Secreta Et Lamia

Secreta et Lamia

I awoke and stretched my hooves. The royal guards were calling it a day and it was time for the night guards shift. My name is Nero, I am the captain of the night guard.

I sighed with contentment and left the barracks with my comrades and my second in command, Nightwing. It was our jobs to watch over the princess', Specifically Luna. We patrolled our usual routes while I made my way over to the palace. Nightwing had a job to do tonight and that was patrol the boundary of the Everfree Forest.

I saluted him, "I'll see you Tomorrow morning."

He returned the gesture and smiled.

"You to Cap."

I grinned and shook my head at him. When I reached the palace I decided I would patrol the royal gardens before I got to my post, I was early after all. The moon was shining bright and it was just short of a full moon. I noticed Luna out sitting by herself just staring at the stars.

Without looking down she asked me.

"Who are we, Nero?"

The question took me off guard.

"You're our princess, You control the night sky and the night guard will follow you to whatever end."

"Then why is it, that our subjects fear and despise our night?"

I looked at the moon and sighed.

"Luna your night is beautiful, Equestria just doesn't know it." I tried to comfort her as best as I could. Luna had been depressed  that her subjects slept through the night and feared the darkness.

Luna sighed "Why can't we just be loved by our subjects. Celestia is all they care about."

I took a deep breath, The moon and the close proximity of Luna were making me anxious. I had a deep love for Luna and I had yet to act on it. I decided now was the time.

"Thats not true... Because... Luna, I love you.."

She looked into my eyes shock apparent in her expression. My heart pounded as I awaited her response. Luckily, she slowly started to grin and hugged me tightly. My heart almost exploded. Her face was inches from mine.

"Nero...Your the only one who understands my night. Your the only one I can confide in. And for that... I love you to."

She kissed me softly and I restrained myself from going overboard. She smiled at me and she had to depart.

"I must go. Celestia will surely be mad if she found out I was courting my own captain of the night guard."

I took a deep breath. "This will be a secret then?"

"Yes."

I nodded and saluted her. She grinned and whispered to me.

"Before I go.. I want to give you my blessing."

I turned my head. "What do you mean?"

She kissed me this time more forcefully. Her horn glowed a deep blue and I felt lightheaded. My vision blurred red for a moment and I felt my whole body tremble with energy. I collapsed shortly after she finished.

I took a deep breath and It felt like I was breathing for the first time.

"What did you do?"

"Look upon thyself, thou is truly one with the night."

She took off as I inspected my limbs. They had grown significantly darker. My horn had grown to a point and I had gained a few inches. I began trotting back to the barracks and I could notice that I felt full of energy. I began galloping and before I knew it I was going so fast I tripped and cut my side when I fell

"Ahhhh" I groaned in pain and stood up. I inspected my side and I could literally see the cuts in my side healing on the spot.

"What the hell?"

I starred at it for a while and I concluded this was the blessing Luna had given me.

I started walking again and when I reached the night guards section of the barracks I noticed the place was empty so I decided I would patrol for a few hours before I called it a night.

Canterlot was mostly quiet, all that stirred was the occasional pony looking scared of the dark. I sighed at their incompetence. This was the reason Luna was so depressed lately. Several more hours passed without incident. Like most nights, the majority of Canterlot was sleeping.

I headed back to the barracks when the sun was risen by Celestia. When I reached the barracks I was saluted only to receive confused looks shortly after.

"Commander Nero? What happened to your eyes?"

"What?"

I looked in a mirror next to my bed and noticed that my eyes had indeed turned a tealish blue color and my irises had changed into slits.

"I'd rather not go into detail, private."

"Yes sir."

He continued undoing his armor and placed it on a rack next to his bed. I ordered lights out and we night guards slept in complete darkness. I began to drift into unconsciousness.

I was awoken by a muffled gasp and I quickly looked around. The barracks were empty and I had a splitting headache.

"Ugh"

I got up and quickly gathered my equipment except my chest piece. I looked up and gasped as I saw the sun being blotted out by the moon.

"Luna."

I galloped towards the palace and I saw several guards both royal and night arguing about what was happening. I had to get to the bottom of this before a massive fight broke out. I took a deep breath and began galloping as fast as I could. I was flying though the streets and in a minute or two I had reached the palace. There was several royal guards trying to figure out what to do.

I approached them and when they saw my appearance they pointed at me and charged. I was confused for a moment but quickly acted. I dodged a sword the lead guard had swung at me and in the process I was struck with an arrow to my leg. I hissed in pain and griped it as best as I could.

I slowly pulled it out and growled at the guards. I could feel fangs on my lips I bit down in anger and blood was drawn. They gave me a fearful expression and when I stabbed the arrow through another guards neck they scattered.

Without thinking I leaped over the gates and thrust myself through the palace doors.

I quickly galloped to Luna's bedroom and noticed that her doors were covered in her magical grip.

"Luna its me! Nero! Open up!"

The shield around the door shimmered and then dissipated. I entered and the door was quickly resealed.

"Luna whats wrong?"

I sit next to her and she had tears going down her face.

"Luna?"

She looked at me and hugged me tightly. I returned the hug and she looked me in the eyes.

"No more will I put up with being the second princess. No more will I be mocked by my subjects."

"Luna what do you mean?"

Her eyes glowed the same color as mine. As I had discovered last night.

"I will bring nighttime eternal to Equestria. They will bow to me as the sole ruler of this land."

"But Luna!-"

"And I want you at my side my love..."

"I-I..."

She kissed me and I leaned into the kiss.

"Anything for you my love."

Just then a large white alicorn burst through the door with six floating orbs of light. Each one a different color.

"Luna stop this immediately!"

Luna shook her head and stated "Do not call us that name anymore."

She doubled over and a swirling black mass radiated from her horn. She began to transform and thunder could be heard outside of the palace. The room grew dark and the air sparked with lightning forming around Luna. Her eyes catlike and full of hatred.

"We are Nightmare moon."

She launched herself at Celestia and collided with a shield with enough force to send a shockwave throughout Canterlot. There was a bright explosion and I was blinded. Nightmare was dazed and she teleported inside the shield only to be flung out of it by one of the glowing orbs.

Nightmare Moon grew desperate and charged a beam of energy to strike the shield. It was absorbed into the shield and rendered useless. She was panting and she charged at the shield one final time. I was sent flying into the wall by the force of the impact. When I regained focus Nightmare Moon was laying still on the ground with a charred horn.

Celestia began to charge the orbs for a blow to her when she was down. Celestia had tears in her eyes and I leaped towards the shield myself. I was sent flying like a ragdoll and landed next to Nightmare.

I covered her body and stared defiantly at Celestia.

She bit her lip and cleared the tears from her eyes. She charged her horn and a massive rainbow beam launched itself towards us. When it struck I felt a tingling feeling and I felt like I was floating. I felt myself being dragged into the air by an unknown force. My hooves were transparent and I could see my body still on the ground. I was sent flying out one of the palace windows.

I noticed Nightmare was with me. She had tears in her eyes and we started going even faster. I hugged her tightly, she looked me in the eyes and kicked me away. I was shocked when I felt myself fall and start barreling towards the Everfree forest.

"Nightmare!!"

She rocketed out of sight and I cried out her name

"LUNA!"

*CRASH*

I laid there looking into the sky only to see a shadow on the moon in the form of an alicorn.