A Knight's Lament. (Rewritten)
Night Sentinel shivered as he carefully stalked the crystalline halls below Canterlot. The air was cold enough that he could see his own breath, yet there was something else in the air. No…not in the air. A feeling of broken anguish seemed to coat the very walls, blocking out the natural sparkle of the crystals. He wasn’t even a unicorn, yet even he could tell that something was horribly wrong here. The very magic of this place had been twisted.
As Night Sentinel stopped to allow the rest of his team to catch up, one of the Night Guards next to him suddenly stiffened and slammed a salute in place. He and the rest of the ponies quickly followed suit, saluting as their princess stalked past. Stalk was definitely the right word for her movementX, as she wasn’t certainly wasn’t trotting. Her very presence seemed to cause the light to fade, it was as if she was wearing a cloak of shadows. She barely acknowledges the guards, only pausing to give the order “at ease”.
They had stopped at some sort of transitional point in the caverns. The vibrant crystals gave wave to a smooth, oily stone. In the light of the unicorns horns and the guards lanterns, the stone honestly resembled an insect’s hive. Princess Luna stood directly in front of the largest opening, still except for her stary mane. What was she waiting for?
Night Setinel’s question was answered very quickly. A sound echoed through the caverns, remincest of a hoof on stone. He turned his head to see the strangest creature his eyes had ever gazed upon. Night Sentinel was instantly reminded of the minotaur tribes, yet this creature was certainly different. It–no, the creature was definitely a he–lacked the horns and fur commonly seen on a minotaur. His face was decidedly more pony-like, instead of a bovine appearance. He was tall, easily twice Night Sentinel's own height. He must have been as tall as Princess Celestia herself.
The–what did mintours call their males again? It wasn't a stallion, nor was it the common pony-slang bull. Night Sentinel blinked as he remembered the word they used. Man. A male minotaur was a man. The word would have to suffice for this–this man. The man turned his head, his eye’s falling upon Night Sentinel. The armored thestral met his stare, and he quickly found that he couldn’t look away. The man had brilliant sapphire eyes that seemed to glow in the dark caverns. Despite the power the man’s eyes seemed to radiate, Night Sentinel was able to see something else. They were reminiscent of Princess Luna’s eyes whenever she talked about her past. There was an unimaginable weight upon those eyes, so heavy that even he started to feel utterly exhausted.
He finally looked away. Night Sentinel felt the unnatural exhaustion vanish as he looked the rest of the man over. The man was wearing full metal plate armor, covering every limb save for his head. The man’s hair had been cut short, falling just below his ears. The hair was a vibrant blue that seemed to sway in a breeze. His armor, despite the silvery polish and golden trim, wasn't very extravagant. There were two alicorns engraved onto the chestplate, and his pauldron bore the images of a sun and crescent moon. Covering the gaps between his pauldron and chestplate were two discs, one on each side. The circle plate on his left side had three stars engraved into it, while the disc on the right had a six-pointed star engraved in it. The six pointed star glowed a faint pink. The rest of his armor was quite plain in comparison. The only other thing of note was the excessively intricate scabbard on his hip, which covered almost the entire sword. Only the edges of the guard, and some of the hilt plus the pommel could be seen.
The man strode past Night Sentinel, his armored boots echoing on the crystalline floor. He stopped next to Princess Luna, one his gauntleted hands gripping his sword’s hilt. The two of them exchanged quick words, but Night Sentinel was unable to make out what they had said. The man raised his left hand and snapped, causing a small pink orb to form in the air above him. It lit the dark caverns up, allowing everypony to see the winding tunnels ahead of them.
Princess Luna immediately stalked forward, quickly followed by the man. With a deep breath, Night Sentinel began to follow them, plunging into the dark, hive-like caverns. The tunnels were a nightmarish labyrinth, going any direction they could. If he had been alone, he surely would have gotten lost. Fortunately, he had his princess leading them.
Night Sentinel sidestepped to avoid an odd pile of green slime, but one of his comrades wasn’t so lucky. His hoof landed in the green ooze, causing the thestral to let out a sick groan. The soldier quickly removed his hoof from the muck, but it had already gotten into the stallion's coat. It wouldn’t be coming out without a thorough washing.
Then he heard the murmuring. His attention instantly focused on one of the unicorns, who was holding her head with both of her front hooves. Her eyes were wild, moving rapidly and frantically. Night Sentinel could hear the mare whispering, speaking so quickly that he wasn’t sure that she was even breathing. As he approached, he could finally make out what she was saying.
“She’s gone. They took her. They broke her. She broke her. Love is gone. Friendship is lost. Please. Please. Pleasepleaseplease harmony–” A gauntleted hand grabbed Night Sentinel's shoulder, gently pushing him away. Night Sentinel didn’t resist in any way, as something about the mare’s manic ranting had truly shaken him. It was just muttering…but why did a part of him feel the need to sob?
“Guardmare Honey Light.” The man spoke softly, yet his voice seemed to cut through her ranting. Honey Light closed her mouth, and her eyes focused on the Man’s own eyes. “What is it that you see?”
“I-I,” The mare stammered, unable to calm herself. The man placed one his hands on her shoulders, and brought himself into a kneeling position. Still, Honey Light had to turn her head upwards to meet the man in the eyes. Night Sentinel could see pink light radiate from the Man’s hand and he watched siad light wrap itself around the mare. It seemed to be acting akin to a blanket, calming the frantic mare down. Her breathing leveled out, and she finally spoke. “I…I see a princess, brought low by a shade. I see a Unicorn, a hero, broken and twisted. They-they…harmony guide us…please…” The mare’s prayer trailed into nothing, but whatever she had meant had obviously affected the man.
“Honey Light,” the man said gently, “Do you know where they are?” She shook her head frantically, tears beginning to run down her face.
“No, no, no. Lost, gone, Broken. They are lost. Where are they? Where did it take them?” The mare was breaking down again, despite the man’s intervention. The man looked towards one of the other thestral guards, and spoke.
“You. Get two other guards, and escort this poor mare back to the castle. Stop for no one, not even Celestia. Take her to Luna’s Tower–she should be safe there.” The stallion that the man had turned towards too blinked, before quickly raising a hasty salute and jumping to action. Night Sentinel turned to face the man, but he was already moving. It wasn’t a run, but the speed in which the man crossed the room was shocking. The man passed Princess Luna without stopping, plunging further into the tunnels.
The Night Guards surged after him, Princess Luna directly behind him. He didn’t slow down, making turns without hesitation. As Night Sentinel surged after the man he could see that the man was alight with energy. Pink light curled around the man, whipping around as he raced through the caverns.
He stopped. Night Sentinel had to push his hooves deep into the ground and flair his wings out in order to stop so abruptly. The guards behind him weren’t so quick, stumbling into each other and falling over. The man paid them no attention. He continued to look forwards, into a cavernous hole. His hand repeatedly opened and closed on the hilt of his sword, causing small cracks if pink light to shoot fly out.
Princess Luna walked to the man’s side with a confused expression on her face. As she stood besides him and gazed into the hole, Night Sentinel watched the expression change. Her eyes widened drastically, her mouth slightly agape. It shifted again, her mouth closing and her teeth clenching tight. Her eyes narrowed, and for a second Night Sentinel could have sworn her pupils became slits.
The armored man took a deep breath, before letting out. With the breath released, the pink light that had been building up around the man suddenly surged around him in a tempest. It died down quickly, but the stone directly around the man had become scorched and cracked. His grip on the sword didn’t loosen. He barely turned his head to face Princess Luna, but his voice was far different than it had been before.
“L-Luna.” He said with a tremble audible in his speech. “You need to go back and stop the wedding. Cadance is…a great evil has replaced her. You must kill it.” The words brought a chill to Night Sentinels' spine. Ponies didn’t kill. Princess Luna was nodding. Why was she nodding? The man shifted a little to the side, and then Night Sentinel saw it.
A pony. A pony that was twisted and utterly wrong. It lacked a coat, and instead had a smooth shell covering its body. There were odd holes in its legs, which would have been a serious injury for an actual pony. The thing’s mane and tail wasn’t fur, but instead some sort of silky substance–like a spider’s web. There were two things that caused intense emotions to war inside of Night Sentinel. The first was disgust, as he saw the creature's bloated stomach. Something about it made him sick, so he averted his eyes. They instead landed on the thigh of the creature, which held an oddly familiar symbol. A six pointed star, surrounded by five white stars. Friendship is Lost.
“You see her, don’t you?” The soft voice startled Night Sentinel out of his trancelike state. He looked up to see the Man’s piercing blue eyes bore into him. The man had turned around at some point while Night Sentinel was staring at the corrupted and twisted hero. “You feel that anger, the one born of the wish for vengeance.”
Night Sentinel did. Where before he had been disgusted by the idea of killing another creature, a part of him now wished to be able to plunge his spear into the monster that had done this. “I…yes, I do.”
“Sergeant, Equestria needs you. Whatever happens, you mustn't let Luna fall again. You have to stop her from falling to the nightmare.” His voice had grown steely, yet somehow it was as still as soft as it had been when the Sergeant first heard it.
“Wh-what will you…” Night Sentinel trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. Nor could he take his eyes off what was once the element of magic.
“I…I need to control my emotions. If I were to face her right now, I wouldn’t be able to temper my rage. I will stay here, and try to bring Twi back.”
Night Sentinel half sprinted, half flew alongside his princess. They raced through the halls of the castle, ignoring any distraction that would slow them down. They needed to reach the wedding. They needed to stop this monster. The rest of the Night Guard followed them, and they had even attracted a couple of the Royal Guard as well. The guards that hadn’t been assigned to the wedding and instead continued to guard the castle had originally tried to stop them, but one glare from the princess had shut them up. Now they followed Princess Luna, who’s anger seeped off her in dark waves of pure shadow. She had tried to teleport directly to the wedding room, but the shield that Captain Shining Armor was casted prevented it.
“Mares and gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armor.” Princess Celestia’s voice echoed through the halls, and though muffled, they knew they were getting closer. Celestia spoke more, but the Sergeant was unable to make it out over a different noise. It sounded like–buzzing? The sound was faint, but definitely audible at the same time. Despite the fact he had never heard the sound before, he knew with utmost certainty that it belonged to their enemy.
He saw the door that blocked their way to the wedding hall, with two Royal guards on either side of it. Their armor had been shined to a perfect polish, to celebrate their Captain’s wedding. Princess Luna finally slowed down and approached the gate. Night Sentinel watched the Guard’s eyes flash green, causing his own eyes to widen. Night Sentinel moved to intercept two of them, but a silver glow stopped him. He watched the four guards get picked up in Princess Luna’s telepathic grip, and then brutally thrown down the hallway. One of them tried to get up, but a Royal Guard that had followed them pounced on the traitor. The Loyal Royal Guards were definitely confused by the traitorous actions of their fellows, but they were still soldiers. They would follow Princess Luna.
“Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, it is my great pleasure to pronounce you–” Princess Luna’s magic didn’t grab the door, or burn it, or open it forcefully. It completely obliterated it. The destruction of the door caused the Solar Princess to freeze, her mouth agape and eyes wide. Night Sentinel could also see the eyes of Princess Cadance. There was no love in them–only pure, utter hatred. Then Princess Luna spoke.
“Sister!” The royal canterlot voice boomed across the wedding hall. “Thou must–” Cadance moved. The imposter gave the Princess of the moon no time to warn her sister of the danger. Bright green energy rushed out of the false princess’s horn, slamming into Princess Celestia.
The Solar Princess didn’t even have time to react as the green energy slammed into her, throwing her across the room. She didn’t rise.
Everything happened so quickly after that. Ponies screamed, many rushing for the empty doorway. More surged towards the Royal and Night Guards, green fire wrapping around them. It fell away, causing many of the guards to gasp. Hordes of bug-like ponies rushed at the guards, who barely had time to raise their weapons. The horde surrounded them, cutting them off from Princess Luna. With a roar, Sergeant Night Sentinel raised his spear and charged.
The fight that followed was brutal and desperate. The combined guard struck forward, following Night Sentinel in his charge. Swords and spears clashed against teeths and horns, casualties raking up on both sides. Over the sounds of conflict he could hear Princess Luna’s enraged roar, along with telltale sounds of a massive magical discharge. A new surge of energy washed over him-He had to get to the Princess.
He slammed the butt of his spear into the side of one the bug’s head, sending it falling to the ground. It could have survived, but instead was trampled by the wall of approaching monsters. Night Sentinel had quickly become accustomed to the carnage, and instead of horror all he felt was cold. He continued to push on causing his spear, armor, and fur to become soaked with green blood.
To his right, his last comrade finally fell. The Royal Guard had fought hard, but she was overwhelmed by the sheer weight of bodies. It had taken dozens of bugs to bring her down, and even though she had lost an eye, she had continued to fight. Her last action was to channel a burst of magic through her horn, opening the path in front of the last guard still standing.
Night Sentinel burst forward, rushing through the opening. The mare’s death had given him an opportunity, and he would not waste it. At some point, his spear had been shattered and he had picked up one of the officer’s swords. It was soaked in green blood, but the symbol of Equestria could still be seen etched into the guard. As he slammed through the last changeling, he felt any hope die.
The thing that had once posed as Cadance stood triumphantly over Princess Luna’s broken body. The princess of the night had two broken legs, which kept her from standing up. Her wings had lost most of their feathers, many of dark blue feathers laid strewn about the floor. Her coat was covered in burn marks, most likely from the incredible amounts of magic that had been thrown around. Her eyes were closed, but judging from her twitching she was still alive.
“Get away from the Princess!” Night Sentinel tried to shout, but it came out more like a meek scream. He raised the sword, and despite his trembling hoof he leveled it at the monster that brought the Alicorn Princesses down.
The thing laughed. It was as tall as Princess Celestia, with beetle-like wings extending from its exoskeleton. “You’ve already lost, little bat. Your Princesses~” she purred on that word, causing a pit to form in the sergeant’s stomach, “Are defeated. By me. I, Queen Chrysalis, have conquered the SUN AND MOON!” Chrysalis cruel laughter echoed across the hall. Night Sentinel gulped, but kept his sword raised at the monster. As soon as she had stopped laughing, she looked back at him. “You know, bats are supposed to hunt bugs. It's about time we reversed that, isn’t it?” At her words, the rest of the horde charged. He raised his sword, and knew that this was the end. There were worse fates, he supposed. Being twisted by Discord, for example. He swung the sword, taking off one of the bug’s heads. The body was replaced by two more. He kicked, slamming one of his back hoofs into a monster’s chest. Another bug bit deep into leg, bypassing his armor. He continued to fight, but he knew that this…this was the end.
As he started to fall unconscious, his limbs becoming unusable, he heard an odd sound. It was hum in the air, yet it echoed in his very soul. He had heard it once before, during the days when had been a simple recruit training to be a guard. It was on the day before their graduation, so they were allowed to try and duel Captain Shining Armor. That hum had been present right before the Captain sent Night Sentinel flying out of the ring with a burst of magic. It was the telltale sound of a massive buildup of magical energy.
A wave of pure energy roared around him. He could feel the bodies of the bugs that had been covering him get ripped away, being against the walls of the wedding hall. As he opened his eyes, he could see strands of pink light wrap around him, covering his wounds. The pain was gone–he felt a surge of energy wash over him. It felt like he could fight Discord himself.
Night Sentinel turned his head to look at the creature he knew would be standing in the doorway. Sure enough, as radiant as the first spring sun, the armored man was standing there. His right arm was outstretched, hand open from the magical attack. The man’s short hair whipped around in an invisible tempest, as ethereal as either of the Princesses’. His eyes met Night Sentinels, causing the man’s lips to curve slightly, nearly imperceivable, upwards. In the thestral’s heart, he could feel the spark of hope reignite.
Chrysalis let out a shrieking laugh, her voice full of arrogance and power. “Look what the changeling dragged in! I’ve already beaten your pony princess; what chance do you have? Do you really think you can win!?”
“Yes.” The single word cut through the monstrous queen’s laughter. Was she so arrogant that she didn’t believe that anypony would even try to challenge her? “We’ve done this dance so many times now, Chrysalis. The only thing that changes is the depths of depravity you are willing to sink to.” Night Sentinel watched the monster blink rapidly, and he too felt some confusion; what was he talking about? “You’ve gone too far Chrysalis. This…this cannot be forgiven.” The man took a deep breath, before uttering his last proclamation. “With the Princesses unable to act, it falls to me to end this. You will die, Chrysalis. As the Knight-Regent of Equestria, Alicorn of the Last-Mercy, I declare this.”
With his words spoken, the Knight-Regent finally unsheathed his blade. The sword sung as it was drawn from the dark scabbard, the pale silver of the blade gleaming in the light. Then Night Sentinel felt-
He gasped as the energy washed over him. It was like a cold drink after working for hours in the hot sun. It was coming home to friends and family after a long trip, being welcomed by those you loved. It was the sun finally rising after a long and freezing night, bringing a healing warmth. It was all these things and more. Night Sentinel had felt a power this once before–when Discord had been turned back to stone by the six heroes. He knew what this was, where this holy power came from.
It was the power of Harmony itself.
He heard the hissing of changelings–somehow, he knew that this was what they were called–as they retreated. Many tried to cover their eyes with various limbs, while others tried to plug their ears. Even Chrysalis stepped backwards, the power of Harmony too much for her to bear. Yet it didn’t bother him. He knew why, as the answer echoed in his very soul. It was the same reason why ponies had trouble killing. They were innately connected to Harmony in a way no other creature was. Dragons had their scales and fire, Gryphons had their technology and claws, but ponies had Harmony itself.
Night Sentinel looked at the from which this power came, and he felt a smile come to his face. Pink light flowed from the blade like water, while a six-pointed star–the Symbol of Harmony– glowed radiantly. For a second, in a single glance, Night Sentinel could have sworn he saw a Crystal Tree reflect in the blade. Motes of light formed around him, around every pony. He saw wounds begin to close, their bodies healed by the sheer amount of mana in the room. Then the man sheathed the blade.
The room seemed to darken for a couple of seconds, as the source of the incredible amounts of magic was removed. Night Sentinel stared at the Knight-Regent, who began to approach Chrysalis. She let out a loud hiss, many of the other changelings let hisses in reply. They rushed the man, but he didn’t even slow down. He simply flicked a hand, causing a dozen changelings to be flung across the room. The magic he had cast… it seemed to hold a hint of the pure magic that had engulfed the room earlier.
Night Sentient wasn’t a scholar of Magic by any means, but he had been taught how unicorns cast spells. They all held a mana reserve, which they filled with the ambient mana in the air. Then they used that personal reserve to cast spells. A shock raced through him as he recalled the earlier events. The power from Harmony–it hadn’t just disappeared or dissipated. The Regent had filled his personal reserves with it.
Now that he knew what to look for, the signs were obvious. The man was absolutely brimming with pure magical power. The air around him rippled, and a vibrant pink light could be seen surrounding him. Stands of his hair bobbed up and down, and the entirety of it seemed to have taken on an almost rainbow-ish hue. Most striking of all were the two massive wings perched on his back. Night Sentinel had secretly prided himself on having large wings, but they were nothing compared to the Regent’s. The wingspan alone must have been at least over twenty feet. They were tucked to be out of the way, but the Sergeant knew that if they unfolded they could fill the entire hall.
Chrysalis sent a blinding bolt of green energy at the Regent, but he blocked it with a wave of his hand. He twisted the hand, then slammed it outwards. The purple shield that formed in the air twisted with his motion, becoming a blast of pure force. Dozens more changelings were sent flying, while Chrysalis herself was sent skidding a couple of feet back. The man did a little hop, and a flash of pink light engulfed him.
The Knight-Regent teleported directly above Chrysalis, so that his boot slammed directly into her jaw. The blow sent the Queen rolling, but she wasn't given any time to recover. The Regent grabbed her by the throat, which let Night Sentinel see that she was now missing a fang, and hurled her across the room. She slammed into the stained glass window, causing hundreds of cracks to form in the beautiful art. She didn’t fall–she instead hung there, surrounded by a pink hue. Then, with the Regent crushing a hand into a fist, her carapace began to crack. The Knight-Regent was crushing her.
“Mercy.” Her word was barely a hiss, and it was quite that Night Sentinel almost didn’t catch it. The Regent released his hand, letting her fall to the ground. She coughed violently, barely holding to life. She had managed to rise as the Knight-Regent finished walking over to her, but it was clear that this was the edge of her limits.
“You ask for mercy? After what you did, after you defiled them?” The Knight-Regent’s words were cold, lacking any of the warmth they had held before. Chrysalis tried to speak, but no sound came out her ruined mouth. Instead, she hacked up more green blood. At this act, the Knight-Regent’s face softened. His shoulders fell,and he let out a long sigh. “Very well.” With that said he raised his hand and snapped.
Chrysalis’ head twisted to the right, and Night Sentinel heard the tell tale crack. Queen Chrysalis's corpse fell to the ground, but was caught by the Regent’s magic. Slowly, carefully, her body was set on the ground. The Regent turned to face Night Sentinel and the Horde of changelings, but his expression had lost that cold and hardness. Instead, it was replaced by weariness.
“Chrysalis is dead.” The fact lingered in the air. “Leave, survive. Please.” The plea hung in the air, with not a single creature moving an inch. Then, a single changeling walked forward. It looked at the Knight-Regent, and when he did nothing, it darted away. The horde followed suit, leaving only the unconscious bodies of ponies littering the ground. The Regent let out a sigh, and groans from across the room seem to sound off in reply.
A white alicorn slowly stumbled to her hooves, blinked as she looked around. Judging by her wide eyes, Princess Celestia was extremely confused. As she looked around the room, from the ponies on the ground, to her sister's body, to Night Sentinel, then to Chrysalis’ corpse, and finally to the Knight-Regent, her confusion must have only grown. “Who are you–what have you done?” Celestia asked.
“I did what was needed, Celestia.” His words seemed to drip with exhaustion. He extended a hand out, gesturing to the hall. “This is what I do. You raise the sun and guide the ponies; Luna protects their dreams, Cadance heals them with love, and Twilight will unite them with Friendship. I do not build, Celestia. I am the Alicorn of the Last-Mercy. I…am Harmony’s sword.”
Celestia gaped at him, an almost angry expression on her face. “What was needed…this…this wasn’t necessary. You didn’t have to kill her!” Celestia nearly screamed. The Knight-Regent sighed.
“Celestia, she committed crimes that are unforgivable. She corrupted Cadance, and defiled Twilight.” It was the first time Night Sentinel had heard him raise his voice. His words seemed to silence the Princess of the Sun. “I-” His voice broke, “I tried to bring her back. Her body rejected my magic. Celestia, I can’t–I can’t save her. I tried. I tried with Para, and I even tried with Causality–none of it worked. Twilight is gone.”
This must have been the final straw, for both of them. Celestia was actively breaking down, while Night Sentinel saw a single tear run down the Regent’s face. “What…what do we do now?” Celestia asked in between sobs.
“I don’t know. Maybe the other elements could save her. Maybe you can where I could not. I..I don’t know. I…am sorry.” With that, the Knight-Regent vanished. It wasn’t like his teleports from earlier, it was if he took a step forward and was removed from existence. Night Sentinel shut his eyes tightly, trying to prevent his own tears from getting out.
How, how has this gone so wrong? This was supposed to be a wedding for the Captain. Now a Princess was sobbing uncontrollably on the ground, another princess was unconscious, and two of the most important figures in Equestria had been defiled and turned into changelings. Where were they supposed to go from here?
Author's Note
So I decided to write this little short-story. I was quite unhappy with how some of the characters were written, so this should hopefully be bit truer to the characters (and also be better written). Just as this was re-written, I am most likely going to start rewriting "The Bearers of Harmony," so that should be fun. Anway, enjoy the rest of the [day/night], and May Harmony Prevail.
