A Silver Sky: Four Little Ponies

It’s my hope that by writing these words, I can finally put the events of that terrible night to rest.

It’s not that I want to forget. I don’t want to ever forget her.

But maybe I can finally put that night behind me. Maybe I can finally move on…

I’ll tell you what haunts me the most about that night. It’s not the fact that she died while I held her. It’s not the chaos that erupted in the mansion shortly afterward.

It’s a question.

It happened in that final, terrifying moment, when I opened my eyes and saw Aurora staring right at me. I could tell, just by looking into her eyes, that she was still alive.

And then, a second later, she was gone.

Nothing had changed about her appearance. But somehow, I could tell. There was something there, something invisible but impossible to ignore, and it had vanished right in front of me, as I looked into the eyes of my friend.

I’ve wondered what that something was. But that’s not the question that keeps me up at night.

It’s the look she gave me, in that last moment.

I only caught a glimpse of it before the end. Perhaps if I had more time to look, while her eyes could still see, I might have been able to tell what that look she gave me was.

I had never seen that look in her eyes before. To this day, I don’t know what it meant.

But I have my theories.

I’d like to say that I know she died content. After all, she was surrounded by friends professing their love for her. I can only hope I’ll go the same way.

But when I think of how she looked at me, I can’t bring myself to believe that.

It seemed as though she was pleading with me. As if there was something she wanted to ask, but she couldn’t form the words.

And I’ll never know what it was.

--Chapter 23: Gaze—

Twist was paralyzed.

She did not move. She barely breathed. And even though Aurora was gone, she kept looking into her empty eyes, as if she was searching for something.

For a moment, the fire raging in the next room was completely forgotten. Not a single foal made a sound.

Then, as gently as she could, Sweetie Belle reached out and closed Aurora’s eyes.

Twist reacted to the gesture with mild shock, as if she had forgotten that there were other ponies in the room. She looked up at Sweetie.

“Is this really happening?” she said softly.

“Twist,” Sweetie replied. “I’m so sorry.”

Twist looked back down at Aurora.

“All she wanted was to go outside…” Twist said. Her voice was rapidly losing its coherence. “All she wanted was to go outside! All she wanted...all she...”

Sweetie Belle embraced her friend, and Twist returned the hug, desperate to feel the warmth of a living pony.

“All she…all she…all she…” Twist repeated, though her speech was now barely comprehensible. “She…she…she…”

Sweetie held her friend tight as she felt Twist go limp in her arms. Twist began to sob uncontrollably.

Close by, Peregrine sat on the floor, with his back to the entire spectacle.

“Just a little higher,” he whispered. “I only had to go a little higher.”

*******

FIVE MINUTES EARLIER

It was all falling apart.

Silver Spoon looked on in despair as Twilight’s third attempt to make it through the barrier failed. As before, her teleport spell backfired, resulting in a small explosion which sent the purple unicorn tumbling to the ground.

Twilight, her mane singed, her coat darkened by soot, grimaced as she made the effort to stand on unsteady legs.

“You’re hurt…” Silver said. “Twilight, I’m sorry! This is all my fault…”

“Silver, don’t be absurd,” Twilight retorted. “You didn’t ask Fancy to put up this barrier.”

“Well, no,” Silver said. “But the entire plan to bring it down was my idea. This whole time, I’ve been gambling that Twist and her friends could break it before tonight. As if they’d somehow be able to make it past all those guards…”

Silver sat down on the ground, defeated.

“I just wanted to help someone for once. To make up for all the awful things I’ve done…”

“Silver, just because you teased your classmates, that doesn’t make you a bad pony. We’ve been through this.”

Silver shook her head.

Should I tell her?, she thought. Should I tell her how I abandoned Diamond? How I helped Rarity?

Should I tell her what kind of pony I really am?

Lost in thought, Silver barely noticed what sounded like a soft gust of wind out of the corner of her ear. An instant later, her thoughts fled. She managed a terrified gasp.

The floor was moving away from her.

It took a second for Silver to get her bearings and realize that she was floating in the air. She looked at Twilight. Her horn was not glowing.

“What’s going on?” Silver said. She looked around, and in the shadowy hallway behind her, could see a tiny point of light.

“Who’s there? Fancy? Miss Rarity?”

“’Miss’ Rarity?” Twilight said under her breath. Then she shouted in the direction of the light. “Whoever you are, let the foal go!”

There was no response. Silver, desperately, began to struggle, trying to force herself closer to the ground. Her attempts left her spinning helplessly in midair as she began to be pulled away from Twilight, toward the dark hallway.

“Twilight! Help me!”

Twilight charged toward the hallway, her horn alight.

“I said, LET HER GO!”

A small ball of light shot out from Twilight’s horn and flew straight up in the air. Upon reaching the ceiling, it burst, bathing the entire area in light.

There were no shadows to hide in now. Twilight could now clearly see the grey unicorn who was levitating Silver Spoon. As always, he wore a neutral, stoic expression, though his eyes narrowed upon meeting Twilight’s.

“Gaze,” she said. “I won’t ask you to put her down again.”

As if to call Twilight’s bluff, the gray unicorn turned and began to walk down the hall, with Silver tethered to his horn like a balloon on a string.

“Stop!” Twilight said, running in front of him and cutting him off. “Fancypants asked you to do this, didn’t he? Why are you still taking orders from him?”

Gaze snorted in Twilight’s direction. A moment later, both he and Silver Spoon were gone.

Twilight looked around in a panic. He was nowhere to be found.

“DAMMIT, GAZE, COME BACK!” she shouted. “YOUR MISSION IS OVER! SHE’S SETTING YOU FREE!”

There was a small whooshing sound as Gaze reappeared in front of Twilight. Silver Spoon was still hovering behind him.
For just a moment, Twilight could have sworn she had seen a momentary change in his expression.

“Princess Luna told me about you. About the oath you took, and all the things you’ve had to endure. She also gave me a message for you, but said I could only give it when the time was right.”

Gaze raised an eyebrow.

“Well, I’m not sure this is the right time,” Twilight continued. “But I know that I’m not going to let you take Silver Spoon. It’s time you stopped serving that disgusting pony who calls himself your master.”

Gaze’s facial expression did not change. But Twilight could not look at him without feeling as though a change had occurred.

“Gaze…” Twilight said, lowering her head. “No, that’s not who you are is it?

“Sir Twenty-Twenty, in the name of Luna, High Princess of the Moon, I hereby invoke Code White.”

Just for a moment, a bright magical flash enveloped Gaze’s entire body. Twilight knew enough about the ways of magic to recognize that she had not just cast a spell. She had broken one.

Silver Spoon drifted gently to the ground as Gaze’s horn lost its glow.

The grey unicorn looked at Twilight. She couldn't help but feel mildly shocked as his eternally stoic expression vanished before her eyes. The empty neutrality he normally exuded was gone. For the first time, Gaze looked at her as a normal pony would.

“It’s about damn time,” he said.

The curtains in the hallway danced in a brief, unnatural wind, and Gaze was gone.

“What in the…” Silver said. “What was that all about?”

“I set him free,” Twilight said. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I just can’t believe that’s all it took to get rid of him!” Silver said to Twilight. “Where do you think he went?”

“Frankly, I don’t care right now,” Twilight replied. “For the time being, we have to find an alternate way to get down to the Gall-AHHH!” Twilight grabbed her head as if she were in sudden pain.

“Twilight? Are you okay? What was that?”

“Magical feedback,” she said. “Something big just happened nearby. Like a powerful spell was canceled or…”

“The barrier?” Silver said hopefully.

“Maybe,” Twilight said, rubbing her temples. “Give me a moment to let the pain go away and I can give teleporting another try.”

*******

You remember, don’t you? You were different from the others.

You saw it the moment you enlisted. The way the other cadets looked at you. The way you always seemed just a bit smaller than the others, a bit weaker.

During strength tests, you were always dead last. Oh, you passed the minimum requirements with ease, but when the scores were posted, your name was always at the bottom.

But in the written exams, it was just the opposite. Top of your class, every time.

And she noticed.

On graduation day, when you were officially inducted into the royal guard, you were taken aside. “The Princess has taken notice of you,” was all you were told. You weren’t surprised. You’d noticed, too: the way her eyes had followed you as you walked up to receive your diploma. They hadn’t done that for any other graduate.

It was how you had gotten this far. Your powers of observation. Your photographic memory. Your flawless vision, as implied by your name.

Twenty-Twenty.

“You can just call me Twenty,” you had told her out of habit. You immediately regretted saying it. How could you take such a casual tone with Princess Celestia herself?

But the Princess had just laughed it off.

“I’ve noticed your talents, Sir Twenty,” she told you.

“Sir?” you had asked.

“The title is yours, if you want it,” she said. “Tell me, have you ever heard of the Silent Knighthood?”

Of course you had. It was a famous legend of the royal guard academy: The elite shadow guard which worked under deep cover, its members subjected to terrible ordeals for the honor of protecting Equestria.

“They are a secret enclave within the royal guard. The more public, overt guard needs ponies with strong, fit bodies,” the Princess told you. “The Silent Knighthood needs those with keen, able minds. You possess the latter. I extend to you this offer once, and once only. If you refuse, you will bear no penalty, and I will think no less of you. Being a Silent Knight is a terrible burden to bear, Sir Twenty.”

You asked her why. The rumors never went into much detail.

“The Silent Knighthood deals in deep cover operations,” the Princess said. “Your task will be to infiltrate a group of my choosing, one which threatens or compromises the peace of our land. You will report back to me on them, but you will never act against them without my direct command. While under cover, you will behave as though you are a member of that group. I want you to fully understand what that means.”

Celestia’s expression turned grim. “You will never question or resist any order given to you. You will participate fully in their activities. You will be asked to commit acts of great evil, my knight. And you will do them.”

“I don’t understand,” you said. “How would that benefit Equestria?”

“Twenty, do you trust the judgment of your Princess?”

Oh, yes, you remember this part, don’t you? The way you instantly crumbled under her insinuation. The way you bowed your head in reverence and shame.

“Of course I do,” you said. “Completely. Forgive me, your highness.”

That’s what she really wanted, isn’t it? Not loyalty. Not skill. Obedience.

You should have been able to tell from the way she smiled at your response. The condescending look she gave you.
Where were your powers of observation then?

To her credit, she did warn you. Before you agreed to join, she asked you one more time if you were sure. She told you that deep cover assignments can last years, and that members of the Knighthood can never be publicly honored or recognized for their work.

You said you didn’t care. You said you just wanted to serve your nation.

You remember the training. Learning the art of silent teleportation. The rigorous magical training, expanding your abilities to higher levels than you had ever dreamed.

And you remember Code Black.

“Only a High Princess may invoke Code Black,” Celestia had explained. “That is the order to officially begin a deep cover mission. The mission will then continue until a High Princess, or someone personally empowered by her, gives the order of Code White, which terminates the mission and allows the Knight to drop his cover.”

Foolishly, you chuckled.

“Oh, so that’s what Code Black is,” you said. “The rumors at the academy seemed to imply it was some sort of spell.”

“The rumors were not far off,” the Princess said. “Twenty, in the past, knights assigned to your particular mission have had difficulty carrying out the full extent of their duties. A few generations ago, a knight assigned to infiltrate the Circle broke cover when he attended his first Gathering. He was so disgusted by what he witnessed, he flew into a rage. He was exposed, and I was forced to destroy the group decades earlier than planned.”

You had never heard of the Circle before. You’d always assumed you’d be assigned to infiltrate some foreign army or an enclave of dark magic users. If only you had been.

“You see, Twenty, the knight assigned to infiltrate the Circle is there so I am always kept informed about the organization’s happenings. You will be my eyes, and nothing more. Under no circumstances will you interfere with the group, or attempt to stop its activities. There is simply too much at stake.”

The Princess sighed, and looked at you with an expression of great sadness. You remember that now, even through your anger. She truly pitied you.

“When Code Black is invoked, certain restrictions will be placed on you. Parts of your memory will be blocked out. Not everything, but enough to keep your mind focused on your task. You’ll remember your mission, your training, your name and your true purpose. Everything else will be hidden from your conscious mind. We find this makes it easier for Knights to assimilate to their new identities.”

“I see,” you said. You were beginning to have doubts, but it was too late to turn back now, wasn’t it? “But if this Circle is as bad as you make it sound, what’s to stop me from being enraged by what I see like the knight you mentioned before? How can you be sure I’ll be able to control my emotions?”

The Princess’ horn lit up. She looked almost mournful as she pointed it at you.

“You won’t need to control your emotions,” she said. “Because you won’t have any.”

You resisted the urge to step away. You were afraid, but your sense of duty kept you from running.

If only you'd given in to your fear.

The Princess spoke with an unearthly voice. “Sir Twenty-Twenty, as High Princess of the Sun and supreme ruler of Equestria, I invoke Code Black.”

And then you felt nothing.

For five years, nothing. Your name was Gaze. You found your way into Fancypants’ employ. You worked your way up to becoming his personal assistant and bodyguard. Ruthless. Efficient. Expressionless. Without emotion. Even when you witnessed the full depths of your master’s depravities.

You remember the Gathering, don’t you?

You saw Fancy strangle the life from a foal who had upset him, and you felt nothing.

You saw his friends beat, molest and humiliate a mentally ill child who begged them to abuse her further, and you felt nothing.

You saw sad, dead-eyed foals going through the motions of intimacy with adults who cared nothing for them, and you felt nothing.

You saw an innocent filly from Ponyville condemned to a lifetime of misery in the Gallery, and you felt nothing.

For five years you wandered through the Circle’s world, and you were utterly numb to the horrors you witnessed every day.

Of course, the spell had its loopholes. When it was cast, there was only one High Princess of Equestria. But then Luna returned, and now there are two. And she has just as much authority over you as Celestia does. Maybe that’s why, not long ago, she began contacting you. Asking for reports in secret, without Celestia’s knowledge.

You enjoyed it, didn’t you? To the extent that you could enjoy anything. You loved going behind Celestia’s back after what she’d done to you. And you noticed that the more you told Luna about the Circle, the more shocked and angry she became. It was worlds away from Celestia’s cold, detached reactions.

You began to take bigger risks. You began lying outright to Celestia in your reports, while reserving the truth only for Luna. As long as you didn’t take direct action against the Circle, you were free to deceive Celestia all you liked. The spell did not force honesty, only loyalty. And you were loyal to your princess. To Luna.

It almost felt like being free.

Still, you did not think your disobedience would amount to anything. Luna seemed to defer to her sister on these matters. You were sure that your servitude would continue.

Until her. Until Twilight Sparkle.

When you saw her, you recognized her immediately, didn’t you? Personal student to the Princess. Leader of the Elements of Harmony. And for just a second, emotion crept into your mind for the first time in five years. A thought forced its way into your conscious mind:

She’s here to release me.

But it vanished as soon as it came, and so did the tiny spark of a feeling. After the first day passed and Twilight had made no attempt to engage you, you assumed you had been mistaken.

And then she did it. She invoked Code White.

And you feel it now, don’t you, Twenty?

All the anger, all the disgust, all the hatred. It was never gone. It was just blocked out. It’s been here, all this time, festering in your mind.

Now you remember how you should have felt at the Gathering, because you’re feeling it now. You’re feeling all of it now.

Five years’ worth of emotions. Your reaction to every sick game, every incident of wanton abuse against a foal. Every act of cruelty and malice you witnessed. You remember them all, don’t you?

Do you remember, Twenty?

Do you feel it now?

*******

“YES!” shouted the grey unicorn. “YES, I DO!”

“I do…” he said, panting loudly. He suddenly felt exhausted. He covered his face with his hooves. “Oh, sun, I remember! I feel everything…everything they did.

“So much pain, and I couldn’t do anything! I couldn’t do a thing to stop them! I couldn’t do anything…”

He looked up. He was standing in front of the door to the grand hall. He had no idea how he had gotten there.

He moved his hooves from his face, revealing a broad smile.

“But…” he said. “But things have changed now.”

He began to laugh. Before, he had been afraid he had forgotten how. But now it felt like the only thing he could do.

“How could I forget already?” he said. “I’m free now! I can do anything I want! Anything!”

An instant later, Twenty was standing on the stage in the grand hall. Without thinking, he knocked the pony closest to him unconscious. Then he turned and looked at Fancypants.

“Gaze?” Fancy asked uneasily.

Twenty’s smile grew broader.

“Hi, boss,” he said. “Got a minute?”

There was a soft whooshing sound, and Gaze and Fancypants were outside on the mansion grounds. Fancy, still wounded, fell unto the soft, freshly cut grass, and sighed with relief.

“Oh, thank heavens,” Fancy said. “You’re getting me out of here. I knew I could count on you, Gaze.”

“Stop calling me that,” the grey unicorn said. He was still breathing heavily. “My name is Twenty. And I'm done taking orders from you."

“Oh? This is rather sudden. Rarity and her friends got to you, is that it?” Fancy said, crawling away from Twenty as best he could. “Well, I can respect a pony who looks after his best interests. No hard feelings, Gaze. Get me out of here, and I’ll double whatever they’re paying.”

“Oh, you're definitely going to pay,” Twenty said. He vanished, and was suddenly standing behind Fancy. He leaned down and whispered in his master’s ear:

“For starters, I want to hear you scream."

Fancy froze. “Gaze, what’s gotten into yo-AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!”

In a single instant, Gaze vanished again, reappeared in front of Fancy, and kicked him hard in the chest.

“You were clutching your chest when I came in. Someone hurt you there, didn’t they?” he said. “Did they break a rib or two, maybe? I thought I’d complete the set.”

“You…you traitor…” Fancy said between agonizing coughs. “I gave you everything. I raised you up from a lowly servant to become my right hoof. What did Rarity promise you, you piece of filth? Was it worth having your life destroyed? Because I promise you, once I get out of here, I will hunt down everyone you ever cared abo-“

A swift kick to the chin silenced Fancy’s rant. Twenty’s smile was gone.

“I’m not working for Rarity, you idiot,” Twenty said. “I’m a Silent Knight.”

Fancy spat out a tooth. “A what?” he said.

“Deep cover. Agent of the crown,” Twenty said. “Except just now, Princess Luna invoked Code White. And that means two things. One, I get to break cover permanently. Two, I have to wrap up any loose ends. Like, say, getting rid of anyone who knows my real identity.”

Twenty smirked. “Oops,” he said. “I just told you my real identity, didn’t I?”

“No…no, you wouldn’t dare!” Fancy turned and began to crawl desperately away from Gaze. “You can’t! You can’t!”

“Can’t I?” Twenty said. He vanished, appearing in front of Fancy once again.

“You’re a royal guard!” Fancy said. “And I’m a defenseless, wounded old stallion. Killing me now would be an act of cold-blooded murder. It would go against everything the guard stands for.”

“’What it stands for?’” Twenty said, as his smile dissolved into an expression of fury. “’WHAT IT STANDS FOR’?”

He vanished again, and appeared behind Fancy, kicking the old stallion in the back. Fancy screamed.

“You want to know what the royal guard stands for, you son of a bitch?” Twenty shouted. “When I was a kid, it meant everything! All I wanted out of life was to join it, to serve! And when I got there the Princess herself took me aside, and she, and she…”

Twenty kicked Fancy again in frustration, causing him to roll over unto his back.

“And she ordered me to stand by and watch while you ruined the lives of hundreds of innocent foals,” he said.

“Celestia knew everything that the Circle’s been doing, Fancy! She’s always known! And she did NOTHING!”

Fancy’s eyes went wide with shock. “What?” he said. “All this time I thought I’d evaded her, and she knew?”

“Yeah, she did,” Twenty said. “And I have no idea why she never acted against you. But I guess that’s what the royal guard does. It just lets evil acts go unpunished, because her royal highness either doesn’t care or secretly gets off on them. And I’m a part of it, Fancy! I stood by! I watched! I let it all happen! Because I'M IN THE FUCKING ROYAL GUARD!"

Twenty raised his hoof and placed it over Fancy’s throat. He applied no pressure, allowing Fancy to breathe.

"So don't you lecture me on what the guard stands for, you sick monster," Twenty said. "Because I'm not sure it ever stood for anything."

Twenty stared at Fancy, lying on the ground underneath his hoof. Fancy watched as his furious expression softened, and suddenly he looked almost placid.

“You know who I always liked?” Twenty said. “Rarity’s sister. Lot of brass on that kid. Remember what she did to you at the Gathering? The thing that set this whole fiasco off?”

Before Fancy could respond, Twenty spit in his face.

“That filly had the right idea,” he said. “That was for her. For all of them.”

Twenty’s smile had returned. “Oh, how I’ve dreamed of this moment,” he said. “The spell stopped me from acting against you. But it couldn’t stop me from wanting to. I’ve killed you in my mind so many, many times.”

Twenty chuckled to himself. “Believe me, compared to some of the scenarios I came up with, you’re getting off easy.”

Fancy focused his eyes on Twenty. His facial features contorted into an expression of pure rage.

“You’ll pay dearly for this,” Fancy said. His tone was near-hysterical. “Do you have any idea who you’re dealing with? Do you, you stupid government thug? I’m not scared of you and your pathetic boasts! I control the Circle! I control this city! I AM THE CENTER OF CANTERL-“

Without a word, Twenty put all his weight on his right forehoof. He pushed down.

Fancy’s shouts turned to gasps. They were followed by a pained, guttural wheeze.

Twenty could have prolonged it. He could have released Fancy’s throat just long enough to let him breathe, then pushed down again. That was how it often happened in his fantasies. He would keep it up for hours, keeping Fancy hovering on the brink of death before finally letting him suffocate. And he would enjoy it, immensely.

But now, faced with the reality, Twenty was surprised by how bored he had become with the old stallion. He had already beaten him. The rest, he realized, was theater.

Twenty pushed down on Fancy's 's neck with all his might, until he heard a snap.

The last thing Fancypants saw was his faithful retainer, Gaze, wearing a neutral, empty expression.

Twenty took his hoof off of the corpse’s throat.

“Five years,” he said. “I guess the reality is never as good as the fantasy.”

He turned and began to walk away, but then he stopped.

“No,” he said. “No, I’m not even close to being done.”

*******

“Okay,” Twilight said as she got to her hooves. “I think I’m ready. How many foals are down there again?”

“About a hundred,” Silver said. “How many can you teleport at once?”

“Normally just one or two, but there are mass teleport spells that could get about forty of them out at a time,” Twilight said. “They take some time to cast, so don’t be worried if I’m not back for a little while.”

"Okay, " Silver smiled. “Thank you, Twilight. I just know you’re going to save them all. Those foals are so lucky you’re here.”

“Luck had nothing to do with it. Silver, if anyone gets saved tonight, it’ll be because of you,” Twilight said. “None of this would have been possible without the plan you came up with. Remember that, okay?”

“I…okay,” Silver said, taken slightly aback by how quickly she had forgotten her own contribution.

“Wish me luck!” Twilight said, as her horn lit up once more. There was a bright flash, and she was gone.

“It worked…” Silver said in near-disbelief. “Oh, thank the moon, it worked…”

She sat down on the floor, and began to laugh.

“I never thought…” she said giddily. “I can’t believe it actually worked!”

Now comes the really hard part, she thought. I'm sorry, Twilight. But I have to see her.

She got up, wearing a purposeful expression, and began to run toward the grand hall.

"Please be okay," Silver whispered as she ran. "Miss Rarity, please be alive!"

*******

“Fancy has fled! The Circle is ours!”

A cheer erupted from the inhabitants of the grand hall, though Rarity could tell that some in the crowd were just playing along. No matter, she thought. If they’re this afraid to stand out, they’ll be easy enough to control.

Triage was tending to Hoity Toity as Rarity stood once again upon the stage.

“Let him run,” Rarity said. “And let it be known that never again will a manipulative coward like Fancypants control this Circle!"

The crowd cheered, but only for a second. Then, all at once, they fell completely silent.

At the same moment, Rarity felt a brief gust of wind behind her. She knew what it meant.

“Gaze!” she said, turning around. But he was not there.

In his stead, lying on the stage, was Fancy’s corpse. Several ponies screamed.

“Hello, again.”

The crowd parted as Twenty, once again smiling, appeared in the center of the room. He turned toward the stage and raised his hoof, pointing at Fancy’s remains.

“That’s one,” he said. “Who here wants to be number two?”

[NEXT: Hunt/Reunion/Escape]