I was dreaming the same dream that I've been having since my last day as a guard. I remember it all so vividly: the halls, the shouting, the clashing of blades, and the blood. All so real, all so distant...

Ten year before

"GET THAT DOOR BARED SHUT!!!" shouted Shining Armor, guard captain of celestia's guard, as he rushed over to the door that lead to the gardens. Shining Armor directed his troops as they placed boards on the door and magically held them firm.

"KEEP THAT MAGIC UP, WE NEED THE TIME TO GET THE PRINCESSES TO SAFETY." He shouted before heading to the throne room. He galloped as fast as his hooves would go, his armor clanging and clinking as he ran...

"Princesses, we need to get you to the safe room." I told the princesses as I trotted over to one of the large windows in the throne room. I gazed outside and looked upon the massive hoard of depraved ponies, hungry for any "Harmony" they could find.

"We can't go just yet, we need to wait for my brother." Princess Twilight Sparkle protested, since her magical induction to alicornation, she's been living her for 5 years on and off. I sighed as I adjusted my great sword, that rested on my right. I turned to face the Princesses: Luna, Celestia, Cadence, and Twilight Sparkle.

"Yes, I can't leave my husband behind." Cadence agreed as she paced the throne room floor. Luna trotted beside Cadence and rested her hoove on her shoulder. I looked to Celestia for an answer, since she was the one I reported to. She looked at me and nodded her head.

"A few more minutes won't change the current situation...and we will need both you and Shining Armor to keep the magic on the door sealed." Celestia said while siting upon her throne. I wanted to protest but I couldn't, not with our ruler.

I went over to the throne room main doors and opened them, I looked down the hall and listened. I could hear the sound of hooves galloping towards the throne room. But as I began to open up the door more to allow him easier entrance, I heard the sound of board breaking and the foul sound of raging ponies. My mind was in overdrive as I quickly turned around and galloped towards the princesses.

"Shining's coming, but I need your highnesses to head towards the safe room now." I said as I used my magic to move one of the large statues, revealing a large door inscribed with magic seals and wards. Cadence and Twilight looked at me with confusion.

"What about my brother?" Twilight said with tears forming in her eyes. I looked back at them when I unsealed the final seal.

"I'll meet him half way, if he's encountered resistance I want to give him support. We will head back here as fast as we can..." I said as I moved aside to let the princesses inside.

"...But if we aren't back in ten minutes...seal this door." I finished as I adjusted my armor. Cadence looked back at me with a angry look.

"I will not LEAVE HIM TO DIE!" She shouted at me. I looked back at her with a serious face.

"He knew his job was dangerous...he knows the risk of this job, you four are the only things keeping Equestria in order. If you die, we are lost. I will do my best to get him here, but if the worst is to happen....the first sight of one of those deprived, hollows.. seal.this.DOOR!" Before Cadence could rebuttal, I galloped towards the door and out into the halls of the castle....

Damn it...they caught up. Shining thought to himself as he looked back to see a large group of deprived ponies rounding the corner. They were shouting swears and raving treats of death at Shining Armor. Shining quickly turned around, used his magic to draw his sword and readied himself for a fight. The deprived saw this and slowed their advance, slowing to a slow stalk towards Shining Armor.

Shining saw the patches of fur that remained on their skin, some had open wounds that oozed blood and infection, a couple had bloodied pieces of wood, metal and whatever else they could use to kill ponies with.to get whatever Harmony they could acquire. As the deprived advanced closer, Shining Armor heard fast paced hooves coming from behind....

I rounded the last corner to see Shining Armor backing up towards me. I also saw the large group of deprived ponies coming ever closer towards him. I used my magic and drew my sword and galloped to his side.

"Took you long enough....How many ponies are there?" I asked him as he glanced towards me.

"About 200 minimum...most in the courtyard....some breached the castle through the gardens...the ones you see here killed most of the troops but they lost most of them to the brave soldiers..." Shining stated as we backed up slowly, swiping our blades to keep the drooling deprived back. I noticed that some of the deprived had torn fancy clothing on: silk suits dirtied and torn, once nice hates stained with blood, the ladies had missing shoes and were covered in filth.

A part of me felt bad for these ponies: once normal ponies, living day by day in luxury, now beating guards and other ponies to death to get the new drug of our generation. But I also felt anger towards them: How could they do such terrible deeds to get pointless bits of black rock? How could they sell their souls to try to cheat death? But my questions wouldn't be answer this moment, for a deprived lady lunged towards us with a bit of wood. I couldn't think...I just acted. I swung my sword, the blade connected with her neck. slicing her neck. She fell to the floor, gagging on her own blood and writhing in the pool that collected around her. Before the others yelled and we had to retreat, I looked into her eyes....and could of sworn she looked happy to be killed.

It took us four minutes to get back to the throne room, we just managed to close the doors before the deprived could reach the door. I used my magic to put a ward on the door.

"That should keep them out...for a while." I said to Shining, who gave me a nod and a smile.

"Thanks Quartz, thought I was done for." I chuckled as I patted Shining on the shoulder.

"It's ok Shining. Just remind me after this is done, you owe me a drink." I stated as I heard the rushed hoove steps of Cadence and Twilight. I looked as both of them embraced Shining, tears streaming down their faces as they hugged Shining Armor. It was heartwarming to see, even in these troubling times. I looked towards Luna and Celestia as they trotted towards me.

"What's the situation outside?" Celestia asked in a stern voice.

"Hollows have over-run most of the castle, from what I could tell. The courtyard has been compromised, so that leaves that door between us and them." I stated before Celestia moved to one of the decorated windows. It was a fairly new one: Twilights coronation ,surrounded by her friends.

" How did it come to this?..."

" Sister?" Luna asked in concern.

" I thought I made the right decisions....I thought I was helping..." We heard her voice was filled with sorrow and quivering with sadness. It was hard to see the princess, who was normally a strong mare, feeling that she has failed her ponies. I walked over to Celestia and stood next to her.

"Princess...you did your best...at the time, we didn't expect this to happen. The madness, the extreme need for Harmony...the murders..." I said as i turned to walk towards the others.

"Quartz tell me..." Celestia said.

"Yes princess?" I said in confusion. The room fell silent, except for the sound of hooves banging on the door to the throne room. Celestia turned her head towards me, her eyes were filled with the kind of anger that I've never seen coming from her.

"You and Shining are close friends...how 'close' are you two really?" She bluntly stated.

"What are you getting at Celestia?" Cadence asked in anger. I looked at Twilight, who was in shock at what Celestia may be implying. Celestia continued.

"I mean...dosent it seem odd that Shining Armor, my royal guards captain....would have a bandage on his front left leg...I don't see any blood stains on it and it looks fairly old...So...What are you hiding Shining?"

We were all looking at Shining at this point, who was backing up towards the wall. Cadence and Twilight were moving towards him with tears streaming down their faces. Luna was looking at Celestia with a combination of shock and horrifying realization. I was putting the peaces together, going back as far as I could think...

The bandage is old and worn...I'm guessing two weeks old...around the same time as the first hollow was reported and Shining's whereabouts were unknown for two days after that...and when he was found, he had that bandage around his leg. But if what I'm thinking is true, then I've been blind the the truth this whole time...

"Shining honey....you wouldn't tell me what happened to your leg and every-time I tried to ask you about it, you would avoid the question...W-what happened honey?" Cadence said before the tears made it impossible to speak any further. She collapsed to the ground, the sobs and sniffs echoed in the throne room. Shining look to be on the verge of tears also, snot ran down his nose and tears down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry honey...I-I'm so sorry..." Shining said as he reached his right hoove to the bandage and slowly unraveled it. The bandage fell in a long sheet, as the last of the now brownish cloth fell to the floor we all gazed at his leg...

The unknown red text formed a perfect circle that was about as wide as a water glasses bottom, the text seemed to fade to red and orange as if burning flames but it was the pure black void that occupied the center of the circle.

"I'm sorry...everyone..."

I was awoken suddenly by the cart coming to a halt, I raised my head as I looked about the dark space, trying to remember where I was. The ponies that were also asleep were steering and a few had frightened expressions of not knowing whats happening. I looked to my side and noticed Pinkie Pie holding onto my right front hoove. I used my left hoove to wake her awake.

"Pinkie...wake up." I said as she slowly moved and yawned.

"Hmmm huh? Q-Quartz...whats happening?" She said as she sat up and look about also. Before I could speak, a blinding light came from the front of the cart. Every pony covered their eyes as the light shined in on our dark space.

"Come on you filthy Hollows!" Said a voice as ponies slowly started to pull ponies out of the cart. Me and Pinkie move forward as the mass of ponies moved closer to the blinding light. When it came our turn, I felt a hoove grab my neck and pull me forward, I assumed they did the same to Pinkie because I heard her let out a small gasp. I fell to the hard ground as my eyes began to adjust to the light, the world around me became clearer and as it all focused, I gazed appon a massive collapsing castle. The walls were cracked and stained from years of neglect, The surrounding forest appeared too thick to hope for an easy escape, and the most heartbreaking fact was the sound of hundreds of screaming, crying and howling voices that came from its mortared walls.

Before I could think, I felt a sharp pain shot through my head. I could feel my consciousness fading, before everything fell black....

"Enjoy your stay at the asylum....Quartz..." ???

Author's Note

Holy hell its been toooooooooo long. hope you enjoy and remember:

comment any mistakes or if you liked it and be awsome.

till next time my friends.