Lunar Plight - Final Mix [DISPLACED]

Chapters

Prelude to Knightfall - Part I
Prelude to Knightfall - Part II
Chapter I - Return of the Knight
Chapter II - Return of the Night
The First Interlude ~ When The Darkness Comes

Prelude to Knightfall - Part I

Three figures trudged along a flat stretch of earth between a snowy valley, the light of the moon just barely shining upon the land that sat cozily nestled between miles of mountain range, illuminating them through the slow fall of ice, and the deafening wind whistling as it kicked up the snow, erasing their tracks. The one on the right, a white mare garbed in a black cloak spoke first, her horn barely lifting the hood far enough to see her eyes, the color of which stood akin to a gentle mix of lavender and pink. "And thou are sure that the 'Nexus' you speak of lies beyond this frozen desert?" Her voice was motherly and regal like royalty, but held a great aura of command not unlike a mighty general.

The figure on the left was yet another horned mare, albeit smaller, adorned in a black coat, this time a shade of navy blue with eyes of sapphire. She shivered as she marched alongside her two companions, and despite her cloak, one could easily see the shifts of her wings at her midsection in an attempt to warm herself. "Thou'st best be right, Sir Garland. Thus far the cold hath been nothing short of insufferable." Her voice could be described as somewhat rougher than the first mare, but only barely.

Between the two mares stood a towering knight. His shoulders broad and decorated by a grape colored cape. His helmet bore a resemblance to a face of sorts, and atop it sat two horns that protruded to each side and slightly backwards with an upward curve. His armor was of a gunmetal color, with larger silver plates layered on each hip. His silver gauntlets were fragmented to allow a range of motion and protection, and ended with a pointed claw on each finger, and each housed an aqua colored gemstone on each backhand. His boots, fragmented and silver much the same as his armor, came to a slight upward point at the end. Hoisted over his right shoulder was a massive blade, a fang shaped greatsword with segments lining along it's blade horizontally. It's handle stood two feet long, with a scarlet tassle and a string of aqua colored beads tied to the end. "Firefly is not only one of my best soldiers, but she is easily my most valuable scout." His voice was deep, yet with a far colder tone lacking empathy for his companions. His harsh voice was far more commanding than the first mare. "If she says that the Nexus of Evil is housed in the empire to the north, then I trust her information to be accurate. She spent months stationed there, after all."

The white mare nodded, only to raise another question. "And the empire to the north, what does thou know?"

The knight, Sir Garland, let out a grunt. "A civilization, led by a unicorn king. Apparently he is arrogant to a fault. He also isn't very friendly, so I suggest you and Luna be on your guard."

Luna let out a huff, and smirked. "Does thou believe thine ears, sister? Sir Garland seems to believe we wouldn't be 'on our guard' as he says."

"At least your speech is improving. Not on par with Celestia, but the 'Old English' is slowly wearing off."

The slow fall of snow grew heavier, and Celestia began to emit a light from her horn, just enough to see through the rapidly quickening snow. "The weather here is atrocious. How was that?"

Beneath his helmet, Garland rolled his eyes. "Better. Firefly's report mentioned that the empire is both concealed and defended by a magically generated blizzard. We'll need to stay quiet and stick together to make it through." Truthfully, they had no need to stay silent, but the mares took the hint, smirking at one another, and followed the knight through the snowstorm.

Hours seemed to pass in silence as the trek grew harsher and harsher. Finally making it through the storm, the three found themselves atop a cliffside overlooking a city. The city was shaped like a star with six points, with twelve roads leading outwards, one at each tip of the star, and one each at the inward angle between two points. In the center of the city stood a tower of onyx colored crystal, it's enormous and jagged structure gleaming in the night.

"We're here." Garland stated matter-of-factly, earning a chuckle from Luna.

"So I suppose we could fly down, but that would leave Garland all to his lonesome on the cliffside, wouldn't it?" Celestia asked, only for Garland himself to answer. "We'll all be finding a way down normally. Two Alicorns in a neighboring empire, well, that would be quite the crowd pleaser. Almost like you'd draw the attention of the angry unicorn king up in that gaudy castle up there."

Luna looked to him with a raised brow. "And thou supposes a hulking bipedal knight wouldn't? Thou are hardly inconspicuous."

"Maybe so, but I'm also not a princess with the ability to raise and lower the moon, sneaking into another kingdom to steal an artifact that could be considered a weapon of war. If anything, I could pass as a diamond dog until I can escape--"

"Enough." Celestia interrupted; "That's quite enough. None of thee will be getting caught on this night. We will obtain the Nexus and leave before anypony here even understands what's going on. Let's go." She slid down first, using her magic to keep her cloak in place as she descended the cliffside. Luna did much the same, leaving garland to plunge his sword into the rock face. Gripping it's handle, he descended himself.

As his feet touched the ground, he met with his two companions, and formulated a proper plan to infiltrate the castle.
The three would each take a different route into the black castle, with Garland's being the most direct; through the front doors. The three went their separate ways, with Garland sticking to the shadows on his way to the castle's main entrance. As he approached, he found no guards in sight. He took a closer look, gazing upon the area around the entrances, and in the sky, yet not a soul was found. Slowly, he opened the main doors and stepped through. The castle was pitch black, though the knight had no problem adjusting as he made his way through the dim lavender halls. Each wall was lined with various portraits of a grey unicorn with a slicked back mane. His horn was scarlet and curved upwards like no unicorn Garland had seen before, and his sclera's were an emerald hue, with crimson irises in the center. His eyes were painted to emit a purple smoke, and he wore plated armor, layered similarly to Garland's own. Each wall held different portraits of this same unicorn, all in different poses at different angles. The knight found it a bit silly, but mostly pretentious. He continued down the halls in silence. After an hour or so of searching, he found himself three floors up from where he had started, at the top of a stairwell guarded by a pair of short bipedal creatures bearing crystal spears, both of which were now mere inches away from Garland's face. Under their rather plain purple hoods, one could make out wrinkled faces decorated by a long, pointed noses and toothy grins. "Halt, in dah ordah of dah king!" The man could clearly see the excited gleam in the oddly human eyes of the goblin that spoke first, the one to his left. The one to the right lowered his spear slightly, turning to his companion. "Ay but waitaminute, awen't we 'sposed to capture those two pwincesses? King Sombra didn't say nothin' about no metal monstah!"

The gleam left the first goblin's eye. "Oh, das true idn't it...."

Garland took a moment, before finally speaking. "Excuse my sudden appearance, good sirs, but King Sombra has anointed me as the new head of pest control, if you understand my meaning. I've been sent to deal with the intruders." The goblin's pulled their spears back, holding them to their sides. "Well why didintcha say so? Last we hear, dey were on dah second floor. Dats why we was guardin' dis here stairwell!"

The knight nodded, and continued forward; "The two of you are doing rather well. Keep up the good work." He needed to be away from these two as soon as possible, lest they put the pieces together. Goblins weren't necessarily smart, but they had a knack for figuring things out, given enough time. The two saluted him as he passed, only to jump as another voice joined the fray. "Ah, but I'm afraid our pests do not lurk upstairs, dear knight." This voice was dark, and as Garland turned around, he would find it belonging to the unicorn in the portrait's downstairs. King Sombra himself, he presumed. His suspicions were all but confirmed when the two goblin's took a deep bow, to which the unicorn sneered. "At my side, ingrates! Your idiocy has nearly let a third intruder slip by right under our noses. No matter, I will see to your demise myself." His horn began to glow an ominous purple, to which Garland smirked.

"Very well, Sombra. Show me all you've got."

The unicorn let loose a blast of purple energy, the magic making it's way towards Garland at breakneck speeds, to which the knight adopted a defensive stance, holding up his greatsword. Sombra looked on in shock as his magic was absorbed into the blade unceremoniously. The unicorn king grit his teeth, glaring to the two goblin's, who quickly gulped and scampered towards Garland, spears raised and ready to strike. Garland took a step back, before unleashing a might swing to the right, knocking one goblin into the wall, where it let out a shriek before vanishing into dust. Watching his comrade perish, the second goblin slowed, only for Garland's clawed left hand to establish a thorough grip around his neck. Struggling for air and dropping his spear, the goblin could just barely make out his king blasting more magic towards the dastardly foe strangling him, only for it's sword to continue absorbing the bouts of energy, before finally, the metal monster took another swing with his sword. This time, a wave of violet energy emerged as Garland swung, the magic hitting King Sombra directly, leaving him to tumble unconciously down the stairs. Garland turned to the goblin, who's face now matched it's purple robe, and loosened the grip from around it's neck. "I will ask only once, where is the Nexus of Evil? Tell me, and you may not meet the same fate as your brethren."

That was all the incentive the goblin needed. "Mastah placed it in his own thwone woom, locked at dah highest towah in dah castle!" Nodding, Garland threw the goblin downstairs to it's king, before swinging his sword over his shoulder and heading full sprint down the barren hallways. More goblin's began to emerge from the shadows, chasing him through the hallways. He came to a fork in the road, with a hall leading left, and a hall leading right. Taking the left fork, he found Luna blasting away at her own crowd of goblins. Making his way over, he shouted to her, holding up his blade. Understanding, she turned her horn towards him, and let loose a flurry of magical beams that spiraled in the air before meeting their marks at the greatsword. Grunting, he plunged the sword into the floor, an expansive web of cracks appearing in the crystal as he did so, releasing a mighty wave of cobalt magic in all directions. The wave threw the attacking goblins back, all of which vanished into dust. Panting, Luna looked to Garland and scowled. "Thus far, we've found nothing but these...disgusting fiends! We were hoping thou hath had better luck?"

"I have. Apparently King Sombra, who is now asleep at the bottom of the staircase leading to this floor, has been keeping the Nexus in his throne room, the tallest tower in the castle. Worse yet, he knows exactly who we are." Garland looked to the hallway he had emerged from. "And he certainly isn't happy."

Luna's scowl vanished, a hopeful smile taking it's place. "We can simply fly there! Sister is searching the library as we speak, we will let her know of thee's discovery, and send her to meet thou back on the cliffside overlooking the castle!"

"Are you sure you can handle this Luna?"

The princess of the night shot him a cocky smirk. "If the unicorn king is no longer unaware of who exactly has intruded upon him, then we see no reason to hold our powers back. Head back to the cliffside, and Celestia shall teleport us back to the castle the moment we reunite."

Garland nodded, turning around. "Be careful Lulu. The Nexus is no mere artifact."

Walking up to him from behind, the alicorn nuzzled his side. "Getting sentimental during a most important mission, are we? How unlike thee. We will take precautions, but alas will do anything to ensure the Nexus ne'er see the light of my sister's day again."

Garland wrapped his arm around the princess, using a clawed finger to scratch under her chin. "You are my best friend after all. I'd never forgive myself if my inaction led to you in harms way."

Ducking out from under his arm and turning to a stained glass window bearing the visage of a forward facing Sombra, Luna tore her cloak off, releasing a waving mane most ethereal, a dark blue, with small specks of white twinkling in and out of existence, not unlike the stars in the night sky. She unfurled her wings, an impressive span of six feet on each side. Looking back to the knight, she smirked. "How does thou say....'I am the danger.'?" And with that, she leapt forward, her mighty wings flapping, breaking through the window. She was gone, and now scattered upon the floor were hundreds of shards of colored glass.

Garland silently trekked back to the stairwell, aware of the shaking goblins hiding in the shadows as he passed. By the time he had gotten there, Sombra was gone. Growling, he descended the stairs, and made his way back to the first floor. Celestia and Luna were surely powerful enough to take on the unicorn in the event of a worst case scenario, and he was no longer needed. He continued through the entrance hall, wary of the ominous silence as the sounds of metal footfalls on crystal floor echoed through the pitch black chamber. Opening the doors leading outside, he heard a snarl from behind. He growled to himself, looking backwards, where a white dragon stood on all fours in the hallway behind, beady yellow eyes glaring daggers into him. Unlike the dragons native to this world, this one had no capacity to speak. The air chilled as the dragon exhaled, it's icy breath visible in the air as it spread its pinkish wings. The bonelike spines on it's back stood upwards, and the fins at the sides of it's head flared outwards as it opened it's lengthy maw. This dragon was ready to attack, and wasn't going to pull punches. Garland smiled, readying his blade. "Finally, a worthwhile adversary!"
The knight cast Firage, a ring of flames now circling the two and casting the hall in an orange glow.

The white dragon made the first move, thrusting it's maw forward and spitting out a bone chilling breath, only for Garland's blade to launch directly forward, attached to the handle by thick mythril chain. The dragon knocked the blade backwards, and Garland used the momentum to carry his swing high into the air, where he retracted the chain and launched himself upwards. Narrowly avoiding crashing into the tall ceilings of the first floor, Garland readjusted himself midflight as the horizontal segments on his blade separated, the weapon taking on a lance-like structure. He prepared himself to thrust downwards, the momentum from both him and the dragon carrying the sword like a missile into it's target; the dragon's back. The blade pierced straight through the armor-like scales, and the beast let out a pained roar as the knight pulled the blade out, jumping backwards to the front of the dragon, and even taking a swing at the scales on it's neck along the way. The dragon tried again to freeze Garland with it's breath, only for the knight's blade to glow a deep red, the ring of fire surrounding them assaulting the dragon mere seconds later. The drake made a final attempt to swat at the man, only to vanish into dust with a whimper before it's claws could even reach their opponent.

"How....disapointing."

Again, Garland turned to the doorway, and stepped outside. The trip to the rockface was uneventful, and shortly after Garland's arrival, Celestia had appeared as well. She had explained that she wished to investigate the library a bit more before leaving, as it had been filled to the brim with outlawed magical knowledge from a dark age long since passed.

The two spotted a winged figure in the night sky, Luna, who landed at the bottom of the cliffside as well. Wrapped in a curtain in her magical grasp was a deep black orb, the surface pulsating randomly with blue smoke that dared not rise from the orb, opting to instead vanish as quickly as it had appeared. Luna's eyes were bloodshot, and her gaze refused to meet with that of her sister and knight. The three teleported away in a flash of blinding light.

Atop a balcony perched on the side of the crystal castle, a battered Sombra glared at the cliffside.
"So, the princesses of Equestria have decided to stick their noses where they don't belong. No matter, for the Crystal Empire shall remain at my command, even without the blasted orb of prophecy! I will find a way....I will find a way, mother..." He stepped back inside, letting out a growl as he entered his chambers. "What would you have me do, were you here...?"

Garland entered his personal quarters, a stone hut located just nearby the barracks of the Lunar Guard, roughly half a mile away from the Castle of the Two Sisters. While the hut was constructed of stone, Garland had opted to coat the inner walls in planks of wood, cut from the trees in the surrounding forest. The inner walls of his childhood home had been coated in thin panels of oak, and his quarters here provided enough of a homage to his past to keep him from getting to homesick. Inside the hut, in the farthest right corner, was an L shaped desk made of the same wood that made up the planks on the wall, and a metal bunk taken from the barracks that had been placed in the opposite corner of the desk. The desk sat dusty, and covered in unfinished paperwork and training regiments, and while the bed was far to small for Garland, it was certainly better than nothing. Located in the corner left of the doorway was an armor stand, ready to house the knight's helmet and torso piece. On the bed at this very moment was a pink pegasus sprawled out on her back, with a cobalt mane and tail. At the base of her tail was a purple bow, and on her flanks was a mark of two lighting bolts, side by side, the same color as her mane. She let out a snore, and Garland chuckled. Pulling aside the curtain located between the desk and the bed, he let the moonlight flow into the room. Taking off his helmet, he began to speak; "As usual Firefly, your info was right on the money." He looked to the pegasus snoring away in his bed, and although the light from the moon did not reach his face, one could easily gather his sincere smile just from the tone of his voice. Placing the helmet on his armor stand, he took a seat at his desk, and pulled out a pen and quill. He began to write.

The Nexus has been retrieved, and I will be keeping a close eye on both it and you from here on out. Suspicions aside, I want to thank you for reaching out to me, you may have very well saved us from a war we could never have hoped to win. While I still do not believe your story, I can no longer shrug you off as an insane mare with an overzealous need for gossip. I'd like to meet with you again sometime, to see what other knowledge you might be able to grace me with. If you really can see into the future, then I'd like to see what mine holds in this strange land. Who knows, maybe I can share some of my own otherworldly knowledge with you.
~Sincerely, The Good Knight

Garland rolled the quill tightly, closing it with an ornate wax seal colored a violet hue. Walking to the window, he opened it outwards, letting out a short series of whistles. A grey barn owl, garbed with a maroon bandana around its neck, quickly fluttered from atop a nearby tree, landing on Garland's windowsill. "You are to take this to Twilight, await her response, and return to me immediately the moment she hands it to you." The knight held out the scroll, which the owl took into one of its brown claws, letting out an acknowledging coo before flying away.

Turning back to his bed, he sighed. After taking the rest of his armor off, he reached under his bed, pulling out a thick quilt. Laying on the floor, next to his own bed, he covered himself with a crimson quilt and went to sleep.

Hours seemed to pass before an intrusive beep awoke him from his slumber. The alarm clock on his bedside table was swatted from place by a thin pale arm that had quickly shot from under the plush covers to silence it. Throwing the blankets off of himself, the boy sat up and looked to the 1991 calendar. The page was set to March, and the days were marked with red X's up until Saturday the 16th The boy smiled wide, jumping from his bed. "Sixteen! I'm fucking sixteen! Let's gooooooooooooo!" A knock on his door broke him out of his stupor, and as the door opened, he turned to it. A womanly figure peeked in, her face obscured by a small cloud of smoke emanating from it. "Language honey. I know your excited so I'll let it slip, but I expect you to act like a gentleman."

The boy smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his hair. "Sorry mom..."

"That's okay dear. Go ahead and get dressed and come downstairs. Your father and I have a surprise for you." She shut the door, leaving him alone. His excitement ever higher, he quickly changed into a pair of cargo jeans and a Metallica t-shirt. He stepped towards his bedside table, picking up his alarm clock and popping the plastic casing back into place. Opening a drawer, he pulled out a pair of circular glasses and wiped them with his shirt before putting them on, unaware of the navy blue alicorn behind him as he stepped out the door.

Watching him leave the room, she smiled. "It is seldom that we are graced with glimpses of thy past, dear knight." Luna gently trotted towards the doorway herself, leaving the room and closing it behind her. "We shall cherish these moments."

In the kitchen, the young man pulled a stick of butter from the fridge, and fetched a slice of bread from the breadbox. Placing the bed in the toaster he turned around, coming face to face with a man of large stature. His height was at least six feet, and his shoulders were broad. Dressed in a chestnut hued suit, his face, much like the woman, was obscured by smoke. "Good mornin' sport. Ya know what today is?"

"Come on dad, it's my-"

"That's right kiddo, it's my sixteenth birthday!" The man ruffled his son's hair, laughing at his own joke. "And sixteen is a big one. Your almost a man, so this is a big year for you. And a big year deserves a big gift." The boy smiled, pulling a butterknife from a kitchen drawer.

"I guess. I'm just excited I can finally get out there and get working like you!"

The man patted him on the back, and grabbed the toast from the toaster as it let out a ding. "Now son, there's more to life than working. You've got to enjoy it, you've gotta have fun. Go ahead and finish your breakfast and head to the living room to open your presents." The man buttered the toast and handed it to the boy, the smoke obscuring his lower face temporarily parting and revealing a charming smile."

Luna, laying on her belly on the sofa, watched as the boy ate his toast. She payed no heed as the man walked into the living room himself, nodding to her. "Good to see ya Luna. Surprised you arrived so soon. _____, come say hello to your aunt?"

The boy she knew as the captain of the Lunar Guard stepped into the kitchen from the dining room, smiling and waving. "Hey aunt Luna." The alicorn waved her front hoof in greeting. The boy's mother emerged from upstairs, gesturing to the coffee table where two gift lay wrapped one large and one small. "Go on _____, open them up!"

The boy hesitated, but his father passed him the larger box first. "This one first son."

"Luna helped us pick these out for you." His mother said. Luna frowned, but looked in her captain's direction. "We- I did. It took us some work, but we managed to find something we think...you'll....like."

The boy smiled. Tearing into the maroon wrapping, he let out a surprised gasp as he held up the contents inside; a Nintendo Entertainment System bundled with Super Mario Brothers and Duck Hunt. "Now I don't have to go to Jimmy's house to play Zelda anymore!"

"That's right champ, go ahead and open the next one." His father handed him the second gift, this one noticeably smaller than the first. Ripping into it, he raised a brow, and read off the label. "Final Fantasy? Mark told me about this game, it's kinda like Dungeons and Dragons he said." He grinned wider. "This is gonna be awesome!"

"That's right sport. I know it's hard for you and all your friends to get together to play it, so this can hold ya over, right?" His father checked his watch. "Unfortunately I can't be to much longer, I need to be at the shop in half an hour. Why don't you take the old Panasonic in the basement up to your room and hook up there?"

The boy jumped up, pumping his fists in the air. "Thanks dad! I'll see you when you get home!" He ran off, leaving the two adults and the mare alone. The adults froze in place, as did the living room around them. Luna frowned. "Thou's memory is growing dimmer and dimmer each time we get to experience it. Thou worries us, sir knight." She rose from the sofa, which was now fading to blackness alongside the rest of the living room, and made her way upstairs towards her captain's bedroom, where he was already playing the game. She laid on her belly at his left side, watching him work the rectangular device in his hands. It was advanced beyond anything she had ever seen. A game, similar to the boardgames her and Celestia would play in their youth, yet far more advanced and controlled by an electric powered brain connected to no living being. To say that Luna was intrigued was an understatement.

The window was open and the curtains were parted, the cool night breeze blowing through the room despite it having been the early morning moments ago. The boy's mother poked her head through the doorway, looking to her son. "_____, it's time for bed."

"Hold on mom, I'm about to beat Garland!"

The woman shook her head, chuckling. "Okay, well you go ahead and do that, then get to sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." She left the room.

An upbeat tune played from the television, the pixelated knight on screen turning to dust as four warriors danced to the tune., The boy turned back towards the alicorn next to him, frowning. "Why don't I remember them Luna?"

"Sir Garland? If thou has been lucid this whole time, thou has certainly made a fool of us."

Garland shook his head, sighing. "No, I'm only just now here." He got up from the ground, and placed the controller on top of the television. "It stings. I can remember their names...their ties to me....but not them. I can't remember if this is even what happened either."

"Memory is a fickle thing Sir Garland, and thou has been with us for over six hundred years. Even Celestia and ourself have forgotten the faces and names of some of our most important friends. In time, all will come back to you, we are sure of it. The mind forgets, but the heart does not."

Garland walked over to his bed, and laid down, covering himself up and placing his glasses on the bedside table. "I suppose so Luna, I suppose so. For now, to bed within bed. I'll see you in the waking hours."

The mare chuckled, opening the closet door. On the other side of doorway stood a dark hallway, lit by candlelight. Luna stepped through, turning back one last time. "Very well. Sweet dreams, dear friend."

Prelude to Knightfall - Part II

"Captain, please wake up!"

Garland awoke with a start, shaken awake by an orange bespectacled unicorn adorned in the shining golden armor of the Solar Guard, with a rapier sheathed at her side. Rubbing his face, the knight looked into her emerald eyes. She was clearly distraught, if the tears welling in her eyes and her disheveled red mane were anything to go by. She tried to speak, but the incoherent stutters fell on deaf ears as Garland placed his pointer finger on the tip of her snout, silencing her. "Use your words Nova Flare."

"I-it's Princess Luna! She's refusing to bring the moon down, and the Lunar Guard are marching the castle as we speak!"

Garland's blood ran cold, the hairs all over his body standing up. His breath hitched, and he could feel his heartbeat quickening. His best friend, the princess of the night, whom he had sworn loyalty to centuries ago...

Twilight had warned him about this, the lavender mare had warned him about a lot of things, but he couldn't bring himself to believe it. He leapt from the bed, not bothering to shoo Nova Flare out as he quickly changed into his armor. He shot a glance at his company, snarling as he placed the horned helmet upon his head. "And where is Celestia? Is she alright?!" He grabbed his sword, gripping the handle tightly. Alongside the crimson tassel and aqua beads was now strung a large pink feather, a gift from his former co-captain, Firefly.

"Princess Celestia is gathering the Elements of Harmony! We have to talk them down!"

Garland snarled again. Everything was coming along just as Twilight had predicted! He kicked down his front door and made full sprint towards the Castle of the Two Sisters. Nova followed alongside him, both of them barreling through the mighty forest that had begun to grow around the castle grounds a mere one hundred years prior. The journey to the castle was halted a mere five minutes in, as a group of three stallions garbed in the platinum armor of the Lunar Guard. The three, all earth ponies, had emerged from behind the trees. Seeing their captain, they glanced to each other nervously, before the one in the middle, a brown stallion with a mint mane, cleared his throat and spoke. "S-sir Garland!" His amber eyes wide like saucers as he stared down his captain, he began to shake. "Under the orders of Nightmare Moon, y-you must surrender yourself or face death!" The stallion let out a sheepish smile, only for Garland to shut him down.

"I commend the attempt at diplomacy Mint Chip, but your blatant attempt at an ambush has caught no one off guard. I suggest you move before I knock you down."

The other two earth ponies visibly paled, stepping back into the deeper cover of the trees. Mint Chip, however, stood steadfast despite his shaking having increased to the point where if one were to listen, they'd hear the slight 'tink' of his armor every few seconds. "I-I'm afraid not Captain. I d-don't want this, b-but if you do not surrender, then we...must..." The stallion looked left, then right, only now noticing his backup had left him alone. "...oh..." He turned back to Garland and Nova, only to receive a metal boot to the face. The pain was immeasurable as he flew backwards, at least ten feet. The landing knocked him unconscious, and the gash left in the surface of the ground from his skid had only ensured he was injured further. Nova looked to his unconscious body sympathetically and turned to face Garland. "Was that really necessary? I'm sure he could have been talked out of it! Mint Chip isn't a bad pony!" The knight only continued forward, breaking into sprint once again. Lost in his own thoughts, he never heard his companion's question.

Luna had been changing over the past two hundred years, sure, but it had never been drastic. Sure, she had on occasion confided in him of her jealousy towards Celestia, and the praise their subjects had constantly graced her sister's sun with. That's when it began to click into place.

She wasn't allowing room in the sky for the sun to rise. Not for any real reason, but out of pure spite.

Garland's pace quickened yet, with Nova barely keeping up with him. His thoughts no longer dwelled on Twilight's knack for prophecy, and every thought in his head focused on stopping Luna. With the castle in site, they stopped. The chasm between them and the castle had been great for keeping out intruders, and now the tables had been turned. "They cut the bridge!" Nova screamed, her eyes welling up again. Garland thought for a moment and slung his sword over his right shoulder, before pointing to the cut end of the rope bridge. "Concentrate. Focus on bringing the bridge up, and I will carry us across.

"Wha-OOMPH!" She had no time to react as she was snatched up in his left arm. Blushing at the sudden contact, she adjusted her glasses.

"Focus Nova, we need that bridge up."

"R-right!" A humming noised filled the air, as a golden glow surrounded Nova Flare's horn. Her mind reached out, and she envisioned the bridge within her grasp. Slowly, the cut side of it had begun to rise. She let out a confident smirk as she held the bridge into place. Keeping silent to maintain her concentration, she gently pointer her front hooves forward, signaling Garland to cross. The knight took a step forward, then another, before smiling. The bridge was stable, and they had almost reached their destination.

As the two reached the entrance of the castle, a disgusting sight awaited them. Ponies both once knew as friends, comrades, and even family, now lifeless at the front gates. Garland turned back to Nova and kneeled down to her height. "You will turn back, and you will hide in my home. There are scrolls and quills in my desk. I need you to write a letter addressed to a 'Twilight'. You will write to them that the thousand years has begun, and you will send it in my name. Give it to the barn owl in the trees outside, he knows where to go. And lastly, do not come back, no matter the reason. You WILL wait for me." The mare nodded vigorously. "Good, now go!" She turned back and began to sprint full force away from the castle. Waiting until she was out of sight, the knight turned around to face the castle.

Gently stepping over the bodies, Garland made his way in, where the stench of death lingered ever more. The once ornately decorated stone walls now held gashes and craters. Most windows had been smashed to bits, and the sun and moon printed banners lining the halls had been torn to shreds. Casting aside his feelings, he looked to the corpses of his fallen brethren, most of which had been of the Lunar Guard. Continuing up the stairwell to the second floor, he halted. Above, he heard screams, not of pain and suffering, but of anger. It would seem he had arrived after a majority of the fighting had passed, leaving little obstacles for him to overcome. Making his way to the third floor entrance hall just outside the throne room, he came across a brigade of stallions dressed in golden armor. Some brandished their spears, while others cowered at the sight of the hulking captain. A purple unicorn with a grey mane grit his teeth and dared to step forward, pointing the spear in his magical grasp directly at Garland's space. Garland's left hand shot up, grabbing the spear and snapping it in his grasp with lightning speed. "Gallant Sparkle, was it?" The unicorn's blue eyes widened, but only for a moment as the spear mended in his grasp. Garland chuckled, and kneeled down to his level. "Fear not, I am on your side after all."

"Horse apples! The Lunar Guard aren't 'on our side', they came in here and destroyed the place, and they...they..."

Hoofsteps clacked through the hall, and a grey pegasus mare stepped into view. Her mane was obscured by the armor she wore, but the few streaks of white in her snout showed her age well. This was Shining Ray, captain of the Solar Guard, and the only member of either side of the guard to have kept up with Garland during the occasional bar hop. "Garland is with us, Sparkle. He may be captain of the Lunar Guard, but his loyalty lies with BOTH sisters, not just Princess Luna. Besides...I personally sent for him." Her emerald gaze turned to the man as he stood once again at full height, and she smiled. "You sent Nova into hiding, correct?"

"Of course I did. She'd not be able to handle the carnage here. T'was best she keep her distance."

Gallant spoke up again, now somewhat at ease. "Nova is safe?" He stepped forward, letting out a hiss. It was only now that Garland noticed the bloodied gauze around his midsection, where his a fraction of his armor had been removed. The knight frowned and looked to Ray. "May I?"

"Be my guest."

He help out his left hand, a mint aura enveloping both it and the brigade of Solar Guard troops, most of which let out audible sighs. Gallant raised an eyebrow, narrowing his eyes at Garland. "What was that?"

"Healaga. It cannot provide aid to major wounds, but it allows me to spread a great healing magic across a group of my choosing. One of few spells I am naturally gifted with. You should all feel your pain leaving you shortly. For now, stay here." He began to continue down the hallway, towards the large doors leading into the throne room.

"Sir Garland?" He turned back, seeing Gallant Sparkle having stepped a great deal forward. The shine in his cobalt eyes was hopeful, and despite his injuries, he took a deep bow. "Thank you."

"Hardly worth thanking when my boys did this. After this is over, drinks are on me." He continued through the doorway to the throne room, heaving his sword over his shoulder. The room was lit relatively bright compared to the rest of the castle, allowing Garland to witness the destruction within the brown walls in full. Three windows, one on each wall save the exit to the hallway, that had once framed the room in a beautiful pink light now lay shattered on the ground, with pieces of glass stuck into the red carpet leading from the door. Following the carpet, one would find a raised platform containing two heavily damaged thrones, each with their own set of stairs leading to them. The one on the left was shimmering navy blue, and the one on the right a shining gold. Above them sat banners of the moon and sun respectively, now torn to shreds. The left and right walls each had two grass colored archways leading to separate rooms, none of which were as important as the mare standing at the base of the platform between the two thrones. Luna's back was turned on Garland as she spoke.

"We knew it would only be a matter of time before thou arrived."

The knight stepped forward, making his way to the middle of the throne room. "Enough of this Luna. I know not of what's going on in your mind, but you aren't yourself--"

The mare turned as she cut him off, cackling. Now that she was facing him directly, Garland could see that she had changed not only mentally, but physically as well. Her once navy coat was now a glossy black, and her once cobalt blue starry mane had paled and lengthened significantly. She was adorned in a decorate pale blue helm, complimented by a matching set of armor on her four legs as well as a thicker plate on her chest. "Luna? No, we are no longer Luna. We are NIGHTMARE MOON! And thou would do well to remember that!"

Garland took another step, and beneath his helmet his eyes made contact with her own, narrowing. "Then you'd do well to remember who you are facing...Nightmare Moon."

The lunar princess let out a hiss and rushed forward, a cobalt magic engulfing her horn as she charged, only to miss as Garland jumped to the right. He lifted the sword from his shoulder, and as Nightmare Moon turned to charge again, she was knocked backwards and towards the doorway by the massive metal blade. She wasted no time recovering, and as Garland began to sprint towards her, she began to charge up another spell. The knight jumped, and brought his sword overhead with the intent of knocking her out of the fight with the blunt side of the blade, only for the mare to roll out of the way just before the sword impacted with the floor, the crystalline structure chipping away and sending shrapnel flying. She let loose a blast of energy, but Garland was to fast as he flipped the hulking blade around to absorb the spell. Nightmare Moon took the opportunity to rush him again, and this time she jumped, her front hooves colliding with the knight's helmet. Garland let out an audible grunt of pain, backhanding the mare away mere milliseconds after the collision. He brought his clawed left gauntlet up to meet his face, only to realize that Nightmare Moon had managed to shatter a small section of his helmet. He growled, and as she began to fire a barrage of spells his way, he absorbed each and every one with his blade. As he stepped closer and closer, Nightmare Moon began to fire faster and faster, to no avail. His face was covered in the shadows of his helmet, though a single shining yellow eye was visible beneath it all as he readied his blade. He pointed it toward the mare, both hands gripping it's handle, a rainbow blow engulfing the blade as he thrust it forward and launched a beam of shifting lights and colors towards Nightmare Moon. Her screams were heartbreaking, and to Garland it was as if he had betrayed everything he had ever known. He would remember this moment forever, not for the pain he felt as foreign magic fruitlessly clawed at his human soul in an attempt to find a pool of mana to tap into, not for the guilt of betraying his princess, but for the anguish of bringing such pain to his best friend.

To Nightmare Moon, it was as if she was being skinned, the pain of centuries of dormant magic searing into her very being was a feeling that rivaled, or even surpassed, the cruelest torture she could have conjured up. The beam lasted only a moment, but to Nightmare Moon, it felt like centuries. She wouldn't last under this pain, and even now she was slowly losing consciousness under Garland's assault.

As the beam stopped, she fell first, a raspy breath escaping her lips as she collided with the floor. Garland himself was next, as he fell to his knees. He tried to use his sword for support, but to no avail as he too fell to the ground with weak lungs.

And then he awoke. He had no clue how long he had been out, though the sun was shining through the window of the castle's infirmary as the birds sung in harmony. He was without his armor, dressed in a white onesie fitted solely for him, the lone human in this land. He covered his face to block out the sun as it assaulted his eyes. He felt fabric brush against the back of his hand; gauze. He'd ask what happened later. For now, he needed to find the princesses. Lifting himself off the stiff bed, he made his way through the infirmary's peach covered walls towards the exit. The castle was indeed in shambles, and soldiers of both sides patrolled the halls, shooting glares both amongst each other and at Garland. He paid them no heed as he approached the double doors to Celestia's personal quarters. A solar guard stood tall on each side of the door, though neither dared to stop Garland as he entered, instead opting to give him glances of pity as he pushed the doors open. He finally stepped through, and closed the door behind him. Glancing over the elegant room, he let out a remorseful groan. The once gleaming pearl walls had been cast in shadow as the curtains lay shut, though a faint light did force it's way through regardless. Peering through the small gap in the curtains was Celestia, though she lacked her royal garb. She turned to Garland and gave him a halfhearted smile. Beneath the gauze, he did not return it.

"What happened Celestia?"

She stayed silent, averting her gaze to the floor. A few moments passed before she spoke. Her voice was raspy, strained. "The Nexus Garland. The Nexus took her. It twisted her thoughts and turned her into..." She couldn't make it far into her explanation before letting out a quiet sob.

Garland nodded, and Celestia let out a sniffle. "Had you not weakened her, our fight would have been for naught."

"Where is she now?"

Celestia began to sob again as Garland placed a hand on the base of her neck. Her sobs grew louder, and through it all her stood at her side. Finally she managed to hold her cries back, and in that moment, in that same raspy voice, she responded. "The moon. I was forced to use the Elements of Harmony to banish her. One thousand years from now..."

Garland sighed. Again, Twilight had proven herself to be a little to knowledgeable about events that have yet to happen.

"Thank you Garland."

He tucked his thoughts away, just for a moment. "For?"

"Her studies of the Nexus found it to be...unabashedly dark. The Elements of Harmony are capable of a great many things. Breaking free an entity of darkness with no light in it's heart is not one of them. Nightmare Moon's will was not Luna's own, and I fear the Nexus has taken her completely." Celestia's explanation filled him with an even greater sadness than before, and the chokes and sobs of his princess did little to help. Twilight explained to him in her letters that Luna would return to both Equestria and the light, but if the Nexus of Evil had well and truly taken her body as it's vessel, was there still a Luna to redeem? "So I thank you, Sir Garland. I'll be leaving the Lunar Guard in your hands as well. They are your stallions, and you would do better to investigate them than I. Besides, I have to find the Nexus."

His eyes shut. He had a lot to think about, and he had forgotten that the investigation into his men would likely fall to him. He'd figure that out later, for now he had his answers. "I did what I had to Celestia. I only hope that we can recover from this tragedy in full." He turned to leave, and as he shut the door again, Celestia turned back to the curtains. She could feel the tears running down her face. A droplet hit the floor, and her devastated expression quickly became a determined scowl. "And we will, as we have before."

Garland watched as the detained Lunar Guards were lined along the walls of the barracks, chained together. Beside him sat Nova Flare and Shining Ray. Nova nuzzled his left leg, and to his right Ray conversed with Gallant Sparkle. Garland paid little attention to the conversation; it was clear that those that had taken up arms with Nightmare Moon were to be punished.

Amongst the lineup sat Mint Chip. The brown stallion sat on his haunches, looking to the dirt below in shame. His mint colored mane hid his eyes well, but Garland had been around ponies long enough to recognize their body language. It helped that he had personally known Mint Chip since he was a just a small colt, and he knew that the stallion had never been a good liar. He tapped on Nova's horn, to which she swatted him, only to visibly recoil as he let out a pained hiss.

"Come with me Nova. It's high time we get the full story."

The two approached the lineup, and as the chained ponies begged their captain to spare their lives, his chest began to ache. He would not have his men killed! Did they think of him that little, that he would have their lives snuffed out? "You will not be hung, I can assure you that much...if you cooperate. Mint Chip." The stallion in question looked up. Garland could just make out the tears in his eyes amongst his swollen face. Perhaps he had gone overboard as Nova Flare had said. "What happened?"

The brown stallion looked down again, nudging the dirt with a hoof. "Princess Luna stormed the barracks late at night. She looked different and kept calling herself 'Nightmare Moon', and she had told us that Princess Celestia had made an attempt on her life. She told us that she was going to take over by force and bring about an eternal night to scorn her sister's attempt at assassination, and that she would personally skin those of us that didn't join her!" He looked to his captain again, this time his eyes burned with the sting of betrayal and disbelief. "Is it true that Princess Luna has fallen, Captain? Is it true that she...used us, to kill our own brothers and sisters?"

Garland shook his head. "Something else is afoot. For now, that is all I must say. Princess Luna was not herself that night, nor will she be for a long while."

It was only then that Nova spoke. "That's why you were shaking. You didn't even want to fight."

Mint Chip let out a quiet laugh before he responded. "Only partly. I was also absolutely scared at the idea of even fighting Captain Garland. He isn't exactly the kind of foe you want to face down."

Ignoring his comment, Garland took a moment to think to himself. Nightmare Moon had used their loyalty to her advantage. An underhanded tactic, but an ultimately effective one indeed. He looked to the others, his own brothers and sisters in arms. "Have any of you a contradicting story?" Most shook their heads in silence, and the ones that audibly confirmed Mint's story spoke only of a griffon holding an orb wrapped in cloth. In silence he turned back to Gallant and Ray.

"We will be freeing them, for now at least." The statement earned a gasp from Gallant, who stepped forward to object.

"But-!"

"But nothing Sparkle. Their loyalty to Equestria shall not be their downfall. Nightmare Moon tricked them. The two of you will meet me at my office within the castle later to discuss this matter further." And with that, he made his way back to the castle. His trip was filled with the sounds of nature, the chirping of the birds and the rustling of the leaves. It was as if nothing had happened. No matter what, nature moved on. He thought back to his conversation with the Lunar Guard. An orb wrapped in cloth? The pieces began to click in his head, and now he had a destination in mind.

Ten years had passed since the banishment of Nightmare Moon and the theft of the Nexus of Evil. Princess Celestia had been made aware of the theft, though she had little incentive to seek out the Nexus a second time, she feared losing herself, or worse, her only remaining companion. Garland had rebranded the Lunar Guard, giving them much harsher training regiments under the command of both himself and Secondary Captain Mint Chip. He sat in his office, a glass of wine in hand. The sun did not reach these grey walls, instead they were lit by various candles on the knight's desk and a lantern hanging just above. A map of the land hung on the wall to the left of the desk, and directly behind it a maroon banner decorated with the silhouette of a forward facing pink pegasus with her wings spread wide hung neatly. Behind the pegasus were three spears. Though the middle one stood straight up, the left and right spears were crossed over each other.

Accompanying Garland was Shining Ray, the white streaks in her muzzle more visible than ever before. Her purple mane had paled in her old age, and her white dress uniform held a great many medals. She too held a glass of wine in the grasp of her right wing.

"-and I couldn't think of anyone better to lead the Red Wings in my absence Ray."

She raised her brow. She was technically a decorated hero, sure, but filling Garland's shoes as the leader of the restructured Lunar Guard wouldn't exactly be easy. "How long will you be gone?"

He brought his hand up to his face and stroked his chin, but alas she couldn't make out his expression in the shadows of this dusty old office. He didn't use it much honestly, instead having preferred to use his cabin for meetings. "Oh not long, a month, maybe two, max? I'll be back in time to help clean up the winter weather."

She smirked, she could handle the Red Wings for a month or two! She had been leading the Solar Guard for years. Now that she had passed the torch to Gallant Sparkle, her soon to be son-in-law, life had gotten boring. It would be nice to lead again. "You can count on me Gar. You get back here before the winter ends so we can all celebrate Hearth's Warming ya hear?"

Garland frowned, but of course she didn't see it. He would not be coming back. Not for a very long time. It hurt to know the bloodline he had watched flourish and grow would have to go on for so long without his friendship. He only hoped that Firefly would forgive him. "I hope to be back then. Keep in mind this is a personal journey. Princess Celestia has grown reclusive, and mustn't know of my absence. I hope to be back before she notices I am gone." Another lie. Him and the princess hadn't spoken in months. Over the past decade she had grown reclusive. He knew it would pass, but he needed to leave without her making an attempt to stop him. "During that time, I need you to do your best for the Red Wings and your best for Equestria."

"No sweat Garland. I'll have your boys in tip top shape for you when you get back!"

"I hope you will. If you'll excuse me, I do have some personal business to attend to. Feel free to take the wine glass with you, you seem to be enjoying it." Indeed, Ray had finished a bit of the bottle herself. Chuckling, she sipped her drink one more time, and placed the glass on his desk. "Thanks for the offer, but I really outta not. I'll see you later big guy!"

"Likewise."

And with that, she made her leave. Reaching into a drawer, Garland pulled out a scroll of parchment and placed it in front of him. Grabbing his feather and ink, he began to write.

'Celestia
I know you wouldn't let me do this if I had been forward with you. I am going to hunt down the Nexus of evil. We may not be able to use the Elements of Harmony to cleanse it, but perhaps we hold the power to destroy it. Alas, it is my own actions that have led to this, and had I not pushed to secure it in the first place, perhaps we would not be where we are today. I cannot pretend to be innocent forever. I'm going to find the Nexus. I'm going to bring Luna home. I know not how long I'll be gone. It could be a few years, it could be a century. Forgive me for leaving you behind in your darkest hour dear friend, but I only seek to set things right. In my absence, the most capable of Firefly's bloodline shall hold command of the Red Wings. That is my only request, though I know I am unfit to make it.

I hope that you may find peace in this new world. You are strong Celestia. Do not let your own darkness take foot.

-Garland'

Twilight Sparkle raised a brow as she eyed the letter long since tucked away within an old storybook. "Hmm...Elements of Harmony? I know I've heard of those before..." The lavender unicorn brought a hoof to the tip of her snout as she looked out to the lakeside near the tree where she lay studying. "...but where?" She had been pondering this letter for a week now. What started as a simple bedtime story for Spike had since become an investigation. She had found a letter hidden away within the book, and while it had been well preserved, it was abundantly clear the parchment was at the very least roughly a millennia old. Sighing, she placed the letter back into the book, and shut it tight. As she placed the book in her saddlebags, Twilight got an idea. If her hunch was correct, she had one 'Old Copy Of Predictions & Prophecies" to read up on.

Author's Note

A little late to finish the prologue. That's okay though. I'm excited to be back on track again.

This is a completely new and better thought out story from the original Lunar Plight, and while the original will probably be finished eventually in all it's 'amateur fanfic' glory, this version holds priority. New plot points, new heroes, new villains! I hope yall have as much fun reading as I did writing. Feedback is always appreciated, and I hope you all have a great day.

Chapter I - Return of the Knight

John's eyes narrowed, the stick of sweat covering his forehead in a thin layer of moisture. The half lidded stare and smirk combo coming from Lily, his girlfriend across the table, was one that made him mildly uncomfortable; he knew he'd be treating the Ralsei cosplayer to tacos later, likely this very night once the hustle and bustle that called itself Megacon 2022 ended for the day. He had come dressed as an original character, sort of. He was clad in an outfit akin to an anime delinquent more than a fierce warrior. His shirt was a maroon color, and over it he wore a dark gray short sleeve zip up hoodie with a trim around the zipper and sleeves that was colored a much softer red. He wore black cargo pants and a pair of similarly colored combat boots. His normally neck length brunette hair was slicked back today, and without the natural framing his hair lended his face, his forehead looked just barely bigger than normal.

At his side on the table sat the weapon that completed the ensemble; a slick black wooden Keyblade replica named Crescent Rose. The guard was constructed of two small maroon segments that looked like scythe blades, angled to protect the wielder's hand from blows. The body of the blade was thin and black, and seemed to be shaped after a katana, though at the end of the blade on the dull side, sat the silhouetted shape of a maroon rose. Hanging from the hilt was a chain roughly seven inches long that ended with a pendent of yet another red rose, this one with a small and murky crystal embedded in the center. John had spents months crafting this weapon himself, and he was proud of it. Countless splinters and failed attempts had finally led to today, where he carried the wooden blade with pride.

From his left an elbow nudged his ribs. Once, then twice. His gaze shifted to the smiling face of his sister. Connie was decked out in a full Tifa Lockhart cosplay, a damn accurate one too. She had worked out for months ahead of time to tone her build, and now a modest amount of muscle had made itself known across the woman's tall and skinny frame. "Come on John! She's got a point. You're stopping yourself from having fun. No bones about it. No siree. Rootin' tootin'."

John raised a gloved right hand to his face, and his bare left hand reached for his fries only to be met with air. Across the table Lily continued to smirk, only now she was holding the basket of deep fried potatoes that John had so desperately craved. He growled. "It's not that. There's just to much going on. There's so many people here...and give me back my fries, or no tacos tonight!"

Lily pouted, and stuffed another small handful of fries into her mouth, before passing the now empty basket back to John, who stared down at the basket before letting his face fall directly into it in an exasperated manner. Connie laughed, a hard pat from her right hand meeting her brother's back. Lily's audible "nomnomnomnomnom" caused John to look up again, and he used a napkin to wipe the grease off his face. "You're lucky I love you, otherwise we'd leave you here and go home."

Lily swallowed, then finally spoke up herself. "Don't threaten me with a good time. I actually like it here! Unlike you."

Connie shrugged her shoulders and glanced between the two of them. "Again, she's got a point." She looked to her phone. It was late afternoon, and the con wouldn't be open much longer. Nonetheless, they had one more event to head to. "Finish up guys, we'll need to head out soon if we want to catch the CRWBY panel."

John glared at his girlfriend as he responded. "No need to finish, she wouldn't let me." Connie burst out laughing and Lily's face turned beet red. John stammered for a moment, finally able to make out the words; "THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!"

Eyeing the group from afar was a young woman with a pale complexion and back waist length lavender hair. The casual jeans and t-shirt she wore did well to blend her into the crowd as she approached the table with a box. "Excuse me, I'm with the Mojang advertising team, and..." The three turned to the woman. Connie smiled at her, and Lily gave a shy wave. John did little to react. "...we've been handing out leftover promotional merchandise for the Caves and Cliffs update." She held the box forward and took the lid off, revealing a row of plush backpack charms. John noted that all of them were based off of the Totem of Undying, an item that had saved him and his friends from losing their hardcore world several times over. The woman smiled to him sheepishly and sat the box on the table. "Would you like one?"

Connie took one in her hands and smiled. "How much?"

The woman did her best to hide her guilty look. She had to look away from the trio before she mustered up her will. "They're...free. We don't have much use for them anymore."

Lily reached in the box next, and giggled as she took a totem out as well. "They're so soft and squishy! This is gonna look so cute next to the Squirtle charm you bought me John!"

His interest piqued, John finally reached into the box himself. Indeed, they were soft and squishy. What his companion's didn't seem to mention however was the almost refreshed feeling that coursed through his body upon picking up the charm. He looked to the woman and finally spoke. "You sure you don't want anything? We'd hate to leave you empty handed."

She gave him a sad smile, and nodded her head. "I'm sure. I just...hope you enjoy the rest of your day." She picked up the box, and without giving the trio the time to thank you, she left.

Connie looked to the other two and stood up. "She was kinda hot."

Lily rolled her eyes, and John sighed. "You think everybody is hot."

"Whatever, let's go." The other two stood up, and the three made their way towards the exit.

~~~~~

"Aye, are ye sure that's all you'll be takin'? I got's more meats in the back!" Garland was sure he had, and judging from the stench, he had been holding onto that stock for a good while. "That's a hard pass Grimwahr, I'll be taking the chicken and pork by itself."

"Oy, fair 'nuff then I 'spose. Bits' on the counter while I bring it out." The bearlike creature stepped into the back room, much to Garland's dismay. Nonetheless the man complied, and reaching into the single pocket of his ankle length coat. The rather plain brown leather coat had been a trusty one for centuries now, and had been a gift from an old friend when he had first arrived at the town. Pulling his hand out to reveal a hefty stack of coin, he placed the handful onto the counter just as Grimwahr walked back out with a stack of warm meat wrapped in sheets of paper. Passing the meat to Garland, he snatched up the coin, quickly counting it out. "Lovely, now getsome outta here before that damned griffon bastard find out I sold his order!" The man shook his head and complied, leaving the butcher to his business. Stepping out of the shop, he pulled his hood downward farther, and began to walk. Klugetown was a rough place for most creatures, and heavily reminded Garland of a place called Mos Eisley, though he couldn't pinpoint exactly what Mos Eisley was.

He had officially spent over a thousand years in Equestria, and remembering his past life had proven more and more difficult with each passing decade. Weaving in and out of the dusty alleyways of the desert settlement he made his way to the outskirts of the town where a small stone hut stood, isolated in a small oasis. The wooden door opened as Garland approached, and from the dark insides he could make out a hooded figure, a long lavender horn poking out from under the fabric.

Had he not recognized the figure as his occasional roommate, he'd have picked up his pace to investigate. As she exited the doorway he waved, gaining her attention. Her brown hood covered most of her features, the wings she wished to hide from the world. Her stature was mighty, easily reaching Garland's shoulders. This was Twilight Sparkle, or as she was known in town....

"Leaving so soon, Miss Lavender?"

"I'm afraid so. Time is of the essence, after all."

Under his own hood, he raised an eyebrow. Lavender sighed. "Tonight marks the one thousandth Summer Sun Celebration since the banishment of Nightmare Moon." Garland's stomache turned at the mention, though he stayed silent. "Do you remember the second half of the prophecy I shared with you?"

Of course he did. It had been his driving force all these years. Luna would finally return. Looking to the sky, he watched as the sun hung high over the land. A few more hours would mark nightfall, and the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration.

"You aren't the type to forget stuff like-"

"After a millennia, the stars would align and she would use them as a bridge to make her way back home." He interrupted. "This would mean that Luna will be paying a surprise visit tonight, yes?" Lavender nodded, though a frown spread across her face. "Yeah, which is why I'm headed to Ponyville to attend the celebration."

Garland nodded and opened the paper in his hands, tearing off a piece of the meat inside. As he chewed, he noticed that despite coming from the disgusting maggot infested hotbox Grimwahr called a meatlocker, the pork tasted fresh. He had gotten lucky, he supposed. Swallowing his food, he wrapped the paper around the meat once again. "And I will be headed to Canterlot, in preparation for Nightmare Moon's return-"

Lavender was quick to interject. "You'll be coming with me."

Garland raised an eyebrow at the statement. "What is the meaning of this? I'll be needed at the capitol. It's only logical that she would go after Celestia in a bid for revenge." What was Lavender's game here? He knew the mare to be a gifted tactician, yet she wished for both of them to go to Ponyville? "You are aware that by both of us attending the celebration, we would be leaving Canterlot and Celestia unguarded."

The mare nodded, and smiled. "I know you're worried Garland." She began to nuzzle against him. "The royal guard has got this covered--" Visions of a night long past flickered through his mind. "--Besides, if everything goes well all of this can be laid to rest before it even starts!" Garland dropped the meat in his hands. Where he once could smell the alure of freshly cooked pork and poultry, the stench of death stood in it's place. Twilight frowned again. "Garland? What's wrong-?!" He pushed the mare away, and stepped inside of the hut. In the corner stood a suit of armor caked in centuries worth of dust, and beside it a sword of much the same nature. He eyed them begrudgingly.

"I'm going to Canterlot." Though trusting Twilight had gotten him far in the past millennia, this was not a chance he would take. "You will be attending the Summer Sun Celebration alone this year."

~~~~~

"I can't believe they put the show on the back burner to make another Justice League crossover!" The Rooster Teeth panel was uneventful. RWBY Volume 10 would be delayed in favor of a sequel to RWBY x Justice League. While the details were hazy, John vaguely remembered Miles Luna talking about a guest appearance from Bizarro. Why Bizzaro? Why not.

The rest of the panel consisted of people asking if Yang's arm could turn into various weapons such as a cannon, a sword, or even a flail. Today was the day John had learned that no, Yang sadly could not turn her arm into a full sized trebuchet. It was at this point that the trio had been escorted out by security, as Lily attempted to run onstage with a sketch of Yang launching the rest of Team RWBY in a full sized trebuchet connected to her arm.

Either way, the panel was a disappointment. One that Connie herself took the blame for on the car ride home. "I'm sorry you didn't like it...I just wanted us to have fun together."

John smiled at her, then looked to the backseat. Lily was out like a baby, snoring loudly as the three enjoyed the cool chill of the night air. He looked out the passenger window. "It's not that I didn't enjoy it, because I did. I loved the con, even if it isn't exactly my cup of tea. I just love spending time with the two of you, ya know?"

Connie smiled, but she still felt worried about him. She glanced at him, and finally spoke again. "Anyways, music?"

"Sure. I can get down with some music."

Connie fiddled with the stereo, only to receive static fuzz. "Huh. Normally we get signal out here." She turned a knob, pressed a button, then a few more. Still fuzz. John shrugged, and gazed back out the passenger window again. A grumbling in the back seat caused him to peak back at Lily, only now she was rubbing her eyes as she awoke. John turned his gaze back to the stereo that Connie was still messing with.

"It's okay," He started; "the quiet is nice too."

"No," The girl responded, glancing back to the road ahead of her. "You wanted music, so you'll get music."

"Connie, it's fine-"

"No, I can get it."

"At least watch the road-!!"

From the backseat came a shrill scream, one that finally caught his sister's attention. "CONNIE HARD RIGHT HARD RIGHT--!!"

She jolted up, her eyes meeting the blinding high beams of the truck straight ahead of her. As she attempted to fix the radio, she had veered into the opposite lane, and directly into the path of a sleep deprived trucker, who just couldn't steer away in time. Connie twisted the wheel to the right, only for the truck to clip the back end of her car, sending it spinning and eventually tumbling, all too quick to comprehend. Besides the creaking and snapping of metals and plastics, John heard screams, whether his own, Connie's, or Lily's, he was unsure. Then a pop, followed by a green flash. As the vehicle finally stopped, wheels up, his vision began to go black. He could hear the pained sobs of one of the girls, but he still couldn't tell which as he fought to stay awake, but it was for naught.

Another pop and another flash, and he drifted into unconsciousness.

~~~~~

As Garland surveyed the city of Canterlot, he had found Twilight to have been mostly right. The city had indeed been under control, but not by the main body of the royal guard, no. Rather, Canterlot was locked down by the very same forces he had commanded long ago; the Red Wings. They wore rust colored armor that covered their entire body, rather than the golden ensemble that covered a regular guard's back and head. Despite the full body armor, they seemed to be able to move just as naturally as any other guard would. Donned in his own armor, he received many looks from the ponies around him. Civilians often looked on in fear, sometimes even wonder. Guard's did much the same, though the sight of him broke the stone faced facade of many of the Red Wings. He made his way to the front of the castle, and as he stepped up to the gates, the two Red Wing guards at each side crossed their spears. The one to the man's left spoke first, a raspy and young voice. "Halt, who goes there?" He could hear the fear in the pony's tone of voice, and Garland scoffed to himself, though he knew better than to disrespect the Red Wings, they were a prideful bunch. He had been one for a very long time, after all. "I am Sir Garland, sole human of Equestria, former captain of the Lunar Guard." The guard to his right raised an eyebrow. "I seek an audience with Princess Celestia."

The guard to Garland's right looked to his partner, and nudged his head towards the castle. "Get an escort to take him in. Sir Garland and I shall wait here until you return." The left guard did as ordered, leaving the two alone. The man stood silent, though the remaining guard eyed him cautiously. "You're a legend you know. Spoken of in myth, a tale passed down and kept secret by the Red Wings." Beneath his helmet, Garland raised his brow. "Kept secret? Why?"

The guard simply shrugged. "If what my father tells me is true, it's because nopony could actually prove your existence." He narrowed his eyes. "Still can't, quite frankly. Don't take it personally, but some strange stuff has been happening around here lately."

Garland looked into the distance, and nodded. "I understand. I've seen my own share of strange episodes after all. I will say however, that I am no legend. How can a legend stand among you? You want a legend, take a look at Starswirl."

The guard from before finally returned, and with him, a group of four more Red Wings. "Sir Garland? I do apologize for the bad news, but it appears Princess Celestia left for Ponyville just moments before you arrived. Nonetheless, I've been instructed to invite you in."

Garland shook his head, and turned back to the city. "I'm afraid I must decline. I have a reunion to attend after all." He looked to the sky above, and as the sun made it's final bow for the day, reaching the edge of the horizon at last, he sighed. "And I'm probably going to be late for it." He grumbled. "...should have gone with Twilight..."

He began his trek away from the castle. "I have the strangest feeling it's going to be a long night."

Author's Note

This took a bit longer to get out due to personal reasons, but I'm not abandoning it this time. I still have the drive to write this story, and I actually have a couple unrelated stories in the works, one of which was part of an art trade! I got this sick new profile pic of my OC (Comet Flare) in return.

Still figuring out how to write multiple characters interacting in a scene, and I think I'm learning how do give each character their own speech patterns and tones, oddly enough.

While this was a shorter chapter, it made it past 2,000 words, and while it isn't my preferred 5,000 word minimum, I can accept it. It's a bit boring still, but we're getting there I promise.

Chapter II - Return of the Night

Connie awoke in darkness. The scent of mud assaulted her nostrils as she fought to lift herself from the ground. Opening her eyes, she found herself lost in a thick fog, though the rustling of leaves and the sounds of wildlife clued her in that she had awoken in a forest. She wiped herself down, and tucked her hair behind her ears. She furrowed her brow, trying to see through the fog in front of her. "How the hell did we end up here?" She thought for a moment. Was there a treeline alongside the road they crashed on? She couldn't remember. She looked down. She didn't feel injured, and her clothes were intact. Just what was going on here?

None of that mattered now, she needed to get out of here. Wherever here was. She reached into a pocket on the inside of her skirt and pulled out her phone. Turning it on, she sighed. "Nineteen percent....you're kidding." She turned on her flashlight and began to head in a random direction, hoping it would lead her somewhere. The light didn't do much, and the fog seemed to grow thicker with each step she took, almost as if to assert the wood's hold on her, almost as if to tell her she'll never escape.

"JOHN?!" She shouted in hopes that someone would hear her. "LILLIE?!" The only response she got was a howl off in the distance, putting the girl on edge. She rubbed her arms as she traveled deeper with no end in sight, and whether it was the chill in the air or her fear, goosebumps littered her arms. At least a half an hour passed she had to guess, before she finally came across some form of shelter. An old stone building, covered in moss and overgrowth. the door had long since gone missing and parts of the walls had been collapsed for some time, but it would provide her shelter if for a moment. The walls had once been lined with wood, though what little was left was now peeled pack and molded. A desk once sat in the corner, but like the rest of the shack, now sat in ruins on the floor. Much the same could be said of the bed, though at least that had a blanket resting on it still, torn and frayed. Connie grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders. It did little to help in the cold forest, but all in all it was better than nothing. Walking up to the desk, she crouched down and gently pulled a drawer open. The rusted track got caught halfway open, though she still spotted the blade of a decent sized dagger within the drawer. "It's....better than nothing." Connie carefully grabbed the blade of the dagger and guided it out of the opening. Out of everything in the old hut, it had seemed to be in the best condition. The blade, around two feet, was made of some sort of iron and had been kept sharp. Deciding she had scavenged enough she turned around and made her way to the exit before a loud crack made her jump. Looking back into the hut, she noticed the drawer had fallen out of the desk completely, and glancing upward she found an old parchment floating down to the floor. Stepping forward carefully, she grabbed the parchment and wasted no time leaving the hut for real this time. Something about it seemed off, though she took little time to think about what as she continued deeper into the woods, searching for a way out.

___

The Everfree Forest was a treacherous place. Untouched by Equestrian magic, and happy to consume any unprepared pony who dared to enter the sprawling forest.

Yet Twilight Sparkle along with her newfound allies had managed to not only find their way to the Castle of the two Sisters, but summon the Elements of Harmony as well, and fight Nightmare Moon head on. Yet here Twilight sat defeated in the throne room of the ancient castle, the larger mare cackling above her and her friends. "And thus, thou art defeated. Face demise, little pony!" The mare's horn began to glow cobalt as she readied her final spell, one Twilight knew would kill her. She closed her eyes, awaiting for the impact that never came.

A collection of gasps was heard from behind her, and as she opened her eyes she could only marvel at the heavily armored bipedal figure in front of her. As his mighty sword pushed against the alicorn's horn and held back it's magic, he looked to Twilight Sparkle. His glowing purple eyes shining through the horned helmet that covered his entire face in a dirty and rusted grey, he let out a scoff. "Only a fool would trust six children with the fate of the world." He stated, his gruff yet booming voice leaving a momentary look of disbelief on the face of Nightmare Moon. "Find cover, Lady Twilight, and take the fractured Elements with you!"

The armored being faced Nightmare Moon again, pushing her to the ground with his sword. "It's been far to long, Luna." He took a step forward, smirking under his mask. "I hope you're prepared for the final act of your thousand year stunt."

Nightmare Moon stood again, taking a step forward to mirror the knight, her wings flaring as she sized up her new opponent and readied a spell once more. "Indeed. Treachery shall not be forgiven, Garland!"

Garland raised his sword as Nightmare Moon fired her magic once again, only for it to circle around him and seperate into several smaller projectiles. The blade of Garland's sword launched itself from the hilt, revealing a ten foot chain connecting the two as he swung it around, absorbing the magical blasts into his weapon. Nightmare Moon ducked under the blade as he did so, launching herself at him as she narrowly avoided the circling chain. She made impact, launching Garland into the retreating ponies who had barely scampered out of the way. Gripping his sword tighter the chain retracted once more, and the blade began to glow an evershifting color, the dark rainbow aura nearly unnoticeable. Garland climbed back to his feet as the cackling alicorn approached. "If I cannot defeat you this way, then I'll simply have to-"

"Enough!" Another voice boomed, this one more motherly and welcoming. The two opponents looked towards the entrance to the throne room. There stood Princess Celestia, alongside Twilight and her five friends, all wielding the newly repaired Elements of Harmony. Nightmare Moon's eyes widened at the glow of the Elements, and with a quick flap of her wings, she took to the air through the decaying roof. Celestia took to the skies after her as Garland launched the blade of his sword once more, the chain easily reaching thirty or so feet this time. Spinning it behind him, he tossed one end high towards the dark alicorn, who failed to notice it flying through the air until it had wrapped around her barrel, seemingly smelting into itself and ensnaring her. She let out a gasp as Garland tugged the chain towards him. Celestia readied a spell of her own, blasting Nightmare Moon back into the throne room, where Garland tugged again. "Now Lady Twilight, fire the Elements of Harmony!"

Snapping out of the state of awe she had found herself in, Twilight closed her eyes, the glow of her and her friend's Elements glaring through her eyelids. Garland closed his own eyes, feeling slithers of the blast being absorbed into his mighty sword. Then, something different. He felt something was off as the blast stopped. He opened his eyes, expecting the worst, only to find his pony allies staring towards the end of the room, where a sniffle and a sob was heard. Celestia was first to approach, lifting a pony half her size out of the rubble. Garland recognized this pony, and made his own approach as she began to stand. Plunging his sword into the floor beside him, he bowed on one knee, lowering his head. This was not the demon he had fought a thousand years ago, nor was it the demon he had fought moments before. This was his charge, as captain of the Lunar Guard.

"Princess Luna….welcome home."

Celestia cleared her throat, and motioned for the knight to stand. "Sir Garland, as much as I would like to….discuss your presence tonight, I feel it would be best if you took these six brave ponies back to their homes."

Garland crossed his arms, before pulling his sword from the floor and turning to the six ponies behind him. "Let's go."

The six mares very quickly gathered around him, each spouting some sort of dribble as they made their way out of the castle. He payed it no mind. As the group of seven began their trek through the forest, a shadow crossed Garland's eye. A biped, on the trail leading to the castle, slowly making it's way towards the group. Turning to the mares, he grunted and motioned ahead. "Into the bushes, I will deal with this." He didn't bother stopping to see if they had obeyed, though he could hear the white one complain as he walked towards the biped. He was around ten feet away now, though the darkness of the forest did not allow him to make out details. "Halt there, state your business." The figure froze for a moment, though took a step back. Garland held up his right hand, drawing from the mana reserves in his armor to create a flame; a source of light.

"What the hell...?"

For the first time in millennia, the knight would see another human being with his own eyes.

~~~

Connie stood terrified of whatever stood in front of her. A knight of some kind? She didn't quite know and frankly, she wasn't really processing it. Her brain stopped the moment she saw it conjure fire in it's clawed hand. When she saw the armor gleaming slightly in the dark, she assumed she had stumbled upon some sort of larp session. God she wishes it was just a larp session.

A breath escaped her, before she finally mumbled out; "What the hell...?"

"Hell is what I am not, at least, not anymore." It, very clearly a he, responded. "Who and what are you, and why are you trudging around the remnants of royal property at this hour?" And he very clearly knew where he was, unlike her.

"I-I'm lost, we got into a car accident just outside of the woods and I'm looking for my brother and his girlfriend."

"I'm afraid to say these are in fact not the woods you met your end near. Welcome to the Everfree forest." He motioned towards himself, and six small horses made their way out from behind a conveniently thick bush within the brush. Connie's mind raced as she examined them. Two seemed to be regular horses, though four seemed to be mythical creatures she had been told she couldn't own as a child; two unicorns and two pegasi. None of them were bigger than a great dane, and every one of them was an unnatural bright color, with the exception of the white unicorn who was currently complaining in what seemed to be a very slight english accent. The knight cleared his throat. "Quite rude to stare, miss...?"

"Connie."

"Garland." The knight chuckled. "I had the same reaction when I first arrived, do not worry. If your family has been brought to Equestria as well, we will find them. We will escort you out of the forest."

Equestria? Talking horses? Connie didn't know what to think at this point, but it was clear that Garland was her best bet at getting out of the woods safely. Likely her only bet. "Alright...lead the way." She'd been lucky it had been him she had ran into.

~~~

It had been an hour since they had found Connie, and so far the three of them were all that was left. Applejack's farm hadn't been to far from the Everfree, she opted to thank Garland for the safe passage out of the forest and head home herself. Rainbow Dash did much the same, though without much thanks. Next he had dropped off Pinkie Pie and Rarity, who both offered him payment in the form of goods and services, something he would be keen to take them up on. After that, the rest of the group has escorted Fluttershy back to her cottage, where she mumbled her thanks and goodbyes, and headed inside.

Garland cracked his neck, looking down at Twilight Sparkle. She was small, socially awkward, and to be blunt he found her adorable in much the same way a child would find a small kitten adorable. This mare would grow up to be his occasional roommate? The very idea was hilarious, yet Celestia had clearly seen something in her in order for her to have come this far. As the group passed back into town, Garland glanced in Connie's direction. She had been silent since they had found her in the forest. He would talk to her soon, for now he had a question for Twilight.

"How did you salvage the Elements of Harmony?"

The mare looked up at him, giving him a soft smile. "Well...think of it like a spirit. The body of the elements can be destroyed, but so long as the spirit is still there, the Elements of Harmony can still be used." The tilted her head to the side. "At least, that's the current hypothesis."

Interesting. "Something Celestia no doubt knew. I wouldn't know however, I've seen the elements utilized before, though never destroyed." He paused. "I would rather not discuss the usage of the elements in the past. You six, you are it's new wielders?"

Twilight took a moment to think. They were crossing the market now, it's stalls long since shut down for the night. "Yeah, I guess we are."

Garland nodded. "It is a mantle to take pride in."

The rest of the walk to Golden Oaks Library was silent. As they reached the doors, Twilight turned to Garland and smiled. "I'm sorry, I haven't even thanked you yet, have I?"

"Thanks are not needed, though you are very much welcome."

"Well do you have anywhere to stay? The least I can do is offer you a place to rest for the night. It wouldn't be much but...we have a couch? Tomorrow morning I can have Spike write a letter to Princess Celestia for an escort to Canterlot if you'd like?"

Garland smiled, though he shook his head. "The offer is tempting, but I will be staying at the inn tonight. I will also be staying to help with repairs around town, at least up until Celestia wishes to attend to the matter that is little old me." He chuckles, though glances to Connie once again. "Though if you wish to repay me, you may take Connie in for a time. Until we find her family."

The girl in question looked to him as if ready to object, but Twilight nodded in agreement and spoke before she could reject. "I can do that. I'm sorry to cut this short but it's been a looooooong day and I'd like to get some sleep." She looked over to Connie, who sighed nodded her head. "Alright, but tomorrow I've looking for John. Thanks Garland, and....Twilight?"

"Twilight Sparkle, but just Twilight is fine. Come on in and we'll get everything sorted out."
As the door shut, Garland made his way back towards the area of the market. The Ponyville Inn was small, but it would suit his needs well enough. As he opened the door and approached the blue unicorn stallion at the front desk, the poor thing began to shake. "U-u-u-u-hhhhh, Garland? Room for two? Room number is two-seven, have a p-p-p-p-pleasant stay!" He tossed a key to the knight and ducked behind the counter.

The man rolled his eyes, and headed to the second floor hallway. It was lit by candles, and quite cozy. He hadn't reserved a room yet, so who was the second? Had it been Celestia, she likely would have invited him back to the castle. That only left....

"Hello Garland, eventful day?" Miss Lavender, Twilight Sparkle herself. She had opened the door just as he reached for the knob. She was garbed in a brown cloak that covered almost her entire body, thought one could see her face if they were close enough. He had given her this cloak at one point, though he could no longer remember when or why.

Garland snorted, moving past the alicorn to let himself in. The room was relatively small in size and had no windows, with one pony sized bed in the back right corner. To the opposite corner on the left, a small desk, accompanied by a wooden chair. It would suffice for now, though Garland would be opting to sleep in the desk chair. "Eventful does not begin to describe it. The day I battled against Discord himself was less of an emotional toll."

"Emotional, I am sure, but physically?" Lavender chuckled, remembering her own encounters with the draconequus.

"Yes, physically this was child's play."

The alicorn followed Garland into the room, making her way to the bed. "I tried to book a bigger room, but they didn't have one on such short notice. You can have the bed if you'd like." She said, though stifled her laughter when he instead plopped down into the chair, taking his helmet off. His face was obscured by the darkness of the room, but Lavender could easily make out the details hidden by the lack of light. It was a face she was very familiar with after all; the face of the only ally she had left.

"I will take the chair. The bed is much to small for me."

"Very well then, we should call it a night-" A deafening crack interrupted her, and her head was out the door in a second. Garland quickly followed suit, his helmet now back upon his head as he pushed past her and into the dim hallway. The two made their way downstairs, where the receptionist was now poking his head outside. The fear Garland had witnessed minutes ago now gone as he surveyed the area around the inn. The knight cleared his throat, getting the pony's attention. "What is it?"

"I-i dunno! It was this loud crack, like lightning, but Cloudsdale doesn't have any thunderstorms in the schedule for weeks! I think it came from the market? I can't really tell on account of how loud it was though!"

Lavender nodded, and looked up to Garland. "That is strange Shakey, but we're gonna go take a look."

The unicorn nodded, though gave the two a worried look. "Alrighty then, just be careful out there. I'm about to close up for the night, but the door will be unlocked for ya." He moved out of the doorway, letting the two pass. The night sky was filled with stars as the two set off for the Ponyville market.

"What do you think it was Lavender?" Garland asked. He was already skeptical of the events leading up to this point. It had been a strange night, and if it had kept up-

"I have a feeling we're about to find out." She said, pointing to a smoking lump laying in a heap upon a destroyed stall. Garland narrowed his eyes, focusing on the stall. 'Yes.' He thought to himself; 'Of course this night would continue to be eventful.' As the two walked up to the stall he scoffed. "What do we have here?"

~~~

A slow wind fell upon John's face, and at last he opened his eyes. The void was dark and seemingly foggy, the only source of light being a stained glass pillar directly below him. As he realized he was floating headfirst towards it, he began to shift his weight to land upon it feet first. Finally touching down, he gazed upon it. It was a glowing orange, with the colors within the glass depicting a white horse rearing up with a sparkling multicolored mane. It had both wings and a large horn, On it's right side sat six decorative circles, all of which depicted the faces of different horses. Though two had horns, the four others didn't. Behind the white one sat the pattern of a decorative sun. John looked out into the void, but his gaze settled on nothing. He was alone here.

He stepped forward, before a voice rang out; "A great journey awaits you." John whipped his head back, searching for the source of the voice. He was alone on the top of the pillar, but the voice spoke again. "But don't be afraid."

On the stained glass, puddles of a black ooze began to form, and from the puddles rose inky black beings in roughly the size and shape of a pony with claws on each hoove. There were five of them, and though they had shape, they were featureless aside from their glowing blue eyes and claws. "I will guide you...." The creatures skittered to form a semi circle in front of John. "...to Victory."

A flash from his right hand, and John felt his hair blow back for a split second. In his hand sat Crescent Rose, the Keyblade he had made. It was heavier than before, and now had a glimmering shine to it. One of the creatures leapt towards him, and instinctively he swung his Keyblade upward to meet it, knocking it back from the uppercut.

The other four monsters rushed forward at once swinging their claws, and in response John swept his weapon from left to right in a wide swing, and though he hit three, the fourth fell back into the ground below, becoming an inky black puddle once more as it crept around. Paying no mind to it for now, John focused on the other three he had knocked back, getting a second hit on one of them. It burst into a small cloud of smoke, dissipating within seconds. As he attacked the second and third, they did much the same.

The monster he had uppercut previously had crept back into the fray, and while John had slain three of the five, the last two had snuck behind him. One of them leapt. "Behind you."

Turning back, John saw the monster leaping towards him, and raised his Keyblade in both hands to block the being, which jumped chest first into the blade. John took the chance to slam the blade and the creature into the ground, where it turned to smoke and vanished, only for the fifth and final creature to jump at him and bring it's claws to his face. John let out a scream, punching back the monster and clenching his face. He brought his hand down and watched as blood dripped from his hand onto the stained glass. His gaze landed on the monster, and he rushed forward as it jumped at him again. He thrust his Keyblade forward, running it straight through the pony shaped creature. As he held his blade up, it twitched for a moment, letting out a rasp before it too turned to smoke.

"You will face many hardships. Not all battles will be this easy." A pause, before the voice spoke again. "You've already chosen your role."

He brought the Keyblade to his chest, holding it up with both hands as he inspected it.

"The power of the warrior. Invincible courage. A weapon of terrible destruction, or a tool for great valor. This is your form."

At the edges of the stained glass two podiums appeared. One of which held a mighty blue shield decorated with a golden trim. The other podium held a wooden staff, one end forming a hook, with a bright red crystal suspended in the opening. The Keyblade in his hands disappeared in a flash of light before the voice continued.

"What will you give up in exchange for the power you've been gifted?"

A choice then. John should have expected it. He took a moment to think it over before approaching the staff and picking it up.

"The power of the mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin."

He looked over the staff. It felt good in his hands, and it made his heart race. As John's eyes fell upon the crystal, he felt electrified, as though he could do anything. He placed the staff down on the podium, and approached the shield, fastening it to his left arm.

"The power of the guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all."

John felt little as he held the shield up. Though it was very pretty, it was heavy and clunky, something he'd rather not lug around with him. He placed the shield back onto it's podium and made his way back to the staff. Grabbing it once more, he nodded.

"A warrior with the aid of the power of magic. A magician familiar with the art of combat. Is this the form you choose?"

He nodded again. The staff in his hands disappeared, as did the podiums. "Worry not, your allies will shield you, so long as you play your part."

In the space between the podiums, a door appeared though it stood alone, connected to nothing. It was a dark brown, the doorway lined with decorative jewels and patterns. "Step through the door, and find the future that awaits you."

John did so apprehensively, looking back for just a moment as he opened the door and walked through.

Walking though the other side, the droning of the wind carried the sound of a never-ending groan to John's ears as he stared across the wide marble room. It had clearly been of some importance at some point, the stain glassed windows depicting events from decades long past, and banners torn and unrecognizable. Perhaps once upon a time it had been beautiful.

Now it lies in desolation. The far end of the room had been torn from the rest of the fortress John had found himself in, leaving nothing but a massive opening to the outside.

An outside that held nothing but an inky blackness that slowly crept inside, staining the marble walls. John looked back, but the doorway was gone. Whatever this place was, he had no escape.

Floating in the opening was a massive beast, easily coming to forty feet tall. It's red and batlike wings beat gently to hold it in the air, as it's sharp yellow eyes stared John down. The hair on the boy's back stood up as the demon laughed, before reaching out with one of it's clawed red hands, but John could only stand paralyzed in place. "You are not supposed to be here child." It's voice was deep and menacing, with a hint of regality in it's tones. "I will not be stopped by a whelp. You will serve as fuel for the great assimilation." It's clawed digits wrapped around John, and the boy shuddered. His mouth wouldn't open, his screams wouldn't come out. As the demon brought him up to it's mouth, a crow drew it's attention. The bird quickly flew to the demon, weaving and dodging the three hands not holding John from swatting it out of the sky. After a moment, it managed to get up to the demon's face and began to peck at it's eyes. The beast howled in pain, before dropping John back onto the marble flood and grabbing the bird.

"You insignificant speck!" The demon crushed the crow in it's hand, and John could just barely make out the blood running down it's red claws. It shoved the bird into it's mouth and swallowed without chewing, before looking back at John.

"In the end, your struggle will be futile. You will grow tired, you will grow weary. You will die. And when you do, all that shall remain is the darkness you left in your wake. Such is the nature of all life." It reached it's clawed hand out once again; "Such is the nature of death."

Death never came, as John awoke.

~~~

Garland stood above the smoking pile of wood and wool, an eye raised as he looked down upon the body snuggly stuck inside of the wreck. A boy lay battered and bleeding, though Garland could tell he was still breathing judging from the pained wheezing barely passing his lips.

"Oh my-" Miss Lavender began, though shook her head. Her horn lit up, and the boy disappeared in a flash of light. Garland held out his arms, where the boy appeared a foot or so above his outspread appendages and landed with a soft clinking noise. Lavender let out a huff, and looked upwards at Garland. "At the very least, we won't need to look for John now." The knight nodded, looking down at the boy. His face was framed by medium length black hair, though it didn't quite reach his neck, only stretching to his jaw. His jawline was sharp, though it had a bit of fat on it, giving it a somewhat rounded appearance. Garland looked back to Miss Lavender. "Shall I inform Connie--"

"Tomorrow." Her horn lit up once again, and the pile of wood transformed into a stall, the sign on it's base having a picture of an apple painted on it. "Tonight...let's just get some rest, okay?"

"Right."

With that, the two of them walked back to the now darkened inn, with Miss Lavender tossing a few more bits onto the unoccupied countertop. The second floor hallway was no longer lit, and the two of them stumbled through it blindly. Finally, Lavender began to grow annoyed and began to emit a soft light from her horn, to which Garland thanked her. Upon reaching the doorway to room twenty-seven she began to fumble with the knob, though the knight gently pushed her aside, holding the boy up with one hand and opening the door with another. The two entered the room, not looking back as they closed the door and turned in for the night.

Unbeknownst to either of them, twenty or so feet away from the apple stand stood a sword in the image of a key, stood up resting in the ground. A moment passed, before the keyblade vanished in a flash of light.

Author's Note

Admittedly this chapter has been in the works for a long time. I started writing it right after I finished the last one, but circumstances put it on hold for a while. I still plan on writing, but chances are updates won't be consistent.

I had a lot of fun writing this one.

The First Interlude ~ When The Darkness Comes

The sound of claws tapping against the crystalline floor echoed through the halls of Canterlot Castle as a lone figure made it's way through the darkened halls. If one were to look closely, they could make out the hooked beak of the griffon slinking through the darkness of the castle walls. It nearly tripped over a chip in the floor, and let out a deep groan. "Curse these old bones..." It spoke, in the gravely and aged voice of an old griffin.

He made his way to a window, and gazed upon the night sky. His face was angular, and his beak orange and weathered and hooked at the end. His catlike green eyes furrowed as he looked to the moon, fractured across the sky. His gaze turned downward, to the land below. Off in the distance he saw Ponyville, or at least what remained of it. A blackness like ink had overtaken the town months ago, and despite the best efforts of her majesty Princess Twilight Sparkle's council, they had made no progress in stopping the darkness from spreading. In the past week it had reached Canterlot and overran the city. As of now it moved upon the castle's doorstep. As far as he knew, only three survivors remained.

As his gaze moved to the perimeter he could see the shadows swirling and bubbling in a disgusting manner. It wasn't until the clip-clopping of hooves broke him from his thoughts that his eyes again moved to the moon above, though he did not look back to see who was approaching.

"Princess Twilight wishes to see us in her throne chamber, Osirus."

The griffon nodded, and looked back to his sudden company. She was a magenta Alicorn, with a silver mane. A single, thick braid hung from the back of her main, and two smaller braids wrapped around the base of her ears. Strands of teal streaked through her hair, doing well to compliment her blue eyes. "Very well Opaline. I will be joining you shortly." The Alicorn shook her head, and motioned for the griffon to follow. "I'm afraid not. She requested we show up now."

"It is important then?"

"We can only hope Osirus." The two passed through an archway, and into another hallway, this one lined with the armor of decades of worth of warriors. Osirus felt a pang in his heart as he looked upon them. "The Lunar Guard....it's hard to believe the army I once led...has been all but wiped out."

Opaline nodded, and approached the end of the hallway where a glass display stood, as well as a fork in the path, with the hall leading both left and right. "They have been badly beaten many times before, but to this extent?" She looked to the display, a solemn gleam in her eyes. "It truly is hard to believe..."

Osirus gazed upon it as well, and nodded. Inside was a set of armor, fit for a much younger griffin. The plaque below it was smudged, and in the darkness of the hall he was unable to make out much of what was engraved into it. What he did make out was a day, dated back to exactly fifty years ago. "Let us make haste Opaline. Our princess did request as such." He turned to the right, and never looked back. Opaline followed suit, though she did a quick turn, giving the hall a solemn look.

The trip to Princess Twilight's throne room was silent, and as Opaline pushed the door open with her magic, Osirus noticed a strange lack of the princess herself in the marble room. "That's strange, she was here not long ago."

"When did she summon us?"

"I'd say around fifteen minutes before I summoned you."

Osirus raised an eyebrow. It wasn't like Princess Twilight to up and disappear, especially immediately after summoning two of her inner circle. Something strange was afoot. As he walked towards the throne he took some time to study the stained glass windows. It was a hobby of his, gazing upon artistry and symbolism around the castle. He was a historian in his old age after all. Reaching the throne before him, Opaline found a page laying on the seat of the throne. Curious, she picked it up in her magic, and began to read it out loud.

"To my dear friends and most faithful students, Opaline and Osirus; I suppose I should apologize for my sudden disappearance. I'm sorry I haven't had the time to discuss this with either of you, but I may have found a solution to saving Equestria. Before I became an alicorn, when I was still Princess Celestia's student, I received a visit...from myself, one week into the future-" Opaline was cut short as Osirus let out a sigh.

"She truly does love that story."

"All of us love that story. As I was reading; I received a visit from myself one week into the future. I'd thought she'd come to warn me of some disaster that was going to take place, but after dealing with the weeks events, I traveled back one week to tell myself not to panic, that nothing would happen. I've always been of the opinion that time travel is nothing to be messed with, but I've finally made my choice. I'm going back several thousand years into the past to the early reign of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. From there I'll have enough time to find out what's causing all of this, and I can stop it before it starts."

Opaline and Osirus both glanced at each other worriedly, and Osirus nodded to continue reading. Opaline did so.
"Opaline Arcana, in all of my time ruling, you have been the most gifted, most powerful student I've taken under my wing. Ever since we found you in Ponyville all those years ago and showed you how much more you can- blah blah blah, goodness she gets so mushy sometimes."

"Agreed."

"Ah! Here we go; in the event that Canterlot Castle comes under attack, or even an equal emergency, open a time portal to the one thousandth Summer Sun Festival since Nightmare Moon's banishment. That will act as our rendevous point. I hate to leave Canterlot Castle unguarded, but your safety is far more important. Your mentor and friend, Twilight Sparkle."

Osirus nodded; "So we are the last guard of Equestria now?" He furrowed his brow. He trusted Twilight, he really did, but leaving them here as the last stand for a world on the verge of collapse? He saw Opaline reread the letter, likely as confused as he was. "Open the time portal." He demanded.

"What?"

"Open the portal." He repeated. "As she said, our safety is far more important than this blasted castle. That darkness is-"

"We're the last of-" The griffin could see the tears forming in Opaline's eyes.

"That darkness is on our doorstep Opaline! We need to meet with Princess Twilight now!" Osirus let out a sigh. "We need to go too Opaline. I'm sorry, but Canterlot Castle will not last longer, and unless we leave we will fall with it."

Opaline looked away, but nodded as her horn began to glow. Osirus let out a huff. "I am sorry Opaline...I..." Off in the distance a screech could be heard, and Opaline and Osirus both looked to the throne room door in horror as it burst open, a dark ooze seeping through the doorway ever so slowly. "Hurry Opaline!"

The Alicorn in question nodded, readying the spell that would open the time portal to Ponyville.

The shadows began to approach them faster, forcing the two to back themselves closer to the throne. Opaline sealed her eyes shut and and pushed herself as close to the throne as she possibly could, and in the darkness of the doorway Osirus could make out a silhouette. It's hand reached for the side of the throne room's door frame. As it stepped forward he could see it clearer, and it stood on two legs, with broad shoulders and horns like a minotaur. Osirus thought he could see wings, but he couldn't quite tell for sure. "Opaline-"

"GOT IT!" She shouted, a flash blindering Osirus and herself. Levitating atop the seat of the throne stood a swirling portal glowing a bright teal hue. As Opaline made an attempt to climb to the portal, a tendril lashed out at her from the darkness, wrapping itself around her barrel and throwing her to the side and knocking her out before the bipedal figure made a dash towards Osirus. As nimble as he was in his youth, he was now older and far less athletic, and the figure quickly wrapped it's claws around his neck. Gasping for air, the figure brought him face to face with itself. It spoke in a venomous tongue, its speech wavering but never faltering, it's voice unnatural and gravely. "You cannot stop what is coming."

Struggling for breath, Osirus could not respond as smaller tendrils emerged from the figure's wrist and began to wrap around his neck before covering the rest of his body and seeping in. The last thing Osirus would remember is the feeling of being crushed by an endless abyss.

As Opaline Arcana finally awoke, she watched as Osirus made his way through the time portal. She let out a gasp, begging him to wait to no avail. As the portal closed she let out a cry. She would be left here to be consumed, betrayed by her best friend. She wouldn't live long enough to wipe her tears away before the darkness consumed both her and the rest of the castle.

Thus ends the story of Osirus Cecil and Opaline Arcana.

Author's Note

Interludes are canon plot elements I promise.