the Bearded could lead such an affair, and to guide the princesses along their way. I have heard you and your pillars are quite well-traveled across this land. Your expertise would be nigh essential for this trip.”

Starswirl considered this for a moment, telekinetically taking the chart of equus in his hand. He examined it thoroughly.

“This plan is highly dangerous, even if I were to make a few… essential modifications to the route,” Starswirl mused, “And for all its benefit…”

The Royal Adviser caught on to Starswirl’s doubts.

“We plan on hiring a number of staff to accompany the princesses. They shall join you in your travels, and ensure both your protection and your assistance in the journey.”

Starswirl contemplated this.

“I do not know…”

Cosmos, who had been silent for the moment, turned to his wife for wisdom. She gave a reassuring nod. He turned back, confident.

“I, for one, think it is a wonderful idea! Don’t you agree, Starswirl? Imagine everything the two of them could learn on such a trip.”

Starswirl eyed the King, Queen, and the Royal Advisor. He was silent.

He sighed in acceptance.

“Very well. I consent to this plan and to my leadership of it, but on the condition that I be made privy to the rest of the plans. Do we have an accord?”

The Royal Advisor nodded readily, with a satisfied smile.

“Of course, sir. All arrangements are prepared and the documents shall be shared with you. The venture shall begin in a week’s time, of which such can be used to prepare.”

Star Swirl accepted this, and levitating the article back over to the Royal Advisor, began scanning the rest of the documentation. King Cosmos turned over to the Royal Advisor and cracked a wry smile.

“I think I know just the people to hire for the job.”

One Week Later…

“Again.”

Luna threw herself at Ever Vigilant, her sword flashing, and clanged it against his. He easily deflected it, and with a simple swing, sent her stumbling backward. She grumbled.

“Again.” he repeated,

She went at him. Their swords met once, twice, three times, she was sent backwards.

“Again.” he reiterated,

Sword strikes, swings and misses, this time Luna kissed the dirt.

“Stand up, try again.”

Furious strikes of enthusiasm, flourishes, slashes and thrusts, Luna fell on her arse. Ever Vigilant sighed.

“Bucking-!” Luna cried angrily, “Damnit, damnit, damnit!”

“Language,” Ever Vigilant said crossly, before reaching out a gauntlet-laden hand. She took it, and he hauled her up, “Your parents would be upset if they heard you speaking like that, young lady.”

“I know, I know… I’m just so peeved.” Luna explained with a huff, throwing her hands down in disgraced annoyance.

“Language,” Evan told her again, a bit forceful this time, “You aren’t the first nor will you be the last sword fighter to be bested in combat. Not particularly by me, nor particularly by anyone. Failure is a part of life, we all must deal with it.”

Luna looked away from him, embarrassed by her repeated losses. She sighed.

“I know…”

Ever Vigilant rested a hand on her shoulder.

“Keep practicing. I know one day you’ll be able to best me. When you do, you can look back on this and laugh.”

“Well, I’m not laughing now,” Luna told him miserably, “Get back to me on that.”

Luna looked over to Celestia, who hung out semi-unhappily at the end of the training yard. The one thing Luna had been able to beat her sister at was combat, and yet Celestia for all her awkwardness seemed incredibly capable of predicting Luna’s actions. Luna, at least, was able to beat her with brute force, and was able enough to start dueling Ever Vigilant one-on-one. Celestia wasn’t so lucky, where she was clumsy at best and duck-footed at worst.

“Too much follow-through, Celestia, control your power!” Evan had instructed her when she had swung so hard she stumbled forward,

“I’m… I’m trying!” Celestia had grunted in reply, with great difficulty, lifting her sword like it were an extra limb sewn haphazardly onto her shoulder, “This thing’s heavy.”

“Your sword is light enough, you are simply imbalanced. Focus on your stance before you engage me, first.” he had declared to her,

Luna gave a satisfied smirk when seeing her sister, but the remembrance of her loss returned quickly enough, and her mood soured. The two of them tromped over to the edge of the fence that surrounded the training yard, and Celestia looked up to them distressingly.

“Why do we have to train right now?” Celestia asked him as the pair approached, “Today’s the day we’re going on our journey. We should be packing.”

“Horseapples, Tia. I already know you’re packed, don’t give me that,” Evan reminded her, “And if you want to ever be up-to-par with your sister, you should take any opportunity to improve with eager readiness.”

Celestia muttered in mental exhaustion. Luna rested herself against the fence, weary from her training. Ever Vigilant shut his eyes for a moment, then he opened them.

“That is all for training today.”

Their faces lit up, and both turned back to him with happy expressions. They whispered ‘yes’ under their breath in unison.

“Go on to the caravan, I’ll meet up with you there. I need to ensure I have everything in order.”

Luna eyed him curiously.

“Wait, didn’t you pack?”

“I am bringing just a few things, so I am only required to grab them,” Evan told her knowingly, “Be on your way, and do not tarry. You know how Starswirl is about keeping on-time and on-task.”

The two nodded, and scurried off to deposit their training gear and then head for the carriages that awaited the journey’s beginning. Evan, meanwhile, turned off and headed for his tower.

Ever Vigilant had never desired a tower for himself, but Cosmos had insisted on giving him one once he had been knighted, much to the dismay of the nobles who frequented the castle grounds. He himself had no qualms, though it was quite a difficult climb, what with all the stairs. Once he had walked up to the top of the tower, he entered his darkened chamber, littered neatly with his things. He grabbed a steel sword that he had been issued accordingly, a rucksack with some of his necessities and provisions, and other items.

As he turned to leave, a note slipped under the doorway. Pausing only to blink, Vigilant walked over and picked up the notice, turning it over in his hand.

There were no markings, and the parchment was faded. Ever Vigilant scoffed, perceptive of the object’s nature, and he crumpled it up in his hand.

That was his mistake. The note began to glow as soon as it had been compressed, and Ever Vigilant let go of it as if it were a bomb. His brows furrowed furiously, and he took in a deep breath.

“...STARSWIRL, YOU MOTHERFU-”

BOOM.

An explosion, objects rocketing from the blast, and one dizzied and knocked-back Ever Vigilant followed.

Tia and Luna arrived at the caravan shortly, where they found Starswirl awaiting them.

“Ah, good, you are both here. Hurry and load up, we haven’t much time.”

The two exchanged worried glances.

“What about Evan?”

Starswirl made a noise of distaste, but it was quiet enough that it went unnoticed.

“I… am terribly sorry, but I was just informed that he has received new duties, and cannot attend the journey. We’ll have to depart without him.”

The pair of them gasped, and their expressions became severely disheartened.

“He’s… not coming?” Luna said, the more emotionally vulnerable of the two, with sadness in her eyes.

“Yes, yes, it’s very sad,” Starswirl told them unconvincingly, “But we must hurry along, I need to introduce you to the rest of our party.”

Starswirl pointed to a troop of people, who awaited near some yet-to-be-loaded supplies. The group looked over to them.

“Here, we have your terran attendant, the Lady Illustrious Day, who volunteered to assist you both in your private duties, such as bathing and dressing. She is a lady of the court as well, so she may attend some of your diplomatic meetings as a support.”

A young woman only a few years older than the two with macaroon-colored skin, red ruby eyes, and glistening gold hair, curtsied politely to them. She nodded her head.

“It will be wonderful to work with you, your graces.” Illustrious Day introduced,

Starswirl turned his finger upon a seedy-looking man in rugged clothing and with a pair of wings on his back. He had skin the color of denim, thick black hair, and distrustful yellow eyes. He turned over to them with a shifty smile upon his unshaven face.

“This is Deep Pockets, who is an avian. He shall be our resident survivalist, and he will assist in guiding us along the treacherous terrain.”

“A pleasure, your highnesses,” Deep Pockets introduced, a little too enthusiastically, and with a low bow,

Starswirl moved over to a man with lime-green skin, muddy brown hair, and bright orange eyes. The man wore a chef’s apron and was slightly round in the gut.

“This is our chef, Another Morsel, and he is a terran who will be ensuring your diet is sufficient for the trip.”

“It is so good to meet you, your majesties! I promise you the best cooking I can offer!” Another Morsel said to them,

Starswirl nodded, before suddenly, another person jumped out a crate and waved their arms enthusiastically. She had cherry-colored skin and wings, blue hair streaked with yellow, and indigo eyes. A bright smile accompanied her.

“Surprise!” the mystery girl introduced, “Hi, my name’s Sweet Song!”

Starswirl groaned heavily, before motioning to her listlessly.

“Yes, yes… it was your father’s idea of hiring her, not mine,” Starswirl informed the girls, before looking to them closely for an opinion, “What do you think of your company?”

Celestia and Luna looked very ecstatic, and moved over to the rest of them with cheerful smiles. They returned a bow.

“It’s great to meet all of you,” Celestia said,

“Yes, indeed,” Luna added, a little more formal in her tone than her sister, “A great pleasure. We trust each of you will do your duties well,”

All of them gave each other nods and greetings of recognition. As they were finishing their introductions, a young lad walked over to them curiously.

“Hello? Is this where the caravan is?”

The boy was about as old as Tia and Luna, and he wore a basic black brigandine. He carried a sword in a simple scabbard, and he had a pair of gray wings that matched his gray skin, and he also had dark red hair and jade-green eyes.

“Who are you?” Starswirl asked him disdainfully, “Can’t you see we’ve already had our introductions? It’s almost time to depart, at exactly 9:00, like I scheduled. Run along, boy.”

The boy winced at Starswirl’s harsh tone. He rubbed his head in a lowly way.

“Oh, I’m sorry, it’s just that, uhm… I thought this was where I and everybody else was going on a journey with the princesses.”

Starswirl blinked, before opening an ornate journal and scanning it furiously.

“Last I checked, I did not hire any young boys to accompany the trip! Are you lying to me?!”

“He isn’t,” said a gruff voice, “You didn’t hire him, I did.”

Appearing in a dark side-alleyway, Ever Vigilant shifted forward, a loud thud for each step with his heavy boots. Most of the group was terrified or in awe, Starswirl included, being the person Vigilant was advancing upon. Ever Vigilant brushed a few cinders and some ash from his shoulders, and his expression was wholly unyielding. His gaze ran over everyone else, before he leaned in towards Starswirl deliberately, before exhaling sharply through his nose.

“I’ll be giving you my bill for when we get back,” Vigilant informed him, “The least you could do is pay for the damage your explosion rune caused to my room.”

He leaned backwards, crossed his arms, and smirked. Starswirl was at a loss, and he began to silently fume as Ever Vigilant turned over to the girls. Comprehension dawned on the pair’s faces.

“Despite his efforts, I will be accompanying you two on this trip, to ensure your safety.”

His eyes turned over to the young lad, who was merely standing there. He patted him on the shoulder, which reassured the boy sincerely.

“We’ll be accompanied by my new squire, Vector. He’s rough around the edges, but I believe this trip could be of use to him and his training.”

Vector immediately gave a resolute salute to the rest of them, who were still only staring at Ever Vigilant.

“You can count on me, you guys! And, uh, Ser.”

Ever Vigilant nodded, before turning over to the rest. Everyone besides the sisters and vector were ogling at him, mouths wide open with surprise.

“My name is Ever Vigilant. Ser Ever Vigilant, if you’re partial to formalities,” he said to them by way of an introduction, “As an extension of my duty to protect the princesses, consider yourselves under my protection as well… it’s a pleasure to meet all of you.”

The others did not move nor speak, and only remained silent. A minute of quietness passed between them all. Deep Pockets was the first to open his mouth.

“...Holy buck.”