The Dark-Dream Pony

Chapters

Sweet Beginings
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
The Innocent Pony

Sweet Beginings

The Dark-Dream Pony

“Wake up soldier.” Shining armor said kicking me slightly, I fell out of my cot onto the stone floor of the barracks, cots lined the walls along with armor and weaponry. I looked at him in full gear.

“Sorry sir.” I said standing up flustered from an early wakeup call. I looked outside, the sun was at a high noon. I was the night guard so I normally slept during the day.

“Sorry to wake you up but we are welcoming a new princess to the castle, you are required to attend, so gear up and be in the throne room in ten minutes. You meet your new princess today.”

“Yes sir.” I said nodded and he walked off with other guards.

“Always the sleeper, eh Shadow?” I sighed walking pass Night Jasper still getting geared, he was the lieutenant and a Pegasus, but that just meant he was basically the captain of the night guard even though I held higher rank. We more or less just protected Princess Celestia while she slept, what little that she did have. Rising the moon was considerably hard for her to do, for some unknown reason she always shed a single tear whenever she did it.

I went over to the armor stacks and got dressed in my black and golden edged armor hiding my black abyssal cutie mark, which didn’t stand out against my dark coat. I was one of the few which had a dark talent, mine was in forbidden magic, life magic, trading one’s own life force for excessive power which would make even dragons flee in fear. Only Princess Celestia and myself knew of my talent.

“You sleep just as much as me Night Jasper.” He smiled showing a dark shield cutie mark. He was expert in offensive defense, able to turn things such as Shining Armor’s shield into an energy weapon of sorts like a sword, or arrow. Which in turn made Shining Armor and Night Jasper a deadly force if they ever worked together.

“At least I wake up the first time, you always sleep so heavily. I swear you wouldn’t wake up if a dragon roared next to you.” He put on his helmet, the last piece. “Anyway hurry up, I don’t know who this new princess is, so don’t be late.”

“I won’t.” He rushed out of the barracks and I sighed sliding on a hoof guard, then wiping sleep from my eyes as I put on my helmet completing my armor.

I jogged lightly going to the throne room, every guard was standing in rows along the red royal carpet, marble pillars stood perfectly polished.

Night Jasper pulled me next to him seeing me just a bit late, the doors opened. I lazily looked down as everyone stood at attention. We had done this enough times I had gotten lazy, and I honestly didn’t care. I had been around Princess Celestia long enough not to care for formalities unless face to face, which was rare since I only was awake while she slept.

“Pay attention soldier.” Shining Armor said to my left, and I paused realizing I was right near the throne in the front row, and every pony could see me clear as day not caring. I swallowed looking at Princess Celestia smiling with her beautiful smile.

“Tired?” She asked.

“Sorry.”

“It’s quite alright, actually you are just the pony I was looking for, I want you to personally meet Princess Luna.” I looked at her and paused, she was beyond words. Rather it was her blackened blue mane, or just her flowing night hair, I was speechless. She was far from what I had expected, the little I had expect though.

“Yes?” I asked sounding more like an idiot than I dared realize.

“You will from now on be her personal guard, tend to her needs and do as she says.”

“Yes princess.”

“She stays up at the night time, so you will have to perform the same duties as my normal guards.”

“Then who will protect you during the night?”

“WE SHALL!” Princes Luna said with a fierce voice making everyone around her rather uneasy, flinching a little, but I showed not a hint of doubt, for it was not fear I felt. I had been cheated Shining Armor’s position as captain of the guard because of his engagement to Princess Cadance and my dark skill. Which meant I was now going to be able to protect a princess of my own, a true honor for any guard.

“Yes my princess.” I said kneeling, then standing back up.

“Wonderful.” Princess Celestia said with a smile, they went up to the throne.

“ALL HAIL PRINCESS CELESTIA AND PRINCESS LUNA!” Shining Armor commanded and every pony kneeled down.

“Those of the night guard, and the three of the day guard, come forward,” Princess Celestia said, and six of us including Night Jasper and myself went to the front. “From now on you will be in charge of my sister’s safety. Night Jasper, Shadow and Onyx, you will be her personal guard while she is awake, and you three will be her daytime guard while she sleeps during the day.”

“Yes my princess.” We all said.

“Now please show Luna to her bed chamber, I am sure my sister is tired.” I nodded and I moved to the head without pause as we walked down the row of guards. Had it not been for the fact that they were clearly uneased by her presence, I was sure many of them would be jealous, few received the honor of personal princess guard.

We walked for a ways and stopped at a room. I opened the door using my magic and walking inside first, looking around with a quick glance. Princess Luna walked in after me and looked around her bedchamber.

“Oh I have missed beds.” She ran over jumping on the bed rather joyfully.

“Princess do you require anything?” She looked at me.

“Extra pillows, and some paint to block out the light.”

“Are you hungry or thirsty?”

“No.”

“I will be back shortly.” I walked out of the room and Onyx closed the door. “I will go fetch the paint and pillows.” They nodded and I turned to the other three. “Once she sleeps you are to relieve them of their posts, is that clear?” They nodded. I went pass them finding a maid cleaning a window.

“Sir.” She said bowing slightly.

“Princess Luna requires pillows, bring ten large to her room.” She looked nervous by this. “Did you not hear me?”

“No, I will have them brought to the room right away.”

“I told you, not someone else, leave them by the door.” She nodded running. I walked a while going to the supply room picking up a paint can and a brush with magic. I went back to the room and pillows were stacked on the floor making me frown. “I hate maids.” I mumbled under my breath, picking the pillows up as well with my magic. Night Jasper opened the door letting me pass, closing the door behind me.

“Oh good.” She tried to take the pillows with her magic, but paused for a moment making them fall to the ground. “Such strong magic.” She said standing up and coming close to me.

“My magic is the strongest of the royal guard.”

“You must be quite powerful for you to be able to make me pause.”

“May I start painting?”

“Yes.” She arranged the pillows as I went over opening all the windows inward. I started to paint on the outside of the windows leaving star holes in the paint. She looked at the windows smiling a breath taking smile. “Nice work guard.”

“Thank you Princess Luna, I will be posted outside your door if you require anything, once you sleep though, I will be relieved and the other guards will be outside your door. Should your require anything, day guards will be posted.”

“Very well.” I went outside and looked at the day guards. This was likely going to be the longest time we would be together only seeing each other at guard changes. I smiled at them and they rolled their eyes.

“I told you that one day you would have my job, I just didn’t expect it to be during the day.” I chuckled a little at them.

“Yeah well now you can stop under cutting Shining armor, get over it.”

“I will once I’m captain, as unlikely as that is.” A snap in my head marked her going to sleep. “Onyx, Night Jasper she has fallen asleep, we are relieved of command.” We all went back to the barracks and I jumped onto my bed still in my armor.

“You’ll wake up badly if you sleep with your armor on.” I grunted.

“Fine.” I shook off my armor laying it next to me. “And have your armor painted, we are the night guard for Celestia sake.”

“You mean Princess Luna’s sake.” Onyx joked and we chuckled.

“Sleep well.” I mumbled falling into my blackened sleep. I slept without dreams, and it quite enjoyed it.

Author's Note

edited to the best I am able, shouldn't have any reading flaws, grammar oh the other hand is not my skill

Chapter 2

A snap in my head awoke me making me get up. I went over to Onyx shaking him awake and then Night Jasper, shaking him awake as well to not wake up most of the rest of the guard which was sleeping.

We all got up taking a shower and changing back into our armor, we all went to Princess Luna’s room and the guards looked at us tired.

“You are relieved.” They nodded leaving. Onyx and Night Jasper went to the right and left of the door. I knocked on the door.

“Come in!” Princess Luna said with a commanding voice. I walked into the room and she looked at me just barely awake, she was even more breath taking with an unbrushed mane. She had a soft glow about her.

“Good afternoon Princess Luna. We will have to adjust things around here for you, we were not told of your coming, but I’m sure the chefs will be ready and warm the royal bath for you when you’re ready.”

“I will first brush my hair and raise the moon.” I paused floating a brush.

“Excuse me, did I hear you say you will raise the moon?”

“Yes.”

“I see, then shall we go to the celestial chamber first?” She nodded. I went over to her and she moved forward. I started to brush her hair and she smiled. I had always wanted to do this to a princess, but being the night guard that job was left to the maids thanks to Shining Armor and his annoying ways.

“Ah that was pleasant.” She said as her hair started flowing again.

“Now shall we depart?”

“Very well.” I went out the door.

“Have a bath warmed and dinner.” I said quickly. She followed me as we went to the celestial chamber. Princess Celestia was waiting in the center of the room. Large windows showed all the positions of the sun and the moon, as well as all their courses. Wonderful painting adorned the walls of other stars.

“Sister.” Princess Luna said smiling, they embraced each other.

“I am glad you have come, I almost raised the moon again this day.”

“That will be my job, thank you for doing it for me, I’m sorry for what I’ve done.”

“I know my sweet sister.” I looked out the window and the sun set to the west, I looked to the east and the moon started to appear over the horizon bring out a wonderful night glow about the land in a wonderful blue glow.

“I will protect the night, please rest my dearest sister.” She nodded getting up and going over to me.

“Hello Shadow, please take care of my sister.” I bowed.

“Of course Princess Celestia.” She left and I looked at Princess Luna basking in the moon light glowing with magical energy.

“It has been too long since I have seen the night.”

“Shall we depart for the bath? It should be ready.”

“Very well.” She followed me to the royal bath and Onyx and Night Jasper were waiting by the door. I walked pass them going over to the bath. The royal bath, I had only seen it a few times, but never with water, it was the size of a large pond, able to fit a hundred ponies comfortably. It had a slight mist to it and a large hot tub sat in the center of the bath.

I put my hoof into the water, it was perfect temperature, hot enough that it would feel great, but not so hot that it would boil. She came next to me and put her hoof in smiling as she went down the stairs into the thigh high water.

“A warm bath, wondrous.” She moved to the hot tub and sat down in it smiling.

“Is there anything you require?”

“No, this is wonderful.” She moaned with pleasure. I walked over to a cabinet and opened it pausing seeing a frightened mare hiding.

“What in the world are you doing in there?”

“Nightmare moon is right there.” She pointed and I paused. I had only heard tales of her, nothing complete, just that she was the mare of the moon, and was the dream seer, she also was responsible for the change of the moon. It was told about it as a filly, but it only ever amounted to a scary story.

“That is Princess Luna, Princess Celestia’s sister, you will respect that. Now if you fear her leave, I will not have you troubling the princess.” I growled and she shook in terror of me, I was one of the most feared warriors ever to exist and all that lived in castle knew this.

I had earned the title, the Shadow Knight from many a night battle. I had even bested Shining armor in battle, cracking his mighty shield and causing him to cough up blood for a week. Princess Celestia had quickly stopped the battle when she saw I intended to kill him, and that was without my magic. It was the same day I had lost to him the title caption of the guard because he proposed to Princess Cadance. I had never been more furious.

“Yes-yes sir.” She ran out of the royal bathroom and I picked up a few towels putting them on my back. I walked across the water to her.

“Whom was that?”

“A fearful maid.”

“Fearful of what?”

“Of me.” I put the towels on a rack. “I have never had patience for others, that has earned me fear sadly.”

“We are the same.” She said in a sad tone, while all her tones were quite powerful and commanding, this one had a soft sad tone to it.

“Princess she was only a filly, do not let a silly filly get you down.” She smiled a little. “I promise it will be fine once ponies get to know you.” She smiled.

“This pleases us!” I nodded turning to leave. “Ah, wait.”

“Yes?” I asked.

“Don’t leave, we were lonely far away, we do not wish to be alone, again.”

“I will stand here for as long as you like, and keep you company.” She smiled and my heart leapt. No matter how I looked at her she was wonderful. Truly and without a doubt the Mare of the Moon, a beautiful gem of the night.

She finished and I used the towels to dry her off, hesitating for only a moment before cleaning her whole body. While a decency barrier covered her body, that didn’t mean I wouldn’t be able to sense the feeling of drying that part of her.

“To the dining hall?”

“We need to go to the mare room, and then we may go to the dining hall.” We walked and I made an invisible bridge allowing her to walk across the main part of the pool to the hallway and I went to the front and Onyx and Night Jasper went behind her to the right and left. I went into the restroom looking around for a moment before coming out.

“Please.” She went inside and I looked around.

“Enjoying the job?” Night Jasper asked with a plain expression.

“I can see why Shining Armor hired so many maids.” Both of them chuckled. I now understood why Shining Armor hired to many maids, he didn’t want to become a maid himself to Princess Celestia, which I had never thought of as having needs.

“Not as glorious as you thought?” Onyx asked.

“I didn’t think I would be her maid, so no. Also remember to ready the dream chamber, I have a feeling we may go to it.”

“Dream chamber?” Night Jasper asked.

“Yes, that one dark moon which only lights up at night, do you remember it? It was dusty the last time we went there.”

“I'll alert the maids.” Onyx said running. He came back as she came out, and we went to the dining hall.

Like every room this one was large, with a massive table, painting and art donned the walls, only four doors were in the room, one on each side and two which lead into the kitchen that swung to open. Food was already resting on plates ready. I pulled out a large chair and she sat down, I moved it forward. I made a dark orb over the food and scanned it for a moment heating it. “It is safe Princess Luna.”

She started to eat and I looked at Night Jasper and Onyx, they were at both doors, quite far from each other. While we had never done this more than a few times, we were still very adept at it.

We were the only colts which had seen full battle on distant battle lines, it was also the reason we were the night guard. We had protected Princess Celestia from more attacks than I dare count without any pony knowing about it, well except for Princess Celestia which always awoke worried about us.

“We are done.” She said finishing the food.

“Then would you like to head to the dream chamber?” She looked at me as I pulled her chair out.

“We would.” She got off and I stomped my hoof making a bell ring in the kitchen. She followed me as Onyx came over to us.

“Sir,” Onyx said. “We have a delay with the dream chamber, it would seem a column collapsed from age, it will take an hour for a replacement to be moved into place. They have to gather several unicorns to lift the heavy piece. It is clean, but till the column is put into place it might not be safe.”

“Our dream chamber is broken?!” Princess Luna said with annoyance in her voice.

“I’m sorry my princess.” He said bowing.

“It is not thou’st fault.”

“Take me to the column, Night Jasper, please take the long way and show the princess the painting room while I take care of this please.”

“Right this way Princess Luna.” She followed him out of the room and I followed Onyx out of the room going to the court yard summoning area. Magic letters were carved into the stone, we took most things by mass teleport, and it normally require seven unicorns or one alicorn.

“Sir?!” One of two unicorns said bowing.

“What is the delay?”

“We are waiting for the others sir, it will take some time and they will have to be awoken form their sleep.”

“Move into position we summon it now!” I growled. They moved into position and Onyx stepped back being a dark blue earth pony.

While unicorns could use magic they often didn’t have the physical strength of an earth pony, and while pegasus could fly, their bones could break like twigs, so having one of each kind as guards helped us greatly, but that limited any single roll to only one of us at a time. I walked over the head summoner position and the two looked at me.

“But sir there are only three of us.”

“I will take stand, now start.” I all three of us shot a bolt into the center combining our magical powers and creating a small portal, their horns were already sparking from the power they were using. “And you call yourselves summoners.” I pushed more into it and the portal expanded easily opening over the entire area.

A large black marble column floated through landing softly on the ground being around twenty feet high. They closed the portal and looked at me, they were breathing hard but I hadn’t even began to sweat.

“Sir, please give us a minute to rest.”

“I have no need of you.” My horn lit black and the column lifted into the air turning flat making them back up. “Now you can go back to bed.” They looked completely unnerved by the fact I was doing several pony jobs at once.

Onyx made sure everyone was out of the way as we went to the dream chamber. I went through two large dark stained doors walking inside. The column barely fit the corner as I entered the room.

The room was quite wonderful. It had painting on the walls of all kinds of dreams, from those of horror, to beauty, and even those of love, but many turned dark after a point, only showing nightmares of true horror.

I went over to a missing column slot and moved it into place merging the black marble to the ceiling and the floor. I stepped back wiping sweat from my brow. While I was powerful I wasn’t immortal or limitless, and each time I used strong magic rather it was dark or not, it would either physically harm me or shorten my life span, which Princess Celestia had more than once had to extend for me, or I risk letting me pass on, and she didn’t want that yet as she warned me against using too much magic.

“Our dream room!” Princess Luna sang running into the room looking around. “Such good memories here.” Her smile faded. “And such dark ones.” Her horn lit with blue fire burn away the dark paintings instantly and replacing them with blank white spots.

“Such calm.” She said smiling.

“Would you like us to stay?” I asked.

“You do not posses such talent as we do, we will enter dream, but we must do this alone as to not scare the subjects.”

“I understand, we will be outside if your require us, oh and so I know, how long does this normally last?”

“Very well, we do this till moon sets and the sun rises.” She closed her eyes and her horn lit a soft blue fire. I went outside and they closed the doors behind me. I sat down and so did they.

“We’ll be here till sun rise.” They stared at me for a few seconds.

“Really?” Night Jasper asked.

“Yeah, I know, I don’t care if you two rest, I'll keep watch and wake you if I need you, or she needs us.”

“Guard!” Princess Luna said and I rushed back inside looking around.

“Yes?”

“S-stay here with us. Dreams do not hush the silence.”

“I will, you two, keep look out.” They nodded closing the doors. I walked over to her and she looked at me. “I’m sorry I didn’t know if I could be here while you do this.”

“I, WE, do not mind you here.” I nodded sitting down. She closed her eyes and her horn grew brighter. I would look around the room once in a while but always turn back to her, she looked peaceful, at rest, but oddly not asleep.

Boredom can be a dangerous thing, and cause you to do stupid things. After a few hours I had subconsciously moved close to Princess Luna being only a few inches from her beautiful face staring at her. I held a low breath feeling her breath on my mane just barely. He breath smell of something sweet and bitter.

Yes in any world this would be considered stalking, Princess Luna had simply stricken me hard, had I not been her guard and she not been a princess I would have much less like a gentle-colt toward her. She was without a pause beautiful. I even questioned rather Princess Celestia was more so, though I never dared think perverted thoughts.

She started to open her eyes and I teleported without a sound, noise or anything suggesting I had moved from my spot hours earlier. She looked at me with a slight confused expression.

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

“We thought, oh never mind, we are done for the night, the sun is nearly upon us, we must return to the celestial chamber so that the moon may set, and that the sun may rise yet again, and you should wake the guards.”

“I will.” I walked out first and kicked both of them lightly. “Wake up you two, we are going back to the celestial chamber.” They got up and we went to the celestial chamber. It was normal for us to stand for long periods of time, but we normally had something to do, such as writing or drawing to help pass the time, as well as patrolling in my case.

We got to the celestial chamber and Princess Celestia was waiting basking in the moonlight. Princess Luna went over to her hugging each other.

“Good morning sister.” Luna said as the moon disappeared and the sunlight broke over the horizon lighting up the room in light.

“That it is, I hope the night went well.”

“I helped so many ponies. I see that my job will always be needed.” Princess Celestia smiled hugging her.

“I will protect the day, for it is your time to slumber.” Princess Luna nodded and we took her to her bed chamber. I walked into the room checking real fast before she came into the room closing the door behind her before I could leave.

“What.” She pointed her hoof at me stopping me.

“We know what you did in the dream chamber, why were you so close that we could smell you.”

“I’m your guard, being close to you is my job.”

“You stared at we, why?”

“My job.” I said slightly nervously, but I showed no hint of it, she narrowed her eyes, but not even the best truth magic users could break me.

“Very well, get out of the royal chambers.”

“I am sorry if I offended you with any odor, I assure you I bathe daily.”

“I didn’t say you smelled bad.” She paused. “I mean WE, OUT!” She shouted and I rushed out the door closing it behind me. I let out a breath and they looked at me a little shocked, I had never shown any emotion but anger, and annoyance. So them seeing me a little startled was shocking, and rather scary.

“Are you alright?” Night Jasper asked.

“I am fine.” I shouldn’t have been so close to her, it wasn’t proper and I certainly was not someone of high enough status to even think close to the thoughts of that. “I am just getting used to this, I wasn’t Princess Celestia’s personal guard for more than a few days before Shining armor took the position.”

“Right.” Onyx said. We waited a while and a snap in my head marked her going to sleep, I looked at the day guard.

“You are relieved.” One of them said to me and I nodded as we switched. I sighed going toward the barracks, falling asleep.

Days turned to weeks doing basically the same thing day out and night in. I made sure to keep out of her personal space or personal aura giving no hints to my personally growing attraction and obsession. This was becoming my dream job, not literally, I still had black as night dreams, but I enjoyed every second even if it was watching her sit most of the time.

Though the others could do without the night contact lenses which helped see in the dark, I often chuckled at them not knowing how to do it with magic. Though Night Jasper never could really get the feel of bat wings. In fact of now eight at my command, none of them could, especially the fact they all had to dye their coats darker, just the three of us were fine as is, which was funny on its own.

Chapter 3

“Shadow.” Princess Luna called and a thrill of enjoyment made me heart flutter, but to anyone else becoming Princess Luna’s guard made me cold. I barely care for anyone else and I was seemingly snappy at anyone else. I entered the celestial chamber and Princess

“Yes Princess Luna?” I asked, I looked at Princess Celestia, we had been here for a few minutes, but I hadn’t realized she hadn’t left yet. I no longer bothered checking the celestial chamber because she was already always in there morning and night.

“Luna I need to speak with him in privet, do you mind?”

“Of course not dearest sister.” They hugged and she left going with Onyx. I bowed and she smiled lightly.

“Princess Celestia, it is an honor, what do you require?”

“Stand.” I stood, she had a very worried expression. “I have had some very concerning reports from many of the guard. That even Shining Armor himself has stated unease, and that his ranks would become disorderly, at your mere appearance. I spoke with Luna, and, she said she saw, nothing in your dreams one night. That she had awoken to check her guard, and that she was scared of the darkness she found. What is wrong? Why have I been receiving such, reports of distress and worry?” My jaw locked a little.

“I would not know.” She stared at me for a moment and looked at the moon for a moment before looking back at me sighing.

“Has my sister done something to upset you, or have I, do you not enjoy your position as her personal guard?”

“I do as I am ordered, no more, no less, it is an honor to serve as a princess’s personal guard. I have no complaint.” She stared at me as if trying to see something, but my tone was flat and gave nothing.

“Is your anger do to the fact you are not my personal guard, or that you did not receive title of caption of the guards?”

“I have no anger toward anyone, I am perfectly find being Princess Luna’s personal guard. While it would be an honor to have either of those, I would not accept either offer, I enjoy being her guard.” She stared into my eyes but saw nothing.

“Are you happy?” I paused becoming slightly unsettled, but it would probably only show to her, any other pony wouldn’t see any change. I had never once been asked that question, if I was happy, it simply wasn’t something I considered my choice. Ever since I was a filly my parents trained and taught me with the eye of the guard in mind. The finest soldier the schools had ever seen pass their halls as many a head masters said with ease.

“I am.” She looked at me even more confused now.

“Tell me right now, everything you think.” She said with a darker over tone.

“I-I, enjoy being her guard.” I was now completely unsettled and she could easily see that, anyone could with my hair sticking up from pure unease. I dared not lie to Princess Celestia or even think badly of her or any princess for that matter, but in this case if I did not lie I was sure I would lose Princess Luna forever.

“Has someone cast a spell on you?”

“As if a spell would be able to control me.” I paused and she smiled a little.

“I’m glad to see something, you honestly worried me for a moment. If you have pride you must have other emotions.” I swallowed. “How do you feel for my sister?”

“She is my princess.” I said with a slight tremor. “I love her and are devoted to her with all my heart, I would give my life if she asked.” She walked close to me being only a few inches from me and I backed up out of pure instinct making her step forward and I kept stepping back as she kept coming forward till I hit the wall slamming into a little hard causing me to go up on my hind legs, back against the wall surprising me as well as her now being eye to eye.

“Why do you fear me?” She asked very close to me. Oh how she terrified me, not only was she the most powerful mare in all of equiseta, but the sister of the mare I was obsessed with, she would surely kill me, or worse if she knew.

“I-I don’t, I should get back.” She moved blocking me from leaving and making me realize I was backed into a corner, literally.

“As you princess I order you to tell me what is wrong!” She nearly shouted at me, it was as if a magic blast knocked the breath out of me. I fell to the floor on my back, legs shaking. She looked down at me even more confused now. “Why won’t you tell me?” She asked clearly worried.

“May I come in?” A mare’s voice said, I knew of it little, but I recognized it instantly none the less.

“Come in.” She said and Princess Cadance entered the room. I went to get up but Princess Celestia pushed down on my chest, pressing me harder to the floor stopping me. “Oh no you don’t.” I swallowed, while even being under her hoof was a great honor, that didn’t stop me from trying to wiggle out from under it.

“What did you call for?” She asked coming over to us.

“I do not know why but he is hiding something and because of that he has caused people to fear him for doing nothing. I do not know but he acts as if a spell is about him. He is a trained mental magic defender, so I will need help with him to know why he acts this way.”

“He looks terrified.”

“I don’t know why he is either, I haven’t done him harm ever and I most certainly do not intend him harm.”

“Please let me go,” I said and they both looked at me. “I have done nothing wrong, I intend no wrong, please let me go.”

“Then tell me what is wrong.” Princess Celestia said and I swallowed.

“He must be extremely powerful to be able to lock his mind from you.”

“He is the most powerful pony I have ever known personally, but his magic causes me worry because it drains his life. I fear that if I did this alone he would use so much magic that I would drain his life away.”

“But, that’s forbidden isn’t it?”

“It’s his natural talent, he uses it no matter what magic he casts, if he casts the magic in its truest form it rivals even that of the elements of harmony, but it would kill him in the same instant that he used it, being a onetime use, then the shockwave would kill any living thing within his power’s range unless he focused it.”

“Should we get Luna?”

“No, I do not want her near such dark magic, for I fear just peering into his dream might have scared her.” Princess Cadance stared at her for a few seconds.

“That, is it safe to go into his mind?”

“Yes, I will protect us, but I need to make sure we don’t burn him up. He is still a powerful guard and I want him protecting Luna.”

“I see.”

“Please, I don’t want to tell you.” They looked at me. “Please do not go into my mind, I do not wish for you to know, every pony is just over reacting.”

“See what I mean.” Princess Celestia said.

“How is it I feel nothing from him, he feels like he’s hallow?”

“I do not know that either, I feel nothing from him, and I normally don’t pay mind to it, but I am too worried to let this go.”

“I love you Princess Celestia.” I spouted and they stared at me for a moment. “I am obsessed with you.” Both of them giggled a little.

“You would have to see you say that to realize how bad of a lie that is.” Princess Cadance said chuckling.

“I-I.” I looked down. “I dare not raise my hoof in anger against princess.” I said shaking a little more.

“Last chance to tell us.”

“I refuse.”

“Very well,” Princess Celestia said. “Let’s start.” Both of their horns glowed white and I closed my eyes feeling them inside my head.

“I will not allow this.” I said in my mind and they appeared in a room of my mind looking around.

“Wow.” Princess Cadance said looking around the solid stone box which they were now locked inside of.

“This is Princess Celestia, I order you to let us in!” She commanded and the walls cracked. Making me shake, it was impulse to do anything they asked, and fighting that would be nearly impossible. I was trained all my life to never disobey orders from them, but this time if I didn’t defend my mind, I would surely lose everything that I cared for.

Together they shot blasts at the wall shattering it easily, causing my entire body to tremor from the shock. Another larger room appeared made of metal.

“I order you to let us through!” Princess Cadance shouted. The metal walls cracked, but not nearly as much as the first room. The metal started to heal and they blasted through again making me whimper in pain as my whole body felt like it was on fire. They went through twelve layers to the thirteenth before stopping, their orders now held no sway.

“Thirty to go and you don’t have the magic to break more than two more.”

“Let them through!” Princess Luna’s voice was like a shockwave, it ripped through every last room I had making me feel cold in the same second, calming down now that they had fully accessed my mind. Rather it was my feeling or the pure raw power she gave, I had no clue how she so easily broke through. We all looked at her for a moment as they went into my mind and my memories having nothing to hold them even a slightest bit back.

“Thank you sister.” She walked out of the room and both Cadance and Celestia opened their eyes to see to see me crying. They had entered my very soul cutting me deeper than I ever thought possible, a numbness silenced my heart, as if they stole everything I was.

“Such, such a deep passion,” Princess Cadance said stepping back. “I, we shouldn’t have done that. Those thought were much too privet.”

“You are right,” Princess Celestia said looking a little sad, she removed her hoof. “But you should have told me this before we did that,” she said now mad. “It could have saved a lot of time, though I would have probably not believed you loved my sister with such an obsession that.” She shook her head.

“Please I want to be her guard.” I pled and they looked at me.

“Of course,” Princess Celestia said. “We would never do anything to some-pony who just felt love for another, even if they are a princess. If we did that then I’m not sure we would be able to find people as guards or maids.”

“May I leave now, I, want to be alone.”

“Of course.” I teleported outside into the gardens on my belly shaking and letting tears fall down my face.

I wasn’t angry, I wasn’t sad, but scared and ashamed, I so ashamed that I had disobeyed them so many times. I didn’t have right to my life or my mind, no pony does in Equestria except for the princess. For they control everything from the sun to the moon, from love and to even every ponies dreams.

I let night fall staring at the ground unable to move, unable to let a single thought wonder even for a second.

“Night Caption Shadow!” I didn’t look up at that name, whoever they were calling, it wasn’t me, I wasn’t a caption, nor was I going to be a guard for that matter. I couldn’t very well protect something people knew I cared far too much for.

“Shadow, there you are!” Night Jasper said running over to me and pausing. “What happening to you?”

“I want to die.” I said with a lump still in my throat. He stared at me.

“No, you can’t want that.” I looked at him.

“But they know.”

“Know what?”

“Princess Celestia and Princess Cadance.”

“Know what?” I looked down and he sat down. “Please, tell me, you know you can trust me, what is wrong?”

“They went into my mind and unlocked something I didn’t want unlocked.” He stared at me. “Now I can’t be a guard, much less stay in Equestria.”

“Stop, first of all they haven’t told any pony anything about that, whatever it is I’m sure they won’t tell it to any pony. If it means that much to you I’m sure they won’t speak it to another pony for anything. Now get up, you got promoted.”

“I can’t stand.”

“You just have to try.”

“I’ve been shaking so badly I can’t stand, I tried a few hours ago, but I kept falling over, and I can’t keep a straight enough thought to even use my magic. Or I would have teleported further away than a hundred bits.” He turned looking at the throne room wall.

“Oh.”

“I can carry you.”

“No, I need you to kill me.” I said with a hallow heart.

“NO!” He shouted at me standing up. “I don’t know what they found out, but taking your life is no answer. They clearly didn’t see it as dangerous if you were promoted for it, heck you can get married to princesses now.” I paused. “Now get up, you are going to go see them even if I have to drag you there.”

“Please I’m too scared, and I'll have no defense against them this time.”

“Onyx!” Onyx ran over to us. They pushed me on a small cart and pulled me. We got to the throne room and Princess Celestia and Princess Cadance was waiting at the throne, making pure terror take me, over causing me to jolt my legs and run for the doors. They slammed shut making me slam into them rather hard.

“NO, NO, NO, NO!” I begged scrapping on the door, but the handles had disappeared making it impossible to open, and I couldn’t keep a thought long enough to use magic. Magic lifted me up and my legs went numb as I floated over to them. Both Onyx and Night Jasper were completely unsettled by this backing up themselves scared now. They had never once seen me so scared, no one had, I simply didn’t get scared.

“Stop.” Princess Celestia said.

“Please no more, kill me now, just don’t go back into my mind.” Both of them stared at me almost at tears.

“You two may leave.” They both almost ran out of the throne room leaving them, no deserting me to their wrath, though I will admit they couldn’t help me here. Tears ran down my face causing shock to cross their face.

“Please, no more.”

“If I set you down, will you run?” I swallowed.

“No.” But she didn’t set me down.

“I am sorry I did that, but understand I had good reason to do it. You were acting in such a way, that every pony which entered this place became uneased. Even my dear student twilight came by you once thought you were a monster and spike ran into a wall breaking a tooth. You know how dear she is to me.”

“Please I meant no harm.”

“That’s just it, you switched off everything, you became a soulless pony, and on some level all ponies are able to connect with each other, even the plants and animals. You gave nothing off at all, and that scared even me. We were going to have to either fire you, solve the problem or find a lot of ponies to take the thirty guards which were too scared of you to stay unless something was done.”

“I.” I cried unable to finish.

“I am sorry for what I have done, I will never do that again, the sorrow I felt once I had done it, it was truly one of the worst feeling I have ever felt. I am truly sorry.”

“Please let me go.” She set me down but I could still feel her magic around me, enlacing the web of reality. I couldn’t just run, she could easily teleport me back, or break my legs if she felt like it.

“I no longer wish to be a guard.”

“You must.” Princess Cadance said staring at me, she had sorry across her face, but it was still the face I imagined laughed as they went into my mind.

“Please don’t make me.”

“We are not making you,” Princess Celestia said. “You do not have to be a guard, but please, do not quit simply for my mistake.”

“I just want to leave, please.”

“We promoted you to night guard caption Shadow, you should fully well understand what that means. Also know that you will be able to stay with Princess Luna as her guard for as long as you like. She will never know what we learned unless you tell her.”

“I don’t understand.”

“What do you mean?” Princess Celestia asked with a slight bit of hope in her eyes.

“Why would you do that, I know you say I was acting badly, but could you not tell me to act in a different way and leave me be. Did you have to completely shatter my mind for the fun of it?” They stared at me looking down, and then this darker light lit Princess Celestia’s eyes scaring me.

“I’m ordering you to stay as guard of my sister.” Princess Celestia said with a sad expression on her face.

“I understand and will obey.” Tears went down her face as I got up finally able to stand after so long on my own ability.

“We will never do this again.” Princess Celestia said to Princess Cadance.

“I know, I know.” She said looking away. I went to the barracks changing out of my armor and taking a shower, before changing back and going to Princess Luna which was eating in the dining hall. They looked at me as I entered the room rushing over to me.

“What happen?” Night Jasper asked.

“I am Princess Luna’s guard, it is my command and I will not leave it for any reason even if it means death. I will follow and obey.” All three of them stared at me, even Princess Luna was shocked by my words having paused fork still in her mouth.

“But you.”

“I will not disobey an order to stay as Princess Luna’s guard. Please don’t ask any more of this. Go back to your posts please, that’s an order.” They went back to the doors.

“Did my sister order you to stay as my guard.”

“I cannot say.”

“You can tell me, why is it I sense fear, so much fear, betrayal and sadness?” Tears started running down my face.

“Princess, please excuse me, I need a moment.” Now even Princess Luna was reading my mind, and I had no right to stop her. I walked outside of the dining hall and going to a gentle-colt room wiping my tears away and hardening my heart. I stopped crying healing my eyes with magic so they didn’t look red. I cleaned myself up before going back to her.

“What has happen?” I looked at her.

“Nothing Princess, please do not mind my reaction earlier, it was unbecoming of a guard of a princess. I will reframe from any such reaction from now on.” My heart twisted seeing her expression become that of pure sadness, but then to a rage that I had never seen before all the months I had been with her.

She got out of the chair and walked fast leaving food half finished. I had to run to keep up with her, but I fell behind as she glided with her beautiful wings leaving me almost star stuck for a second, what was I thinking? Leave? Die? What the hell was I thinking?! I was going to give up the most beautiful and right thing in the world for what?! Them going into my mind because I wouldn’t tell them how I felt. Had my pride blinded me so much that I would give up the only thing that made my life worth living?

Hell no!

I ran at full speed boosting my speed so much that I ripped the rug with my hooves like tissue paper. I caught up to Princess Luna in less than ten seconds, jumping and tackling her flying through the door of the throne room, planting her flat onto the ground without hurting her even a little. Both Princess Celestia and Princess Cadance were shocked by our sudden appearance.

“Stop,” I said and she stared at me shocked and Onyx and Night Jasper were both shocked as well as they entered the room. “I um.” I paused realizing I had nothing to say, I hadn’t given it a second of thought. Both of us blushed being the first time in a long time being this close with her knowing it, though I had a feeling she always knew when I was close.

“What are you doing?” Princess Celestia asked.

“I was.” I backed off of Princess Luna and she got up looking at me. “I’m am so sorry forgive me!” I said bowing. “Please I, I have acted filly-ish, please I want to be Luna’s guard, I, I’m sorry. Please Princess Luna they did nothing wrong, I was acting wrong I’m sorry, please do not be mad.”

“Thank you Shadow, but this is not something I can simply let go.” She turned to both of them. “How dare you order my guard to keep being my guard when he was clearly scare!” She yelled at them. “I can understand a lot of things, but that is not one of them. Sister when did you ever force someone to do something they were scared to or simply didn’t want to do unless to save other?!”

“There were other.”

“QUIET!” She shouted in a growl at Cadance and the entire room shook violently nearly knocking every pony over. She went inches from Princess Celestia’s face gritting her teeth. “You ever touch my Shadow again and I'll kill you.” Princess Celestia stepped back seeing Princess Luna’s eyes glow red with dark magic energy.

“I won’t do it again, you have my word.” Princess Luna’s eye energy faded. She turned grabbing me, throwing me onto her back and walking back into the hallway. I blushed turning completely red and it showed through my fur easily.

“Um, princess.” I said scared, she paused as we neared the dream chamber turning completely and utterly red realizing what had happen, and what she had just said. She set me down.

“We’re so sorry about what happen, it will never happen again, and if it does you must tell me right away.”

“Will, and thank you.”

“Very well, we should go finish eating.” We went back to the dining room, I reheated her food and she kept eating before we went to the dream chamber. “You two wait outside please, I need to talk to Shadow.” They went outside closing the door. I looked at her a little nervous.

“What do you require?”

“About what I said, earlier.”

“Think nothing of it, I’m sure you were in the heat of the moment.” She blushed.

“Yes, I’m sure that’s what it was.”

“Well dreams to save.”

“Not this night.”

“What?”

“I’m feeling something more, the night is still early, and there is a concert hall playing a most lovely melody. I’m sure it would do us wonders, we so rarely go out any more. It would be nice.”

“Very well I will have.”

“Just us.” I paused.

“Very well Princess, we can go alone.” She smiled and I smiled. We walked out of the room. “Please go on ahead to the carriage, I will be there shortly.” She nodded leaving and I turned to them. “We will be going to a concert hall, follow and make sure to watch for anything weird, do not get noticed.”

“Looks like your moving up.” Night Jasper said.

“First of all shut up that’s a princess, she’s still far from my league.”

“Come on,” Onyx said. “You have to be joking, the way she threw you on her back, she completely wants to get closer to you, you have to be blind to not accept that.”

“Anyway follow please.”

“Are you sure?” Night Jasper asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Well I heard a story not too long ago, that Princess Luna aka nightmare moon will take ponies out that she likes and force them to run through a forest till they drop dead, or she catches them and then she rips out their insides forcing it down their throats till they choke to death.” I stared at him a little annoyed. I didn’t like anything the made her look even a little bad and I didn’t take kind to jokes.

“Well button it, that was nightmare moon, twilight and her friends cured her of that evil, she wouldn’t do that now if she ever did it.”

“Did you see her eyes?”

“Yes now do as you’re ordered and shut up about that.”

“Yes sir.” He nodded and I teleported appearing next to Princess Luna. I paused seeing her wearing something of battle armor, she normally didn’t wear anything while in the castle, but this worked nice to.

“Shadow.” She said smiling. We got onto the carriage and the two ponies looked at us wings ready.

“Where to Princess?” One of them asked.

“I need to pick something up at.” She looked at a piece of paper. “Three north and forty west.” I paused.

“That’s forest isn’t it?” The pony asked and I paused. I chuckled in my mind at the stupid thought, there was no way she was like that, right? No the chances of just hearing something like that were too big to believe, someone wanted to test me or scare me, or something. I wasn’t sure who but I would find out.

“Yes, there is a cabin there, I need to piece up a special cake.” They took flight flying us across the night sky.

“Wonderful night for a midnight feel.” She smiled.

“Yes a full moon tonight, it’s great for a nice moonlight dinner as well.” I smiled. “How about we walk after we get the cake, the concert hall isn’t far away.”

“Sound great.” She nuzzled me a little bit. She was happy and I hadn’t ever seen her this happy. It made me feel great, and completely cut away everything bad I had felt over the last day. We landed and I looked around. “Where is the cottage?”

“Not far but a little into the forest. We can’t land in there because the trees.” We got off and she turned to them. “Thank you, both of you can go back, well hoof the rest of this.”

“Well if your sure.”

“Yes.” They flew off and I looked at her smiling a little nervous.

“So how far in the forest is it?” I looked at her smiling and I stepped back, she had transformed into her nightmare moon form. “Oh you got to be kidding me.” She grinned showing a very toothy grin making me back up.

“Run.” She said stepping forward and blue flame lit the ground on fire. I turned and ran into the forest, exactly where she wanted me to go, I guess to make it more sport for her. I ran speeding up zigzagging using my magic to speed up.

“Portal open, come on.” I said trying to open a portal or teleport but it didn’t work no matter how much I put into it.

“Now, now!” She called with a spring to her voice. “That would be cheating.” I looked to my right as she appeared next to me. I jumped and she missed a grab as I landed on a tree force pushing and shattering the tree sending me flying through the air. Crashing through a tree to keep running having lost where I was, and the moon wasn’t helping. I chuckled at the thought of trying to use something that the person I was running from could move at will.

I stopped after a while tired and running low on life energy, rather I kept running or she captured me, one way or another I was surely going to die, she looked like she was out for blood, and that’s exactly what she was going to get.

“Stopped running?” She asked making me do a one hoof flip dodging her magic grab, I started running and she came after me

“Never!” I shouted playful even those I was about to pass out.

“Got you!” She grabbed at me and I jumped to the right boosting my speed, but having looked at the wrong moment ripping through a tree helmet snapping my neck too easily sending me fly and crashing into a tree, bending my armor cutting into my gut crushing several rips, probably shattering them, then rolling through the air landing on a rock scraping off my fur to start to bleed out.

The look on her face, cannot be described making me smile. She without a doubt was horror stricken, but that wasn’t it, it just could not be fully described at the emotions that she went through in seconds.

I chuckled as I barely choked out the words, “I love you.” I said in a gurgle of blood, bone mill, and flesh before everything went into a cold, wet blackness hearing her scream no, no, no!

Chapter 4

I opened my eyes to a hospital room, and a fluffy bed, a single door and single window were of the room. I looked at Princess Luna asleep to my right near the window, laying on cot next to my bed tears still running down her cheeks, glistening a beautiful blue stream. I smiled watching her sleep.

So long had I wanted to watch her sleep, never before had I stayed in her bedroom as she slept, no matter how much I wanted to, it just wasn’t something I wanted to creep her out with, no this was much better, the wait so worth it. I had never imagine she would shed a single tear for me, let alone a stream of them, no princesses were higher than any pony, they never cried, or were wrong.

I looked down, I had a neck cast, my right side completely wrapped in a cast and my left bandaged, but both my front legs and my hind left leg was fine. Other than that I was perfectly fine, which that in itself was a miracle.

“So can’t believe I’m alive.” I said in an almost laugh. Almost dying sucked, and big time, I wouldn’t do that again anytime soon. I stared at her sleeping so sadly, it broke my heart as much as it mended it. I wanted nothing more than to wake her, but to lose her was so much crueler I could barely stand the thought.

“How long you been awake?” I looked at Night Jasper.

“Shhhh.” I said and he chuckled putting down flowered in a vase.

“She’ll be pissed you didn’t wake her.”

“I don’t want to yet.”

“Why not?”

“This way I won’t lose her, she’s going to kill me, and this way she won’t forget me the second she wakes up.” He paused.

“That wouldn’t happen, she flew you back herself crying and hysterical. We still don’t know what happen.”

“I accidentally ran into a tree trying to impress her.” I chuckled and so did he. “Anyway this was completely my fault for messing around. Princess Luna doesn’t need to explain anything to any-pony.” He smiled.

“I bet, anyway, it’s good to see you awake caption, we’ll be outside.” He went outside the hospital room and Onyx waved when the door opened. I looked back at Princess Luna, she was crying so much more now, and it was clear she was no long asleep.

“It’s a good thing you’re asleep,” I said smiling as tears ran down my face. “Or me telling you I love you would be awkward and really, really silly.” She stifled a giggle cry pretending badly at this point. I chuckled smiling. “I’m sorry.” She opened her blood shot eyes.

She jumped forward hugging me. I wrapped my one good front hoof around her not cared for the bone crunching pain. She let go moving to my left side noticing I was in pain.

“I’m so sorry.” She said with tears running down her face.

“Don’t you mean we?” She chuckled sobbing. “I should have let you catch me, then I wouldn’t have messed up.”

“I’m sorry, that has never happen before.”

“You’ve done it before?”

“It’s how you court a colt, or at least that’s what Shining Armor told me, he said no one got hurt normally.” I laughed making my side hurt. “I guess that’s funny.”

“That’s not how you court a colt at all, you go to dinner or a play or any number of things, you don’t chase them around scaring them half to death.”

“Oh.”

“Don’t worry though, even if you were choking me to death on my intestine I’m sure I would still be the happiest colt alive, Princess Luna.” She kissed me surprising me, but I moved closer kissing her back.

“Just Luna.” She said smiling.

A few days went by and Princess Luna, or Luna as I had started calling her would only leave for about an hour a day to raise and lower the moon. I ended up heading back to Canterlot being in the hospital in Ponyville.

I grunted using a wheel crutch for my hind leg which was broken. Luna had more than once teleported me back to bed and broke my wheel crutch trying to stop me, but a nice pony would come by every day to sell me a new one, or a new dozen. I just couldn’t stay in bed and I was still more of a war pony than any-pony else. Plus I had a bone to pick with Shining Armor, I owed him a broken leg and neck, maybe a few ribs as well.

“I told you this is the gala we’re talking about, everything always goes wrong, so till you tell me you have every possible entry covered don’t come back, and when you finish then double check again!” He shouted at a guard and I went over to him. He turned pausing.

“Hello Shining Armor.”

“Ah, Shadow, what are you doing out of bed?” He took a step back.

“You telling Luna that chasing a colt to court them was really smart, if it worked in killing me that is. Well I lived.” He backed up more. “And I’m pissed. Now before I rip out your bones and feed you your own marrow, tell me why you would do something like that?!” He stopped.

“Well I didn’t realize it would go so badly, I didn’t want you to get hurt.”

“HELLO! Second most powerful pony in existence, moves the freaking moon around the planet, how did you think it would possibly GO!?”

“Well after Cadance came back she was all sad, I just wanted to play a prank, I didn’t realize that it would go bad, maybe a few scrapes from running in the forest, but I figured she’d catch you.”

“I thought she was going to eat me.” I growled and his eyes went wide backing up. “She didn’t tell me it was a game, I ran for nearly four hours straight! If the running didn’t kill me I thought for sure she would!”

“Sorry, sorry I didn’t know.”

“You’re lucky that Luna is right behind me frowning or I would kill you where you stand!” I yelled as I appeared on my bed sighing.

“Give me it.” I handed her the crutch and she turn it to dust falling into the trashcan, she wasn’t happy. She went over me. “How many times must I.” I kissed her pulling her close to me and she smiled.

“I’m sorry, but I just had to tell him off.”

“I am sorry as well, I know bed is boring, but you must stand it for a while longer.”

“Are you going to the Gala?” She chuckled.

“I think my dance partner is a little left hoofed.” I chuckled.

“I’m sorry.”

“It isn’t your fault no matter how many time you say it.”

“And it wasn’t yours.” She kissed me, then she laid on my chest, only to start licking a bloody bandage for a few seconds realizing what she was doing looking at me her tongue on the bandage and I chuckled as she got up, exchanging my bandage with her magic.

“Better?”

“Yeah, thanks.” She laid back down and I brushed her mane with my magic. The night went on and she fell asleep next to me. It didn’t matter how many times I saw it, I loved her, and there was nothing which was going to make me change my mind. The gala came and went and she barely left my side for more than what seemed like a moment, even though the gala sounded like a blast. In some cases it literally sounded like someone had blown up. Including a very rather loud scream by Fluttershy which still confused me after the Gala.

“NO MONSTER I WILL NOT LET YOU PASS!” I heard Shining Armor shout, I looked outside and his shield was double bubbled. I got up not waking Luna going over to the window using a hidden wheel crutch I had stashed. Every guard pony was in combat armor ready for a fight.

“What in the world?” I asked seeing pink clouds raining brown water on the shield, I sniffed the air it was chocolate smelling with a mix of milk, it was raining chocolate milk, what in the world? I looked at Luna still asleep, it was best I not wake her.

I walked to the throne room and stopping seeing the shield around Canterlot fall. I looked at Princess Celestia a little nervous.

“Princess, what’s the matter.” She looked at me.

“Shadow, what are you doing here?! You need to be in bed.” She got off her throne and walked over to me. “Luna will be furious if.”

“Miss me?” I turned to a weird creature.

“Discord.” She said and I paused looking at him.

“Oh don’t be that way.” He walked over to us using his horns to walk with. “I mean is that any way to treat the new ruler of Equestria? After I beat your little champions I decided to come and see my favorite little princess. Now where is she?” He disappeared into the ground appearing behind us. I pushed Princess Celestia and he grabbed air going face first into my hoof’s metal shoe. He fell back wincing in pain.

“Why you little brat!” He merged into the ground again. I turned around frowning as he went around the wall.

“I don’t know how you got pass Shining Armor’s shield but you won’t hurt the Princesses on my watch.”

“Oh, Princesses, I didn’t know that Nightmare Moon was back from the moon. You hardly said anything Celestia my dear.”

“Nightmare moon?” I asked and I stopped appearing in front of me only to be hit over the head with my metal shoe sending him back into the ground.

“OW! That hurt! How did you know I was going to appear there?!”

“I can see you are chaos, there for you do not follow order, in which means your simple to understand, just because something is chaotic, doesn’t mean it doesn’t follow a certain path, I would kill you long before you were able to touch Princess Celestia.”

“Oh your no fun, come now what’s your name?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Hmmm, you wouldn’t happen to be Twilight’s other brother would you.” I started to laugh.

“Oh please, you don’t think I would be Shining Armor’s bother would you? I really hate him!” I shouted and the ground shook making him fall from the ceiling hitting the ground rather hard in front of me.

“What, why can’t I fly?!”

“You have wings but can’t use air to fly, so I add more air and you can’t fly.” He stared at me stunned.

“You’re dangerous, and very much not fun! How is it that you have no doubt, or, oh I see, Celestia, I thought it taught you better than keeping dangerous pets! He’s just full of life draining magic, he could kill you if he wanted to.”

“Or you.” I said shooting a bolt into the ceiling making him fall to the ground on the other wall bleeding slightly.

“Very well this isn’t fun anymore, but it doesn’t change the fact that I have won! I will be back to collect my price after I am done with my other toys.” He disappeared causing a flash behind us.

“Thank you Shadow, I feared what may have happen had he found me alone.”

“You should thank Shining Armor for that victory, had he not shouted waking me up I would have not come to you aid till it was possibly too late.

“Your kindness has no bounds Shadow.”

“Well in the end I did get closer to Luna because of it, so in a way I am thankful, but I did not like that she spilled tears over me.

“Thank you, but you should get back before Luna founds out.” She looked around. “And I'll send you a few more wheel crutches.” I chuckled smiling and she smiled. “I am glad, and I am still sorry for what happen.”

“It’s fine, really, but next time I just tell you.”

“Thank you.” I went back to my room and sat onto my bed waking Luna. I chuckled a little and she frowned. I passed the wheel crutch to her and it turned to dust.

“Where do you keep getting them?!” She asked looking under the bed and I chuckled a little nervous.

While I had saved Princess Celestia from discord for an instant not even I could hold my hooves from stomping when I heard that Twilight Sparkle and her friends had claimed victory over discord trapping him once again, and saving Equiseta once again.

Chapter 5

I healed day after day almost restrained to my bed, and Nightmare Night came around, a night which was named after the pony I loved more than air. Left for the whole night, and in her stead oddly enough, Princess Celestia had taken her place, humming a pleasant song the whole night trying her best to keep me away from getting back at Shining Armor, I was still mad enough to break a leg, but of course I wouldn’t do something like that while Luna was gone to have fun. It simply wouldn’t be fair to ruin her first special day after getting back from a thousand years of imprisonment.

“HA-HA!” Luna shouted in a more normal voice waking both of us up. I eyed her a little at her happy smile. She jumped landing softly next to me.

“It went good I’m guessing?”

“Wonderful, Twilight Sparkle is truly a wonderful pony. I had so much fun.” I smiled kissing her.

“I'll leave you both be.” Princess Celestia said smiling, then getting up and leaving the room.

“So how much longer do you need to have that cast on?”

“With the healing magic, my ribs are heal and my insides, they said they don’t have magic able to fix bones so another day or two.” She felt my side with her hoof and I smiled pulling her close. “Don’t worry I don’t break that easily.” She smiled.

“I would hope not.” She said in a loving tone.

“Hey you speak normal now.”

“I have not been speaking normal? Why haven’t you told me?” I paused.

“Um, I guessed it was a princess thing?” She hummed, and we made out. The next day came and the doctor came inside the room looking at me, Luna was away.

“Why hello Shadow, how are you feeling today?”

“Great, my leg doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“That’s great, you are off the meds and everything is looking good. We should be able to take off the cast and put on a brace, it’ll fix any small problems and you should be able to run again shortly, after so long stuck in a bed I imagine you’ll be thrilled.”

“Oh I will be.”

“Now then, hold still, I don’t want to clip you.” He started to take of my star painted brace which covered my side and leg. He finished cutting with a magic blade after a few minutes. I flexed my leg a little and it felt fine, but it wasn’t the first time I had broken a leg, looks could deceive. He put on a leg brace making it hard to bend my knee, luckily I had only broke my shin bone on my leg, or it would have taken longer.

“Um, what about the neck brace?” I asked pointing to my neck. He chuckled lightly, and sighed seeing me eye him.

“You’re extremely lucky that you only dislocated all but one of your vertebra. One was completely gone, and one implant later with a large bust of Luna’s magic, you were repaired, but it should be perfectly fine right now, actually you could have taken that off weeks ago, probably a month ago at least.” He chuckled and I sneered at him. I cut it off instantly with my magic and it fell to the bed, he grunted a little, but looked at my leg.

“Can I walk around?”

“No running, walking around will be slightly painful, work up to running, might take a week or two more before you can run, but don’t walk around too much, while the bone has set it isn’t completely repaired, that’s what’s the brace is for. You’re ribs healed stronger than before so you should be fine there.”

“Cool.” He held out a wheel crutch.

“I hate these things.” I strapped it to my thigh and hoof. I started walking and Luna paused at the door as I was about to walk out.

“Oh you are in so much trouble.”

“Cast is off.” She looked and then nuzzled me a little. “Now if you’ll excuse, I have some other business to attend to.” I went to walk past her and she grabbed my mane pulling me in front of her.

“That business wouldn’t be killing Shining Armor would it?” I chuckled nervously. “We talked about this, you cannot kill him, he is to marry Cadance once she comes of age. Now then, you need to get back to being my guard.” I sighed.

“I haven’t been your guard for a while.”

“You most certainly have!” She said stepping forward making me step back into a dresser. “You protected Princess Celestia in injured form!” I gave a fake smile scared. “Are you saying you will no longer protect me?!”

“I never said I wouldn’t protect you, I just meant I’ve injured enough and on grounds of dismissal, I’ve been on leave for a while. Once I heal I'll be dismissed from the guard, and no longer be allowed in Canterlot as a guard.”

“What?!” She said with a whimsy voice pausing. “No.” She said clearing her throat. “I will have it removed this instant, I am Princess Luna Princess Celestia’s sister. I will not allow for such a thing to happen.”

“But that’s.”

“Fine, we’ll move you to my personal servant.” I swallowed. “Then we’ll see how badly you want to stay as my guard.”

“I'll stay as your guard.” She chuckled happy.

“Oh still going to be my servant, now then, we will be going to my bedchambers.”

“Ah, but I don’t have my armor on.”

“We would take it off anyway, come.” I blushed a little and followed without question, not so much so that I wasn’t freaking out, and didn’t want to ask. It was more I didn’t want to insight doubt.

Onyx and Night Jasper chuckled behind me and I gave them a sneer and they straightened up quickly. We went inside and they stayed outside. I looked at her as she locked the door turning to me.

“Ah, Princess?” She moved forward making me nervous. I bumped into her bed and looked at her slightly nervously. “What-what do you want me to do?” I asked and she smiled using her magic to set me on the bed jumping on top of me.

“I have been locked away for a thousand years, before it was not uncommon to have special relations with those you fancy, and I fancy you a lot.” I swallowed as our decency barriers faded making me stare at her face.

Much to my and her pleasure I was not unready for such a relationship, and it was not like Princess Celestia did not have her own favorite pony to help her with such matters, it just turned out to me a mare. Though I bet it would confuse Twilight Sparkle if she ever found out such things, she was still young. Also it was Shining Armor which happen to take on the job for Princess Cadance, they were both young so it was only natural for them to fall in love.

I sighed being chained to her bed, she had a thing for something a bit darker than I had ever imagined, and keeping me under lock and key was something she took very seriously as she tended to with many things.

“Going crazy?” I looked at Night Jasper, he had unofficially become her personal guard, while I still was on the same level as Shining Armor, I wasn’t free to actually protect Luna from anything other than lust and boredom. She often toyed with me in almost border line cruel games which she considered fun.

“I’m way past that.” He chuckled.

“What don’t enjoy her company anymore?”

“Oh I’ve never been more in love with her if that’s what you mean, I still am completely crazy for her, but I do wish I could stay with her every second of every day. Just staying in here isn’t what I call guard duty.”

“Yeah well while she’s not around you she’s in something of a bad mood. I see doubt in her when I ask if you can come, I think she fears you escaping or something.” I smiled, she cared for me as much as I did for her, but she often scared people and she thought that would cause me to run from her.

Wait a second, I paused sniffing the air a little biting my lip. Luna was listening from behind the door, a test.

“Escaping, if I wanted to escape I could just teleport and start running, she may control the moon but if I wanted to I would never be found. No I love her far too much to even think of that, I just wish she trusted me more. She certainly doesn’t need chains to keep me here.” The door opened and she walked inside.

“You knew I was here.” I smile.

“I only noticed when he said you were in a bad mood. You should also know very well I would never leave you. Rather if I was your guard or a normal citizen I would stock you to the ends of the world.” I chuckled. “I would slaughter everyone in Canterlot if it was to have you only as mine.” I smiled at the thought of only her and me forever. I stopped and looked at both of them a little too shocked by my words.

“You would even kill Princess Celestia?” Onyx said and I chuckled a little nervously as they all stared at me.

“I-I would never, maybe.” I said unsure of myself. “Anyway that would never happen because I doubt you would ever throw me out or stop me from wanting to be your guard. I mean the personal relations are nice but just being near you is everything I could ever need. Now let’s move on.”

“You would not kill thine sister!” She said her wings spreading out. “Tell me this now!”

“I would not make you that promise.” She went close to my face.

“Promise me this now! Or I swear to you that you will spend the next few days without me in the dungeon!” I kissed her and her expression changed for a moment, but then went back to being stern. I chuckled a little. “Now!” I pulled her onto the bed so we were face to face shocking her a little.

“I would not make a promise I could not keep to you. If she got in my way, there is nothing I would not do to get to you.” She stared at me.

“Should I escort him to the dungeon?” Night Jasper asked as Luna and I share a stare, neither of us moving.

“Promise me this if you love me.”

“Do not make me promise that.”

“Promise.” I sighed.

“I promise I would not kill Princess Celestia unless ordered by you.”

“No even if ordered by me.”

“Fine.”

“Good.” She smiled unlocking my collar. “Now then, you may go get dressed as my guard now that your brace is finally off.” I smiled “No killing Shining Armor.”

“I wasn’t going to kill him.” She narrowed her eyes a little.

“Maybe break a bone.”

“No harm shall come of him!”

“Fine.” I got up and left. I cleaned myself up trying to wash Luna’s smell off of me, oh how I loved it, but I couldn’t have others thinking things, I wouldn’t be able to resist the urge to rip off their snouts.

I changed into my armor pausing, this armor was annoying to take off, took like five minutes with the straps, and after it had been fixed it weighed a little more on my right side than my left having had to chop off parts and then reattach them.

Not only that but the blacksmith which did it should never see the other side of a blacksmith shop again, whoever it was had not only caused my armor to look like crap, but my helmet was now warped from bad heating.

“Shadow.” I looked at Shining Armor still in gear but with one hoof guard off, he quickly put it back on. “You’re looking better.” He said clearly nervous even with over a dozen of his guard around us.

“Yeah, if it wasn’t for the fact Luna doesn’t want me to kill you or harm you, you and I would probably be crashing through the wall into the gardens. Now I should go back, I’ve been put back on her guard.”

“You left the guard? I wasn’t notified.”

“You wouldn’t be, it was medical, I’ve broken my legs the max amount of times allowed, and I’ve been in one too many battles. Under the law I should be able to retire with my title intact, I was just going to use a medical reason, but apparently Luna wants me to keep being her guard, nothing more.”

“Oh.”

“So how have you been?”

“After Discord I’ve been working on my magic, I can now do three bubbles, though after what happen I wouldn’t be surprised if that wouldn’t work.”

“Discord? Oh yeah, I nearly forgot about him, I had protected Princess Celestia against him while Luna slept.”

“What?!”

“Yeah it wasn’t a big thing, I was still in my cast so I couldn’t do much, but I stalled him enough that I was able to fend him off. I punched him in the face twice.” I chuckled. “But yeah anyway.”

“You must teach me how you did it.”

“What?”

“Well I was defenseless against him, he got through my shield without trying, I couldn’t lay a hoof on him.”

“You would if you ever go war, anyway you should ask the old Caption those things, or is Princess Cadance too unruly in bed to give you time?” He blushed.

“Hey now don’t think I don’t know about you and Princess Luna.” I frowned.

“Don’t dare go there, I would not allow for you to disgrace my princess’s honor by suggesting such a thing!” I stomped my right hind leg and it didn’t hurt as the ground shook a little.

“You went there first.”

“You’re getting married, there’s a large difference you fool! It is expected of you to do that, but it is not of me. As caption of the guard I would expect better of you, especially now that we have equal rank and you are getting married to a princess!”

“Yeah well I still protect Princess Celestia, that is my honor.”

“Lucky you.” I growled.

“You may be of rank, but you do not have the honors I do.”

“You were born into your rank,” I growled making my eyes glow black. “I earned mine, I have more accommodations than you know how to count. I have protected them since you and your entire petty guard were in your mother’s wombs. I was also the guards which noticed Princess Cadance’s talent, it was because of me she became one. If anything you should know your place, because to me your just a filly playing soldier.” He swallowed, but stood his ground with a fool’s valiant.

“How dare you, I am the most powerful guard!”

“Was that before or after I broke your shield?” He gritted his teeth.

“You only cracked it! You could not do it again!”

“You want to bet your life on that?!”

“STOP!” We both looked at Princess Celestia bowing. She looked at us frowning. “I came here to see why the ground shook, but only to find you two arguing, are you the captions of the guard or not?!” She scolded.

“We, I.” Shining armor started but then stopped. He had never been in trouble with Princess Celestia before, her prized guard, the one that could do nothing wrong. The only thing that was good about him was his shield, and even then he couldn’t stop Discord nearly leaving Princess Celestia to his fury. While all respected him, all feared me.

“We apologize my Princess.” I said looking at her with a hard voice. “We did not intend to go to blows or interrupt you, I am sorry.”

“Maybe you both should duel.” We looked at her surprised. “It would only be fair, you two have been at each other’s throat for far too long, even Discord himself would be shocked at you and your chaos.”

“But I was ordered by Luna not harm him.”

“You would disobey me?”

“Forgive me, but I follow her orders above all else.” Both of them stared at me for a moment.

“Luna,” she said and Luna came forward frowning making me back up. “Would you care to release that order?”

“Just don’t kill him.” She said smiling.

“Very well.” I said smiling and Shining Armor became uneased. We followed them and they took us to a large dirt area used normally for jousting. At least half of the guard was watching from the stands, more gathering by the second.

“We will need rules.” Princess Celestia said.

“I know,” Luna said. “How about this, if Shining Armor is able to block with his shield and stop Shadow from breaking inside, then he will win. This way no one breaks bones or gets hurt, just a little drained.”

“Shining Armor, if you would.” Princess Celestia said. His shield went around him, then a second and a third making him smiled. “Are you ready?”

“Yes, I am ready.”

“Do I have a time limit?” I asked smiling.

“Just till the sun rises,” Luna said. “Then you must stop because we will have to go and do our duties.”

“Oh then this will be a piece of cake.” Shining Armor swallowed now nervous, I had cracked his shield the first time with just a few blows.

“You may begin.” Luna said. I let out a breath making the ground shake making Shining Armor lose his balance for only a moment which was all I needed as I shot forward nearly breaking the magic barrier. I punched with my right hoof, forcing an incredible amount of magic power into the punch, shattering through the first two shields easily, and cracking the third one sending out a shock wave rippling the ground. Everyone near us flipped over from the blast, but Princess Celestia and Luna shocked by the blast.

“You dare think for a moment that you’re any match for me?” I growled making him step back shaking. Tears in my skin from my speed made me bleed enough to look very fearsome.

I jumped back teleporting and he tried to bring back his shield but I shot down from above shattering through from above landing right next to him sending him flying through a few wooden crates. I walked over to him cracking the ground with each step. He looked at me in fear and Princess Celestia appeared in front of me stopping me.

“STOP!” She commanded with her wings out. “You have proven your power, there is no more need for you to fight.” I growled and a black mist made her frown. “I said stop now!” She command making the air vibrate. Every pony but Luna and I covered their ears.

“Stop Shadow.” Luna said nuzzling me a little, and I looked at her.

“But he made you cry.” I said trembling.

“Please.”

“I did, I have, haven’t I?” I asked unsure. She went in front of me pressing our horns together healing me. I looked around and no pony spoke from fear.

“Come back my Shadow, stop this rage that possesses you.”

“I am sorry.”

“Shining Armor.” Princess Celestia said and he got up shaking, coming over to me.

“I am truly sorry,” he said bowing his head. “Please accept my apology, I dishonored himself by playing such games.”

“No my friend, my rage was not your fault, I have had fear of losing what I never had, and when such things passed, jealousy and rage filled the void which sadness could not. I am sorry as well, for I must apologize to you for how I acted. I have been alive far too long to allow such filly-ish notions to control me. I hope we are able to get on and be friends.” He smiled.

“Of course.”

“And if you wish to learn anything, please do not hesitate to come to me, experience is a dear teacher, but I hope for all of Equestria’s sake you never have to learn the lessons that I have had to learn over my life.”

“Thank you.”

“Come Shadow, we have other things we need to attend to.” I nodded following her to her bed chambers and I paused as we entered. She locked the door looking at me. “You and I need to talk.”

“What about?”

“You and I, your feelings have clouded your duty. You are a guard.”

“And if I wasn’t then this wouldn’t be a problem.” She paused. “If you had let me retire for a medical reason I could leave with title intact, but now I cannot.”

“Retire?”

“Of course, why do you think I requested it?”

“You did not say.”

“I thought you knew, I explained my reasoning to Princess Celestia, but as law states I cannot leave till I have full filled my remaining time, which will end when I’m in my later years.”

“I thought you wanted to stay with me.”

“I do, without pause, but I do not wish to be just your guard.” She paused.

“I cannot marry though.”

“What?”

“Neither Princess Celestia nor I are ever able to get married. Long ago this was set so we do not lose our immortality to love.” I looked down. “If you were to leave as my guard we would never be able to be together.” She had a rather sad look across her face.

“I, I did not know, but then why did Princess Celestia make it sound like that could be possible when she promoted me?”

“Oh that wasn’t to suggest we could marry, that was to suggest we could have special relations, and do basically anything we wanted together. My sister also added to your powers to ignore royal guard duties completely, you don’t have to protect us at all. You could go pick roses all day and do anything you wish.”

“So basically we could act like we’re married, but we could never receive the title?”

“Yes, as mare of the moon I am never to be married, and we would never be allowed to let others know of our relationship outside of the guard of course, but other than that yes, we could do anything.”

“That’s wonderful.”

“Of course this way you also can keep Shining Armor humble, he was too boastful and was starting to get into trouble.” She giggled.

“I don’t think I'll be fighting him again anytime soon. I think I scared him too much, it was not my intent.”

“Of course.”

“So anything?”

“Well besides following my sister’s and my orders, yes anything you like.” I kissed her pushing her onto the bed.

“Then I will not let you have a moment alone.” She smiled giggling a little.

“But I must keep doing my job.”

“Alright, um, I should clean my armor and properly repair it. It’s a little heavy on the side, and it looks unfitting for a caption.”

“Of course.”

“I will be back shortly.” We kissed each other and I got off of her locking the door with my magic before walking pass Night Jasper.

“Come you two, we have other things to attend to.” I smiled going at almost a prance.

“No, it is not time.” I stopped at a corner looking around it slightly. There were three unicorns I had never seen before inside the castle. “We must wait till the right moment, it is still a while away, it must be after Twilight Sparkle and her friends have left separated, so it would take too long for them to come back.”

I thought for a moment. I had been locked away all Hearth’s Warming Eve, which was on the second week of me being locked away. I had been told they had come to put a play by Luna, but at the moment I didn’t know where any of them were.

“But the guards are catching on, if we delay any longer, we may get caught, and now is the perfect time, the guards were at the fight earlier, if we move now we can do it while they are not back at their posts.”

“It matters not, so long as the leader isn’t recognized before it is time, then we will be ready, now keep going.”

“Oh, and who is your leader?” I asked turning the corner making them look at me startled.

“Caption.” One of them said shaking a little.

“What are you planning, tell me this now or I will arrest you all.” They looked at each other now.

“We can’t tell you, you’re in the guard.”

“I am not in the guard, I am Caption of the Guard, now you will tell me or I will have you arrested where you stand.”

“We were planning a guard party,” the leader of the three said. “We had not wanted to tell any pony because it was to be a surprise.”

“You dare lie to me?” I growled at them and they backed up. “Now answer my question, whom is your leader?!” I took a step forward. “Tell me now or you will regret the day you were birthed into this world.”

“Princess Cadance!” The last of them said shaking and they looked at her.

“Then why don’t we go talk?” I stopped mid sentence, Princess Cadance wasn’t here, in fact she wasn’t going to be back from a trip till her wedding. Something about needing to go Hollow Shades for something.

“Yes Princess Cadance is our leader, she won’t be back for some time, we were to do it without her.” The leader said and I sighed.

“You only have made me madder, you will tell me the truth or.” My horn lit with darkness making them back up. “I'll make you.”

“SHADOW!” Princess Celestia shouted and I turned to her. “What in the world do you think you’re doing?!”

“These three.” I turned looking around, the three were gone.

“These three what?”

“There were three ponies here conspiring. They must have teleported when I turned my back.”

“You were alone in this hallway, I turned the corner after you and stopped when you did, then you started yelling at nothing. I did not want you blowing a hole in the wall, so I stopped you.”

“They must have been shielded from your eyes, I could feel them teeming with magical energy.”

“Really?”

“Yes they,” I said freezing. “I didn’t mean it in that way, I just meant.”

“That I am weak?” She asked with her normal pleasant voice. Other than a few times she rarely raised her voice unless for something important. Though with me it was become almost every time we met.

“I would never suggest or say that to any pony.” I said looking at three of her guards which were a little unnerved.

“Maybe it would be wise for you to rest for a while, go to Baltimare or even Manehatten with Luna and seek rest, or Neighagra Falls might be better being calming and having no large group of pony around.”

“I, maybe it would be.” I said looking down.

“Good.” She turned leaving and I went forward scanning the area clearly seeing magic residue from some kind of invisibility magic, and teleport magic. It would not be clear to anyone without dark magic, but it was to me.

I blinked teleporting following the trail and appearing in front of Princess Celestia nearly skewing her with my horn, only pricking her, making her back up.

“Aaaa!” She yelled at me surprised backing up with one arm up as if blocking herself. I stared at her for a moment both of us shocked.

“I.” I started but guards ran in front of her defending her.

“Shadow.”

“Stay back your highness, we will protect you.” One of the guard said.

“Stop, why did you teleport me, I nearly poked out my eye.”

“When meant to teleport to the blacksmith and I somehow ended up here, I am sorry I did not mean to almost injure you.”

“I believe you, maybe you should walk there next time.” She could see clear that it was a lie, and she knew I knew.

“I will.” I jogged away, once out of sight I ran. Talk about one of my worse possible appearances. I got to the royal blacksmith and a colt looked at me in soot covered armor. I went over to him.

“Hi.”

“Um I need you to repair this so it looks nice.” I took of my main body armor setting it onto the counter. He looked at me for a moment. He wasn’t the one that made the armor, but he should be just as good.

“I was the one which repaired this, it looks fine.”

“What? You are the royal blacksmith, you cannot seriously tell me, that it was you which made this crap patch job on my armor! This armor is worth a thousand bits, you better not be telling me you did a five bit job on two thousand bit armor!” I yelled at him and he stepped back hitting a brick, it fell hitting a hot iron and it hit my back burning for a moment, before falling to the ground without me even flinching.

“I, um,” he stuttered seeing my wound heal. “I don’t normally repair armor, I make new armor you’re free to pick from the rest of my sets.”

“This set was made for me by my parents. It cannot simply be replaced for another set, it needs to be repaired.”

“You’ll have to find another, I’m sure Canterlot will have someone.” I growled putting my armor back on and walking out of the blacksmith. I sighed going out of the castle onto the streets of Canterlot.

Chapter 6

I went to a dozen blacksmiths before stopping at the final one in Canterlot before I would have to go to an entirely new city to look.

“Hello, I’m Hammer how can I help you?” A green mare asked, the soot on her made dark patches in her coat. I set my armor on the counter and she looked at me.

“Whoa, that’s some really bad repair work on a very expensive armor set, how did that happen?” I set my helmet on the table as well and she eyed it. “Really what in the world happen to this set? I mean my work is good but this was made by a master. Not even I can crown gold this well, and I’m the best in all of Canterlot.”

“Can you repair it? I have literally gone to every last blacksmith in Canterlot.” She looked at it.

I was lucky in some way, any good blacksmith would be open all night long because it took days and nights of nonstop work to make good armor pieces. She picked up my helmet with her hoof, she was an earth pony, a rare one at that if she was able to be a blacksmith.

“Well I can fix you main body piece very nicely, it might not look without a small flaw or two, but it can be done. Then your helmet, if it was just cracked or even if it was just bent and crushed, I could fix it easily, probably in a few hours at most.”

“Please don’t say a but, please.”

“But,” she said with a sad expression. “This helmet was remolded to fix whatever was wrong with it, then quenched several times before they stopped. The gold, was mixed too heavily to even attempt to retrieve it, at least not without completely melting it down, and even then, I couldn’t completely unmix it. The onyx steel is separated, which I didn’t even know was possible to do, at least not without really, and I mean really screwing up. I would literally have to recreate this piece.”

“I was afraid you would say that.”

“I’m sorry, but had you come to me in the first place I could have repaired it, I might have even been able to improve it, but.” She sighed. “This is just how it is, of course I’m sure which ever pony made this for you could repair it.”

“It was made by my parents when I became a guard, they knew I would become a guard caption one day and made it to shine. My parents passed some time ago and I was not raised in the art of blacksmith to be able to do it myself, or at least not well enough to my liking.”

“I see, I am sorry about your helmet, but there is nothing I can do there, I would literally have to start with new material. I cannot save it.” I sighed.

“Very well, I'll have it as a keep sake, how much will it cost to repair my other armor and create me a helmet of the same style?” I pulled out a picture showing my helmet and armor on a dummy in its original condition.

“Ooo.” She said picking it up with a bit of pleasure. “No one has ever brought in a picture of what they wanted before, this must have cost a few bits.”

“And it was when pictures took weeks.”

“Whoa, you don’t look that old.”

“It doesn’t seem like that long ago, but yes I am probably your father’s age.”

“He’s forties.”

“Okay older than your father, grandfather.”

“Fifties?”

“Great grandfather.”

“He’s in his seventies.” I sighed.

“I’m a hundred and thirty four, maybe I should just go at thirty four from now on, eh it doesn’t matter.”

“Whoa, you age really well, how are you alive?”

“I live on magic energy, if I don’t use my magic in theory I could live forever, but I’m a royal guard so, how much?”

“Ah, well the helmet will cost about, around five hundred bits, the onyx steel is not cheap to make.”

“That’s extremely high.”

“The price is justified, the onyx coal alone for this is though the roof in price, just a pound is a hundred bits and I need three of them. Then probably fifty gold bits for the gold edging plus another fifty for the steel to mix. Taking into the account of craftsmanship and the need for time, this is not going to be a simple project, a hundred bits for the work is a little low all things considered, but I'll be learning from it, so justified.”

“And the repair?”

“The repair will be a hundred bits, I'll have to remove what’s been added and then reforge parts as well as remaking a piece or two, but I’m sure I'll have enough extra from your helmet to med it properly.”

“Sounds good, how long?”

“Well probably around six weeks.”

“What?!”

“Well you have to understand, creating a helmet that is not only this fine, but this strong is hard. Onyx steel is not used by anyone because mixing it is extremely hard, just try mixing metal and stone and you tell me if you make something strong. While this makes you magic resistant, it also makes you expensive and time consuming.”

“I don’t have a choice do it?”

“Not unless you want to add another two hundred bits for more onyx coal. Then I could afford to waste some of it and get it exact without worrying about wasting materials to create the helmet.”

“How about I get you the onyx coal, would that work?”

“Well if you got it today I could have it ready in two weeks maximum. I would have to wait mostly for it to come in.”

“Now that is much better, wait could I pay you in onyx coal if I got you enough?” She thought for a second.

“Yes I would accept payment in that because it’s so rare.”

“Can you start work or do you have to have that to start?”

“Well I can get everything heated and start the steel, as well as gold melting, but I will need the gold bits to smelt, or it’ll take me a few days to get from the bank.” A bag appeared having fifty bits in it.

“There, is that enough.”

“It should be, if I need more I'll tell you, also I can do about half of the needed work before I need it.”

“I'll be back maybe in a few days then.”

“Wait where are you going to get it?”

“San Palomino Desert.”

“There’s onyx coal there?”

“I’ve traveled all over Equestria, I know a few things most don’t, also my parents used to take me when they needed to gather materials.”

“I'll buy as much as you can get, the only place I know that has it for sure is Smokey Mountain and that place is dangerous.”

“Really, I didn’t realize anyone was stupid enough to steal from a dragons roost.” I chuckled a little. “Though not that a dragon would be a problem, eh, they are about the same distance now that I think about it, but for the dragon I would not need to go get an armor set to get it.”

“You can use one of mine.” She came around and started measuring me. She stopped after a few seconds realizing she hadn’t asked me, and that I was in perfect condition, I was also larger than most colts in many ways. “Um, sorry.” She said blushing.

“It’s fine.” She kept going and went into the back bringing up a tan set of armor. She came over to me putting it on. It was considerably lighter than most, and seemed to be unnaturally cool to the touch.

“This is my desert armor, it’s light but has a special magic weave so it’s cooler in the day time, but keeps the heat in the night. The armor is slightly reflective so it dims in light, at a hundred or so feet you’ll appear as a mirage to most things.”

“This is really good work, you should come and be the royal blacksmith, he was the one that did this to my armor.”

“Ouch, but I turned that down long ago, I make way more money this way.”

“Oh.”

“But if you send anyone my way I'll give them a discount.”

“Alright.” She set a helmet on me. “This is very comfortable armor, how is it that you have such fine thread without having it rip?”

“Magic weave is a special that my sister makes, I buy from her because it’s the best fabric out there and she only sells in Canterlot or I would be all over the place, anyway she sets it with magic and gets an one of a kind fabric, of course those she can do it again and again so it isn’t really one of a kind, but enough so that no one else gets it.

“That sounds interesting.” She smiled.

“Anyway, since I’m doing a job for you I'll loan it out to you, it’s only simple steel so even if you screw it up big time I can easily fix it, just try not to do that, I loan one of five out to anyone needing it right away.”

“So this armor isn’t your best work?”

“Well certainly not my best work, but it works for basic combat, now off you go.” A backpack appeared on my back.

I teleported appearing in Ponyville and then teleporting again appearing on the tracks over the Ghastly Gorge before teleporting again appearing at the edge of the San Palomino mountain. It was a rather wild area. Colt eating monsters often trailed in the area with kill on sight feeding habits. Considerably more dangerous than a dragon’s nest because the threats weren’t always clear.

I started walking as the sand turned to glass. I had to hoof it from the bottom of the mountain, because of the minerals in this area of the mountain could block magic and turn it against the user hurting them.

Onyx coal was one of the few minerals which had a very high magic defense, I could stand against any magic user in full onyx coal armor, but it was brittle and easy to break, so mixing it with steel or other things was needed.

“I told you this was the wrong way!” I looked at a two colts arguing on some kind of contraption of some sort. We were in the middle of the desert, not a simple place you wanted to be, especially this area.

“No look it’s this way.” One said pointing toward Apple-Wood. I walked over to them and they looked at me, on jumping into the other’s arms. It was night and I was wearing color matching armor along with my dark fur, so it was understandable.

“Let go of me!” One of them said letting the other fall out of his arms. “Can’t you see that’s a pony.” I eyed them, they were odd for sure, wheat weave hat, black and blue bow ties, white shirt with a blue and white vest, and red and white manes, one had an apple with a cut missing and the other one had piece missing.

“What are you two doing here?” I asked a little unsure if I wanted to know the answer to it.

“We are lost my friend, because my brother Flam can’t read a map and we lost our compass.”

“It’s not my fault you can’t keep track of it Flim.” Flam said and they pressed their heads together growling.

“Where are you headed? I know this area very well.” They jumped off their contraption showing me the map.

“We are headed to Apple Loosa, then Ponyville,” Flim said. “We came from Apple-Wood, but as it turns out they don’t actually have any apple fields.” He said chuckling and Flam frowned. “You wouldn’t happen to know the way would you?”

“Taking a single short cut can be deadly here, next time take the tracks, anyway we are here.” I pointed at the map and they looked at the mountain. “That way is north, you were about to head back west, you want to go east which is behind me over Ghastly Gorge river and then straight till you get there, probably a few days by hoof, I hope you have food.”

“Of course we make delicious apple cider, we have plenty for the trip.” Flam said. I made a compass appear.

“Take this and you’ll be able to get on your way.”

“Thank you kind sir, would you care for a glass of apple cider?” Flim asked. “As a way of showing gratitude for helping us?”

“Sorry I can’t, I have a long trip ahead of me, and if any of the creatures smell food on me I'll be ripped to pieces.” Their eyes went big. “I wouldn’t suggest you eat anything too good smelling till you reach the river, beasts hide in the sand here.” They got back onto their contraption. “Actually wait, would you come with me? That thing has wheel and I’m sure it could drive nicely.” They looked at each other.

“It would be wise brother.” Flam said.

“Very well good sir,” Flim said. “We will keep eating to a very minimum as we travel with you. Hop on good sir.” I got on and we got up the mountain much easier than I thought we would.

I looked around, I had somehow gotten here unnoticed, or either that or that machine had somehow scared the beasts away with its noise. It was the first time in a long time that I had been here, but I should have been attacked by at least a few groups. This was almost boring at how easy it was.

“I will be a while, an hour at most, do you mind waiting, this arch will protect you, it has something of a repeal to monsters.”

“Very good sir,” Flam said. “We will wait for you, please just do not take too long we have much to do and this area makes me nervous.” I walked a ways away from them going past many cave and stopping at one.

“Hello?” I asked and my voice echoed, this was the right cave. There were thousands of them in the area carved out by monsters, this was the only one large enough to have an echo from water carving.

Rocks fell from above me melting the ground a little, making me look up at a large rock spider about three times my size.

“Hello there little Bolder hatchling, where’s your mother?” It hissed at me. “Not very nice are you? Eh you’re a harmless grump aren’t you? At least till you get your teeth in, now move on I’m not a prey of your mothers.” It made a whining growl and moved away running making me run as well.

Bolder spiders were about the size of small mountains, not only that but they grew massive gems. Just one piece from their back would be worth some serious money, but that was if you didn’t get eaten first by the hatchlings it normally carried on its back. I would say from the size that one was about thirty years old, living for around four thousand normally. The mother would normally have thousand of offspring which would sooner or later eat her before turning on each other and dying off to only a small few.

I looked around at the blue light of the water pond at the bottom of the cave. I stopped at the water and a slow stream from several spots in the wall were clear, but not large enough to fit more than a hoof.

The blue water lit up showing gold and large gems. I chuckled a little. Talk about the cash pot of cash pots. This pond as my father told me was the pond of richest, it was plenty deep, but no know knew how deep because the creature living under the gold silver and gems would eat any pony greedy enough to reach in to grab something.

“Still alive in there Mingo?”

I kicked a rock in and teeth came out of the sides of the pond closing a large mount around the rock, making the light go away, but then opening again. The light came back lighting up again nicely, and brighter. I chuckled going over to a wall and moving it with my magic, walking down a hallway that my father had craved himself entering into a massive secret chamber.

Large gems of every kind lined the walls with dozens of veins of gold coming from large protruding rock. I zapped a magic light stone and it lit up along with hundreds others along the massive cavern. I was at least a good thousand or two thousand bits underground. So the fifty bit high ceiling was easily stable.

I walked for a while looking at all kinds of metals and gems, this amount of wealth was more than all of Equestria, with it I could easily afford building several Canterlot cities. Heck I could afford an army if I wanted.

I stopped at a large gray stone and tapped it a little. It sounded hallow and I smiled turning around and bucking as hard as I could cracking it.

A massive pain sent me to the ground rolling around sick to my stomach. I clearly wasn’t ready for that. I looked at my leg and felt it, it was fine but I couldn’t do that again for a long time or I was likely to break it. I got up pulling a hammer and chisel out of my bag using my magic. I put it into place hammering hard as I could breaking open the rock.

Hallow rock, one of the densest rocks known, while it wasn’t the strongest by far it was darn close. It naturally had a octagon structure so it created a hollow sound when knocked on, but that just meant that the first few didn’t have anything in them, if it didn’t sound hallow then that meant that there were just a few in it and not worth the effort.

I pulled out with my hoof a few rather shiny pieces of onyx coal, it looked something like a badly cut black gem ball with dozens of smooth faces on it. I loaded up my bag with about fifty pounds of it. I then went around collecting another thirty of other metals and good gems.

“There we good.” I said sitting down a little tired. This place drained my magic, so it was like moving through water instead of air, much more tiring for me which relied on magic to live and breathe.

I got up after a few minutes and started out closing the hallway before throwing a small piece of meat from my pack into the pond. It closed its mouth opening it a few minutes later humming a pleasant melody.

The melody of a pond trapper, could calm the most fierce hearts and mend the most broken relationships. It truly was the only thing I knew that could destroy evil, though it had lost its affect on me over the years.

Chapter 7

I stopped at the mouth of the cave and looked out stopping seeing a at least three hundred bit high mountain around a thousand and a half bits out. My face must have gone pale as I ran over to the Flim, Flam brother’s contraption hopping on. They looked at me in a dizzy.

“We need to get out of here now!” I said.

“Whatever is it?” Flam asked and I pointed.

“A mountain, wait was that there before?” Flim asked.

“No that is a mother mountain spider, I saw a bolder hatchling around here earlier but I didn’t think the mother was active at night!”

“My bother Flim I dearly bet we are in a dizzy, shall we start the engine?”

“Yes my brother.” They shot at the two polls and started controlling it making the engines roar and the mountain spider stood up making a wind like no other sweep over the mountain side nearly toppling over their contraption, expect for I grabbed Flim going to the other side and making it balance out landing flat.

“FULL SPEED!” I shouted and the contraption went at a full gallop easily shocking me a little and making me hold on tightly throwing Flim back onto his seat next to his brother. I jumped onto the back and the spider’s long legs spread out.

It started moving slowly, but it was huge steps, easily fifty bits with each step out pacing us by twenty bits a second.

“Dear bother I do believe it will catch us at this pace.” Flam said.

“I believe you are right, full power might do the trick I believe.” They zapped the pipes and we speed up considerably going maybe one bit faster than the mountain spider staying at maybe five bits ahead. We hadn’t started going fast enough soon enough.

“TURN LEFT!” I shouted and the contraption turned dodging the massive spiked leg of the mountain spider. Hatchlings jumped off and I kicked them as they tried to get on, magic being useless against them, or at least not without using a lot of it.

“AAAA!” Flam shouted making me turn around and fire a bolt without second look knocking the leg of a hatchling enough to making it slip falling off to be crushed by the mountain spider’s next step.

“RIGHT!” They turned right and we went for nearly a half a day before coming into sight of the Ghastly Gorge river.

“How are we going to cross?!” Flim asked shouting.

“We just have to reach it!” I shouted back punching a hatchling. “The mountain spider won’t cross the river plains, it’s much too heavy to try! And the hatchling’s won’t dare try without their mother!” I bucked a hatchling off. “NOW RIGHT!” He turned right dodging the leg again, but just barely this time, we had lost speed.

“Brother I do believe I’m tired.” Flam said passing out cold. I looked at them and paused, fear spread across my heart. They had been using magic to propel us, even the best soldier would have been tired long ago.

“We won’t make it!” Flim shouted.

“Oh yes we will, HOLD ON!” I blasted the pipes and a bolder hatchling bit me on my left arm having just barely long enough teeth. I bucked it sending it flying as we sped up so much I had to hold on myself.

“Oh no!” Flim shouted as we were about to reach the river bed.

“Don’t worry!” I made an invisible road and we drove over the water. The mountain spider stopped a ways back and howled a bone crushing howl making me shiver a little bit. We made it to the other side and I fell down as the contraption rolled to a stop on the grass of the other side.

“We made it!” He cheered stomping around.

“Yeah.” I coughed up blood and he ran over to me.

“Are you alright?!”

“I’m fine, I just got bit.”

“Isn’t that bad?”

“Well they aren’t known for being poisonous, but it isn’t the poison I need to worry about, they don’t wash their mouths, a single bit will get infected and then that will infect my entire system. I was lucky I only got bit on the arm.” I pulled off my hoof guard.

His eyes went big as I cut off my lower left arm at the joint throwing it onto the ground next to the contraption. It started to boil melting a minute or two later into a red jello of sorts. He took off his blue bow tie tying my arm tightly. I zapped it stopping me from bleeding out.

“Are you alright?”

“I will be, I’ll regrow the limb once we reach a town and let my body normalize before adding it.”

“You can regrow limbs?”

“Not normally, no, but I have this.” I pulled out a clear stone. “This is a growth stone, it can regrow legs, or say if you lost a large chunk of your body, or even an organ or two. This could grow you a new one in a day or two. Of course that means the part can’t be that important and you have to be able to live a few days without it.”

“Whoa.”

“I grabbed six thinking I would need them, it isn’t that odd to lose a leg or two, and I would have normally had more than one person so.”

“Gotcha.”

“How’s your brother?”

“Just tired from using so much magic. We’ve never used so much magic before, you were amazing.

“Yeah well my magic isn’t good to use, it slowly kills me so don’t be jealous or anything.”

“Are you going to live?”

“Yes, I would have to use plenty more than that to kill me, but I will have shaved a few weeks off.”

“Oh dear.”

“Anyway, we should get moving, plenty of creatures will have heard that and some will cross for a meal.”

“Of course, but I don’t have the power to go fast.”

“Just a few hundred bits will be good enough, and I'll help you.” I got up and he stabilized me as we went to the front sitting down. He zapped the pipes with me making the contraption start moving again.

“Would you care for some apple cider?”

“I would love some.” He poured a glass and handed it to me, then pouring a glass for himself sitting down next to me. I drink some and it was pretty good.

“Oh I should explain who we are, we are the Flim Flam brother, we make apple cider and sell to towns.”

“Sounds great.”

“And who are you, I hope you don’t live in that place.”

“I used to, I was born not far from that mountain, my parents were blacksmiths and that area has great resources, but it also has natural defenses so it’s dangerous. I only went back because I needed to get material to fix my armor.”

“Are you a guard or perhaps a peace keeper? I noticed your armor before but I wasn’t sure.”

“Not far, I’m the caption of the night guard in Canterlot.” His eyes went wide.

“Really, it’s a pleasure to be sharing my brew with you then.” I smiled.

“It is very good cider, nothing like it in Canterlot.”

“Aalst, there are no apple fields in Canterlot, or are there, I have only traveled there once but I did not see any as a filly.”

“Well sadly no there aren’t, but if you came with barrels I’m sure there would be plenty of stores wanting to buy it.”

“That sounds like a plan.” I smiled.

“Also thank you for the bowtie, I fear I won’t be able to get blood stain out.”

“Oh that’s quite alright.” He pulled out a black one putting it on. “My brother has a few spares, you quite possibly saved our lives, had you not come along.” I chuckled a little.

“Not only that but had I left you that mountain spider would have found you. They could smell your cider from thousands of bits away, in fact that’s what made me notice you in the first place, it would have found you had I had I not had you drive me. You wouldn’t have had the power, also you probably didn’t notice it creeping up on you.”

“You’re right, we didn’t notice, the beast was silent, and had you not pointed us in the right direction we would have turned back toward the beast anyway. So we owe you our lives twice my friend.”

“You saved my backpack’s life though, had you not been there, I would have had to teleport leaving it behind.”

“You can teleport?”

“Yes, and if things had gotten too bad back there I would have, but we were managing after the first ten thousand bits so I saw no need, and I couldn’t risk my pack. If my armor is not fixed I imagine Luna will not be pleased with me.”

“You know Princess Luna?”

“Very well, I’m her personal guard, I meet Princess Celestia and Princess Cadance quite often as well.”

“By golly it must be something, I saw her raising the sun while I was but a filly.” I smiled.

“I’ve seen it quite a few times myself, it is truly something.”

“Yes it is.” He smiled looking into his cider. “But back to first subject, are we headed in the right direction? The right wheel is a little uneven so we tend to go left too much and even up turned around back there, that’s why we got lost, and we do not know in what direction the moon set in.”

“It’s southeast to south west this time of the year, then in spring and autumn it is the same as the sun, for the summer it is northeast to northwest.”

“I dare say I will remember that.”

“Good.”

“How is the leg?”

“Fine, I’ve had worse, much worse, but I’m fine.”

“I’m glad.” Flam woke up a while later and we kept going. A few days passed before we reached Apple Loosa.

“I dare say it was an honor my kind friend.” Flam said as I got off limping.

“It was for me as well.”

“We must be on our way,” Flim said. “But if you ever feel a bit of an urgent need for cider, I’m sure we won’t be far, if this place does not turn well we will head north to Dodge city, then Ponyville and then Filly Delphia.”

“All keep that in mind.” I waved as they drove off. I went over to the local inn and the caretaker looked at me surprised.

“A room for the rest of the day and tomorrow.”

“That will be ten bits.” I limped over to him and a pouch appeared. I took out some setting them down. He handed me a key and I went to my room laying down on my bed. I was tired out of my mind, while I had the chance to sleep on the ride here, but the wild holds many dangers, and I couldn’t sleep on a contraption that would bounce with every rock. I fell asleep the second my head hit the pillow.

“SHADOW!” Luna’s voice growled shaking me awake in a fright looking around. While my dreams were darkness, that still didn’t mean they weren’t dreams. I shook a little now scared out of my mind. I had forgotten to tell Luna I was leaving for a while. She was going to have my head once I got back, and I needed a leg to run on when that happen.

I opened my bag pulling out a stone and eating it coughing at the horrid rainbow taste, it wasn’t pleasant tasting, that was for sure. I ate the rest of it going to the shower room and taking a nice shower washing the sand out of my fur and mane. I fixed the armor buffing out scratches making it shine a little.

Sitting in a shower as a limb regrows is never pleasant no matter who tells you, it is painful and bloody. Taking nearly two days to completely regrow the limb. I got up on the last day putting back on my hoof guard on my new hoof fitting a bit loose from the lack of extra skin fat, I just didn’t have fat to spare.

I got onto a train pausing seeing Applejack get off of it looking a bit down. I got onto my train quickly, I couldn’t waste a second to help her. The train took me back to Canterlot and I went to the blacksmith.

“Hey!” The blacksmith hollered.”

“Hey.” I walked over to her and set the onyx coal down and her eyes went wide. “I believe this should be enough.”

“More than, how, this place must have a lot of ore of all kinds.”

“Very, but anyway, is that enough?”

“Yeah I could make you three more sets free of charge with this much.” I smiled. “I mean would you like me to?”

“Sure, make me one for the desert like this one, then a second one for the forest, and the last one for the ocean if you could.”

“Alright.”

“Oh I have some more metal for you.” I set down other piece of rocks, a red stone chunk, a blue one and a green one. “Red is for fire, blue for water and the green is for earth. There is enough for the armor, add the red to the desert or earth one, then green for the forest and the blue to the water.”

“I’ve never seen metal like this.”

“I know, it’s augment metal, you’ll be able to keep half of it to make another armor for you to sell.”

“Cool.” I pulled out the growth stones.

“Then add half of one of these to the helmet and then the rest of them one per armor set, half in the helmet and one in the body. Also can you make my shin guards?”

“Sure, I'll have plenty for all that and more.” I pulled out a sixty thousand bit chunk of gold out of a portal setting it on the table, making her eyes pop and her jaw drop.

“Gold lining and whatnot, also in case you need to buy anything, I’m sure you can melt it down and everything.”

“I can, thank you.” I started to take off my armor. “You can keep that or if you like I have a black set in the back till I have your armor ready.”

“Oh sure.” I exchanged the armor. It was the same basic form but just black.

“I'll have your first armor ready in a week, then the rest will be about three weeks, I'll make it my master pieces.”

“Thanks.” I turned walking out of the store and onto the street. I went to the castle and stopped as it turned to night. She without a doubt was going to be awake, and if she killed me so be it. I snuck in too afraid of giving Luna warning of my coming.

I went into the castle looking around for any guard and there wasn’t a single pony, which was a blessing but it was also bad, the fact we had a single gap in our security was beyond angering.

“Please sister I must go find him.” I turned around being now face to face with Princess Celestia and Luna frozen shocked to see me. No one moved for a moment, Luna’s face went from shock to pure rage making me run. “SHADOW!” She yelled echoing through the hallways making me run faster whimpering a little. I turned a wrong corner bouncing off the wall, but this time going at only normal speed, I got up and turned but Luna landed frowning.

“Now let me explain.” I said quickly.

“Do you realize how angry I am right now?” I whimpered as she came up to me making me press against the wall.

“Please don’t kill me.” I begged.

“Kill you, oh how I would love to.” She kissed me.

“Thank the heaven’s your alright,” she said nuzzling me. “I was just talking to my sister about sending out a party to find you.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No note, not a word, I thought you had abandoned me!” She shouted at me making me scared again.

“I had to go pick up supplies for my armor and it took much longer than I realized it would.”

“You could have sent me a letter!”

“Please don’t kill me.”

“I’m not going to kill you, but you’ll be lucky if you see the outside of my bedchamber for the next year for this!” I whimpered.

“But I have to pick up my armor in a week.” She narrowed her eyes. “Please.” She sighed quelling her rage.

“Fine, but do you have any idea how worried sick I was?”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine, just don’t do that again, you really scared me.” I kissed her.

“As if I would ever leave you.” I smiled and she smile. I followed her to the dining room and she started to eat.

“Shadow have you eaten?” She asked as I slid her chair forward.

“Ah, no I haven’t for a few days.”

“Few days?! Sit down now, Night Jasper, please go have the chef prepare double the food for me.” He nodded going into the kitchen. “I said sit.” I said now a little nervous sitting down next to her. Whenever she got like this it was painful on my part. You simply did not want to be on the end of her fury for any reason.

“You know I love you right?” She said say anything. “Right?” I said in a slightly high pitched voice. Luna could scare me in the wrong mood just by a single look and her not talking to me was bad. I was either going to get a fork to an eye or in the throat, and it wasn’t going to be pretty for me.

“Food.” Night Jasper said bringing it out to us and Onyx took it off his severing trays on his back. I went to pick up a fork but her magic whipped mine with a snap making me drop the fork.

“Did I say you are to feed yourself.”

“I hope.”

“Open.” She cut a carrot and put a fork into it. I opened my mouth and she slid the butter softened piece into my mouth. “You can close your mouth.” I did eating it. It was really good, I normally just had the normal guard food which was anything but class. “How do you like it?”

“It’s really good.” I said with tears running down my face.

“Why are you crying?”

“Because I know you’re going to hurt me, and I don’t know when.”

“My love, I would never simply hurt you,” she said taking a drink of something. She wasn’t lying, she it wouldn’t be a simple pain, it would be a complex one. “That would be too easy.” I whimpered. She feed me and with every bite it felt more and more like my last meal making me savor every bite. We finished and it ended too quickly.

“Where-where to now?” I asked and she eyed me.

“I haven’t taken my bath today.” She said with a grin and I shirked back a little making her grin more. She pulled out our chairs and lifted me with magic setting me on her back so I couldn’t run away.

While I knew something bad was going to happen, but I still loved her beyond words. I sniffed her and she paused blushing a little clearly hearing me. Yeah she still smelled better than anything I could ever smell.

She took me to the bath and closed the doors to the royal bath behind her. She set me down with her magic almost instantly undoing my armor making it fall to the ground. She smiled at me and I kissed her.

“I love you,” I said smiling a little. “And even though I am scared and deserve anything you give me, I want you to know that.” She smiled.

“Come on.” We went to the hot tub and got inside it. She nuzzled me and we started to make out. We went for nearly an hour, doing things I would consider not something I want to even try to describe for sake of lost of limb, if ever spoken of.

We went to the dream chamber and I stayed close to her side not wanting to go more than a few inches from her making her smile feeling my snout on her neck breathing in her scent. She was truly delicious smelling. I hadn’t forgotten the smell, but after a few days I now craved it like nothing else.

“Move a that tickles.” She said giggling a little and I licked her making her look at me.

“Sorry.” I said smiling and she kissed me.

“I can barely think with you there, why are you so intoxicating?”

“I should ask you the same.” She chuckled.

“Are we too attached to each other? I cannot do my job because I think of nothing but you all night and dream.”

“My job is to be attached to you, so I’m not the one with the problem.” I said grinning and making her roll her eyes.

“Well I couldn’t very well do this while we, were privet.” I blushed at the thought. “I mean we could end up appearing in some ponies dreams.” I laughed at the thought of doing that to some pony.

“Best we not.”

“Then, um, stay still.” I held up a comb and she smiled. “Oh I love how you think.” I started to brush her hair humming the melody of the pond trapper. She smiled weaving to the melody. She had probably given up after a few minutes of me brushing her and humming to her with such a sweet melody, but she probably acted, or was projecting love notions into everyone’s dreams till we had to go.

“Did that feel good?”

“I love you so much it hurts.” I smiled.

“Now you know how I’ve felt since we met.” She looked at me a little surprised.

“Really?”

“At the time I thought it was impossible to be this close to you, it hurt so badly, but I was able to be your guard. After what happen with Princess Celestia and Cadance I thought I would lose you and wanted to die. Then something happen and I just wanted to die, but I realized later what a fool I was.”

“Never think for a moment taking your life would ever be the answer.”

“I know.”

“Now let go,” she said softly. “We will be late.” We got up and went to the celestial chamber and Princess Celestia was waiting for us with a smile.

“How was the night, my dearest sister Luna?” She asked and Luna blushed a wonderful purple.

“Great sister.” She lowered the moon as Princess Celestia lifted the sun.

“Well I have much to do today, it is heart’s and hooves day after all.” Luna looked at me smiling.

“To my bed chamber.”

“Um, is it possible we could sleep? I haven’t slept for a, like week.”

“I am tired as well.” We went back to her bed chamber having me undress from my armor. A magic fling sent me onto the bed sending a chain around my left ankle. “Are you comfortable?” She asked smiling. “You didn’t think I had forgotten did you?” It was close enough that if I tired I could slide it off, but that would be bad.

“No.”

“Good.” She got onto the bed pulling the sheet up with magic covering us, she wrapped her arms around me pulling me close to her warm body. I smiled when she smelled me. “You know you smell good.”

“I’m glad.” I turned around so we were face to face. We started at each other till we fell asleep.

“Shadow.” I looked around in the blackness of my dream. “Where are you?”

“Luna?” I asked.

“There you are.” She walked over to me.

“What are you doing here?” She had a confused look on her face. “You shouldn’t be here it’s not safe.”

“Your dreams cannot harm me.” I looked around.

“Dream?”

“Yes we are in your dream.”

“But the darkness doesn’t dream.”

“Darkness? What’s the darkness?”

“You must leave before it finds you, if this is my dream then you can be harmed by it, it will not spare you.” I started shaking. “Please leave before it comes for you.”

“What is the darkness?” Chains appeared tying me down, my struggling failed as they became tighter making me cough blood. “Shadow!” She ran over to me but was pushed back harshly.

“NO! Leave her alone!”

“Quiet you.” A voice said, it was flat, plain, not pony, whatever used the voice was not living, but it was not dead either.

“What are you, how are you able to attack me?”

“Oh, the princess wants to know does she?” The voice asked moving closer to her, she looked around unable to see it.

“Show yourself!” It chuckled.

“No run Luna! The darkness can harm you here, you must leave! You are not safe, please I don’t want you to get hurt, not because of me, not again.”

“Do not worry, I have power here.” She stomped her hooves and light filled the darkness, but only for a moment, showing a floating black cloud rolling through the air around us. I had never seen the darkness of my dream, normally it was just darkness, no voice, but here I seemed to know more than while awake.

“Oh light, how wondrous!” It said loudly as if enjoying it. “Oh how long it has been since I’ve seen the light, it truly tastes wonderful.”

“Who are you cloud?”

“Didn’t he tell you?”

“Run Luna this creature is not of our world! He can harm you here, it matters not that it is my dream, if we gets out he’ll kill everything!”

“He doesn’t want you to know, how cute.”

“RUN!” I shouted breaking chains standing up. “NOW!” I growled at her sending a wave of magic knocking her out of my dream.

“But I liked her shadow.” I fell to the floor shaking and breathing hard. “Come now, you can’t expect it to be just us here.”

“I will not allow you to escape into her mind monster, for not even I would allow Luna to enter your prison.”

“Why have you not told them of me?”

“You gain power with each person knowing your name, I would never dare give you such power.” A flat laugher all round me made me look around.

“You haven’t told them.” White viper teeth appeared in front of me. “You have not told them that it will be I whom blocks out the sun with sin, and burn the moon to dust?!” It laughed rolling the teeth around me.

“I will never allow you to that!”

“You have already failed!” It said with a very wide grin. “The second you let your heart shine so beautifully was the second I was released, there is no stopping it now.”

“NO!” I shouted waking up breathing hard. I looked at Luna in the corner shaking.

“Shadow, is that you?” She asked unsure.

“What’s wrong?”

“I can’t see and I can’t use my magic!” I ran over to her but the chain stopped me. I tried to unlock it with magic and it refused being made of anti-magic material.

“Having fun?” I turned to the darkness floating around in the room. “Or are you enjoying my work?”

“WHAT?!” My chain locked more stopping me from getting lose. “LET ME GO YOU DEMON!” I shouted. “Now or I will slay you where you stand.”

“Oh my, can’t remember?” It floated around me making me see my past. “How could you forget little mommy and daddy?” It asked showing it ripping them apart. “I love seeing those memories.”

“No.” Tears ran down my face as I remember.

“Loggen.” I whispered and the clouds moved away from me and the smile shank fitting the body of a white colt, glowing white smoking eyes, white flowing hair, a pair of white wings appeared on his sides as did a horn atop his head, and then a golden cutie mark of two swords clashing formed.

“Ah freedom at last!” he said making the room shake. “So much power! How is it this land has so much untapped power?” He looked at me frowning. “I see you’ve grown more powerful as well, and that it was not just I which have gained power.”

“I'll kill you this time, not lock you into my mind!”

“You do have the power this time, but that only means I will have to retreat. I will be back for my rightful place as ruler of this Equestria?” He paused and went to the window looking out. “This is not my birth land! How?” He growled at me.

“When I defeated you as a child my parents and I fled those land here where the sun alicorn was.”

“Ah, your memory serves me well. Your theft of my throne will not hinder me, I will conquer this land before I leave for our home lands, and I will leave none to spare. My thirst will never be quenched, but first.” He looked at me and threw a black onyx ring, I shot at it with my magic but it absorbed it going perfectly onto my horn as I turned my head, making me yell in pain as it contained my powers.

“Monster!”

“Did your parent’s, my children not do the same to me?!” He shouted at me. “No they locked me into my own inbred grandchild, a filth upon my crown!” He let out a breath as I withered in pain. “But all is not lost, my lands are still intact and I will control the sun and moon easily enough.” He laughed. “Did those three servants of mine fool you well? Or when you pricked this sun princess, did you feel bad? I couldn’t have been happier when I entered her body infecting her.”

“I will not allow you to do this!” I shouted.

“You hardly have a choice, it will take me some time to grow my power enough, but with the help of your sweet.” Luna floated over to him. “Luna.” He said with a grin. “I will gain all the power I need.”

“You will not be victorious!”

“You are mine, you do not have the right to speak.” She fell to the ground. “I will send you far away, so I am able to gain power while you desperately try to come back to save them all.” He laughed. “But for now.” He went into Luna’s horn making her blink looking at the ground. “I will be the mare of the moon.” She looked at me and I looked at her in horror.

“NO!”

“Good bye.” I blinked appearing high in sea clouds over an ocean. I started falling in the darkness of the night. I hit the water with a painful splash. I floated in the water unable to move, blood dampening the water around me.

I had no idea how long I floated, my body unwilling to move from the pain of the ring crown. It was the only object known to be able to completely stop a ponies powers and be unbreakable. For me the ring crown was a prison, since I lived on magic it crushed my very life force drowning me in pain and torment.

Chapter 8

“AAAAAAA!” I heard a filly scream in surprise.

“What is it?” A colt’s voice asked and then there was silences for only a moment as a net of some kind wrapped around my body pulling me onto a hard wooden boat.

“What is it daddy?” The filly asked.

“It’s a,” he paused. “Body sweetie, when a pony passes on this is what they leave behind in this world.”

“He’s dead?”

“Yes sweetie, he’s dead.” I pushed my energy into a hard coughed throwing up the sea water that had filled my lungs. I took in a shuttered breath and they backed up as I stood up with a painful grunt. “By Celestia you’re alive!” He ran over to me helping me over to a bed of some kind.

“Water.” I said shuttering. He rushed around getting a cup and feeding me water slowly so I didn’t drown more.

“What happen to you?”

“I cannot say I remember.” I said lying, I knew exactly what happen, but so many days and nights had pasted that I had no clue what day it was.

“Well we’ll be docking in a few days, do you think you need medical attention before then?”

“I'll be fine, I just need rest, and thank you for saving me.” I closed my eyes falling asleep.

“Oh you lived?” His voice asked shaking me.

“Monster.”

“Do not worry little pony, all is well, but I wonder for how long?” He chuckled as memories of him doing things to Luna made my heart scream in agony. “You’re beautiful Luna has been such a warm play mate, I believe the near ten weeks you floated there have made her truly lustful after me.”

“No.”

“You even missed Shining Armor’s and Princess Cadnace’s wedding!” He said with a hearty laugh. “He nearly married something called a changeling!” He rolling around on the floor of my dream laughing.

“Let her go!” I shouted.

“How pitiful! Your dear Princess Celestia had no idea I had been draining her powers for near two months! They never even questioned me when I didn’t come to their aid at their greatest time of need! Also you missed the return of a crystal empire as I was told.” He chuckled. “Apparently Twilight Sparkle saved the land and now Cadance and Shining armor rule over the land so very far away, making my draining of their magic that much easier.”

“Let her go.” I begged.

“Oh not a chance, what your parents did to me was unforgiveable, since they are not around to torture I will do this every moment you are asleep. I will ensure with your precious Luna’s own power that you never sleep peacefully!”

“Leave him alone!” Luna shouted appearing next to him and trying to stab him with her horn.

“Oh my sweet Luna.” He grabbed her slicing open her belly.

“No!” I shouted waking up crying. “What have I done?”

“What’s wrong?!” I looked at the colt.

“I, I had a nightmare.”

“Nightmare, I’m sorry, the sea can get a little rough at times, but you slept for a near two days, we have nearly arrived ashore.” I looked up it was nighttime, then at the shore. We were nearing an unknown ice covered shore with a few huts. I coughed sitting up.

“No it is not your fault.”

“Do you want something to eat or drink?”

“I.” I paused, I couldn’t use my magic, which meant I had no money to do anything. “I would love something.” He brought me over some food and drink letting me eat.

“I have wondered, what is that on your horn?” I looked at him and then at the filly, both of them were earth ponies, which meant they couldn’t feel the darkness of it.

“It’s a ring which stops magic power.”

“Why would you wear such a thing?” The filly asked.

“Testing mostly,” I said lying. “Actually I was testing it out and something went wrong, I somehow ended up in the sea without my magic.”

“How terrible, but you don’t remember?”

“I was, no I’m sorry I don’t, I know I lived in Canterlot and should go back.”

“Well we are at least a few day train ride, it’s an expensive trip, at least forty bits gold for a one way.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, plus the walk to a nearby town to even get a ride to the Crystal Empire which has the only nearby train station is quite a dangerous and a very long journey .”

“I'll be able to make it, I’m sure.” No, I was anything but sure. If I didn’t die from the cold, I would probably die from the beasts.

“Well not in your condition,” the filly said. “You should come stay at our home, can he father?”

“Um, sure why not.”

“No I couldn’t impose like that, it wouldn’t be right, I have no way of paying you back and I would only be a burden.”

“No I insist, a day or two of rest will do you good and I may be able to arrange you a ride to the crystal empire.”

“That would be too kind.”

“Not at all.” He said smiling.

“If it was not for the freezing tundra I would refuse, but I fear I must accept. I will find a way to pay you back one day.”

“No worries.” I helped him docked. “You know boats?” He asked noticing me doing a fisherman’s knot. “And without magic?”

“It isn’t the first time I’ve been without magic and been trapped at sea, when I was a filly my parents were stricken ill on a very long voyage ride over the western ocean. I had to learn quickly to save our lives from the ocean’s fury.”

“Well that is something.”

“Yes it was.” I stretched cracking bones and making him shiver a little. We walked with him and I helped him loading a ton of clams into baskets hanging on my back. “Clams, why do you capture them?” I asked and he looked at me.

“Oh they have pearls in them, each one sells for a few bits. I caught a great many this time around.” We walked over to a hut going inside behind them. I set down the baskets and I looked at an unicorn mare and she jumped back into the wall screeching in fear.

“Dear what is it?!” He shouted confused.

“MONSTER, MONSTER!” She screamed in fear then passed out falling to the ground a little hard.

“Go fetch the doctor!” The filly ran out of the room quickly.

“I should leave.” He looked at me.

“No, don’t this is, I don’t know what it is, but.”

“This ring makes anyone with magic see a monster of some kind, I did not mention this to you because I only now remembered. I’m sorry, I should go.”

“Wait.” He grabbed a coat and put it on me packing some food and putting it in front of me in a box. “If this is true then I will help you as much as possible, for every pony in this village is a unicorn.” I stared at him for a moment almost unbelieving.

“Every pony?”

“Yes, I came here shipwrecked, that is the only reason why I am here.”

“Then I should hurry.”

“I bid you well, but run, there are many magic users here which will kill you on sight if you are unable to use your magic.”

“I will.” I picked put the box latching it on my side.

“Head west toward the, wait if that makes, oh no, I don’t know if you’ll be able to make it.”

“I just have to make it to Shining Armor, he’ll be able to see through the magic and help me.” He nodded and I started running. Every pony which saw me screamed in fright and after reaching the edge of the village a group of hunters stopped staring at me shocked.

“MONSTER!” One of them shouted and they readied spears with their magic.

“Not a single break today!” I shouted running pass them easily dodging spears and jumping from one of them onto another sending them rolling as I ran pass them out of their spear range.

I gave up quickly returning to the village as I ran. I ran out of breath but that did not hinder me a moment knowing if I stopped for a moment I would freeze from the cold, and if that didn’t kill me the snowing wind would.

A cheering made me look up seeing the Crystal Empire, it glowed warm as I got closer chipping the ice off of my coat which possibly saved my life from the cold. I stopped sitting down next to a large crystal resting.

“I told you.” I looked around the crystal seeing three unicorn guards, the leader of the three being a mare. “Shining Armor received a note from Princess Luna telling him she had gotten word that a monster would appear and that all crystal guards should be ready to fight the beast when it arrives, and that only unicorns will be able to see the beast for what it is. Now get to your posts!” He ordered and they rushed off.

I gritted my teeth as the unicorn mare in crystal armor started walking toward me eyes out to the ice. I moved silently around the crystal so she didn’t see me, but she stopped a little ways away looking around sensing the ring. I was in no condition to fight, and certainly not a fully armored pony with probably training I never even heard of.

“Come out beast, I can sense you!” She moved around looking but not seeing me as I moved in space of her around the large crystal. She started running around the crystal and I was forced to run but she turned around running toward me and I slid barely coming to a stop inches from her face. She stared at me.

“Who are you?” She asked staring into my eyes.

“Um.” I swallowed backing up and pausing noticing that her horn was fake. It allowed for some magic, but it wasn’t full magic. She stepped forward and I stepped back. “I came from one of the tribes along the coast line.”

“Oh?”

“What?”

“Well I didn’t expect a black colt from a tribe around here, I thought they all had white manes and coats.”

“Ah, well not all of us.” She kept walking forward and I stopped making our lips meet for a moment making her back up now.

“You vermin!”

“Wait I’m not a bad pony!” I said running as she shot bolts of fire at me. I ran heading to the crystal castle in the center and dozens of ponies screamed seeing me making guards form ranks chasing after.

“CAPTURE HIM!” She yelled.

“Oh this is going to hurt.” I pushed magic into the ring causing my bones to creak from the pressure as I sent a large blast of power only to be cut from another blast of power.

“STOP!” Every pony stopped and I slid to a stop as Princess Cadance floated to the ground in front of me, Shining Armor teleporting next to her. “We will deal with this monster ourselves.” Every pony backed up and I frowned.

“We were told of your arrival monster,” Shining Armor said. “You will not terrorize any more ponies!”

“I thought I trained you better than that!” I shouted at him and every unicorn backed away as if I had roared at him.

“Do not fear my love, he will be no match.” His horn lit with blue magic.

“WAIT!” I turned as Flim and Flam run in front of them stopping him.

“Move aside, can you not see the monster?!” He yelled at them.

“This is Shadow! Our friend!” Flim and Flam shouted in unison.

“Your friend?” He blinked stepping back. “Shadow, but he’s.” He stepped back. “Why, I do not understand, my head.”

“You’ve been tricked,” Flim said. “This is not a monster!”

“You two can see me?” I asked.

“Yes,” Flam said. “When your magic hit us we saw for only a moment and it somehow allowed us to see you for who you are.”

“Move aside!” Princess Cadance order.

“Tell her going into pony’s minds is not nice.”

“He said going into pony’s minds is not nice!” Flim said and she stepped back wings folding into her side.

“How, you, that must be him.”

“Why.” She paused holding her head. “The pain.”

“Oh I hate this!” I forced magic into the ring at full blast sending out a shock wave and destroying the ring’s power over them. Ponies looked around confused and Princess Cadance and Shining Armor looked at me.

“Shadow.” Shining Armor said as I fell to the floor bleeding from heavy wounds.

“Shining Armor, I need your help.”

“Take him inside now!” He ordered and ponies rushed me inside setting me on a hospital bed. Ponies healed my wounds.

“What happen?” Shining Armor asked as he and Princess Cadance came over to my bedside. “And what is that ring?”

“It’s an experiment which went very wrong, I must get to Canterlot as soon as I possibly can.”

“Not in your condition.” The doctor pony said.

“I have no choice.”

“Why do you have no choice?” Princess Cadance asked.

“When we were making this ring something went wrong, then something evil infected Princess Luna, I’m sure it has infected Princess Celestia already.”

“I shall call on my sister then.” Shining Armor said.

“NO!” I shouted grabbing him. “She must never know of what has happen, if she goes anywhere near them, all will be lost. You know as well as I do what skill she has and what power is hidden. If the infection somehow got inside her then we would lose instantly and the sun would surely be forever blackened.”

“What do we do?”

“I just need to get to Canterlot without causing an uproar. I cannot teleport with this ring on so we must take the train, but cannot have other in the cart. You two must also stay here so that Luna does not know of my coming, or the infection may make her do something dangerous and harm Princess Celestia.”

“I will write back that the monster was slain.”

“No, it will know, it can see into dreams it will know if I am alive or not.”

“I can give you power,” Princess Cadance said. “It will allow you to not need sleep for some time.”

“No, any magic which touches me with good intent will cause you to become infected and harm you. You must write that the beast escaped.”

“I understand.”

“I will rest and heal for a short while, but only enough so I am able to run again.”

“Everyone leave and let him rest.” They all left and I closed my eyes.

“Still alive?” I chuckled seeing him appear.

“Unlucky for you I meet a group of earth ponies. The kindness of this land is unlike any other, you will not be able to claim victory over them.”

“I have your Luna and Princess Celestia under my control and command, one word from me and they will burn this world to the ground.”

“You along with it, you cannot destroy this would without killing yourself and if I know nothing else. You care for your life.”

“We’ll see, oh and look who we have here.” He pulled Luna over to him crying.

“Shadow!” She begged crying. “Don’t leave me.”

“Isn’t that cute? She thinks you left her.” Tears run down my face.

“Luna I promise you, I have not left you, you know me and I would never leave you for as long as I live!” She lit up a little.

“Shadow.” She disappeared.

“Disgusting love, I'll have to go through the third degree now for that!”

“She knows I will never leave her, I am coming and you will not stop me from killing you for good this time.”

“Well see about that.” Memories of him torturing Luna’s mind appeared making me shake with rage, but healing all the while. There is truly no horror greater than watching the one you love in pain, and knowing there was nothing you could do to stop it.

“I’m coming Luna, know that nothing rather it be on earth hell or heaven will stop me from saving you from this monster.” My mind cleared of the dreams letting me truly rest and wake up what seemed like seconds later.

I got up fully healed and ready for a real fight. I walked to the throne room having a guard lead me there. I walked up to Princess Cadance and Shining Armor.

“You look better.” Shining Armor said.

“Have you set everything up?”

“Yes, we will have our guards take you to the train, we have made sure that no pony will board it once, and it will run straight to Canterlot without pause.”

“Thank you, and oh I must ask a favor before I leave, there is an earth pony in a village of only unicorns, he saved my life, he is a clam harvester. Please give him a gift for me, and tell him thank you, for I fear if this ends badly I will not be able to thank him myself.”

“I will deliver it myself,” Princess Cadance said. “So do not worry.”

“Thank you.”

“Guard.” A guard came over with armor.

“No, I have a set in Canterlot, if I put any other armor on it will be absorbed into the ring and I will not be able to move again.” The guard moved back. “But thank you.”

“Go my friend.” Shining Armor said and I turned running with four guards. We got to the train putting me on the first cart.

“We will be going with you.” I looked at the earth pony with a fake horn. In fact they all had fake horns on them.

“Very well.” One went to the front and the train started moving. They sat down relaxing a little bit looking around. One of them brought over a food cart.

“Eat, everything will be paid for.” She said.

“Thank you.” I ate a bunch of food and had my fill of cider. We ended up in Canterlot after a long ride. “I thank you all for helping me this far, but if I fail you must not be related to me for any reason.” They nodded and I ran out of the train as it stopped and ponies screamed seeing me.

I ran stopping at Hammer’s shop hiding inside locking the door behind me as guards ran pass the door. I turned looking at Hammer, then three unicorns passed out from fear.

“Ah.” She said a little confused.

“My armor, my black one, where is it?”

“In the back, let me grab it.” She went into the back and I went over to the counter looking at the ponies passed out. She brought out a black armor unlike my first armor and I looked at her confused. This one was considerably more beautiful than my first armor, and it seemed to radiate power.

“Well I fixed your old armor but you had given me so much that I made you a new black one as well. I found other materials like the one you gave me for a pretty good price, this is without a doubt my best work I have ever done.” She set the helmet next to it.

“I don’t know what to say, it’s, beautiful, this is more powerful than my first set.”

“Thanks.” She helped me put on the main body and the ring on my horn shattered making me smile as my power rushed into me filling me with real power. “Whoa.” She said stepping back seeing me glow with magical power unlike any other.

“Oh.” I said letting out a black mist breath. “I will not lose in this.” She put on my helmet and I grinned feeling really good as my body completely healed from the armor effect.

“Wow, those stones did wonders.”

“You have no idea. Thank you, if I come back I'll come for my armor, if I pass on you will see my first armor fade and rusts. If that happens you may sell the other armor for it will mean I have died, and give my armor to Princess Luna.”

“Are you going into battle?”

“Yes, good bye Hammer it was a pleasure.” She nodded as I unlocked her door walking outside. Guards looked at me and I stomped my hoof making all of Canterlot shake and every pony bowed.

“Caption!” One of them said.

“Forget your hunt! Evacuate the city! NOW!” I yelled and ponies rushed around as I walked up to the castle opening the gates for me. Laughter made me frown as all the guards passed out cold, magic leaving their mouths. In fact every pony on the streets had fainted, magic leaving their mouths as well.

“Beast.” I said and the magic went back into their mouths waking them up again, they hurried running around. I teleported into the throne room.

“You are truly annoying!” Princess Luna’s body said and Princess Celestia looked at her confused as the guard fell to the ground.

“GET OUT OF HER!” I screamed and he flew out of her body hitting the wall cracking it. He got up coughing a little. Princess Celestia looked at us confused. “How dare you do that to my beloved!” He smiled walking over Princess Luna knocked out.

“Oh please, as if it was hard, I conquered this land long ago. You have lost, the fight is over.”

“Did you forget something?” I asked grinning.

“The ring,” he said with a faint expression. “H-how did you get it off, even at my greatest power I was unable to scratch it!” He said taking a battle stance.

“Princess Celestia, please take Luna away from here.”

“You are a fool, I have gather magic for long enough to be more than a match for you, I will not lose this victory!”

“You may try.” My body filled with magic as it enhanced our speed. Black wings ripped out of my side as he took flight allowing me to follow after him. With each clash of magic the sky erupted, in an almost too beautiful spark, as if thousands of fireworks exploded in the sky lighting up the now morning sky, going for minutes which to us was like hours.

He missed a single blast ripping through the forest blow Canterlot and I hit true with mine sending him crashing through the throne room on fire. He got up shaking as his form started to waver.

“Shadow!” Luna said and I jumped in the way of his blast protecting her but cracking my armor badly, making me fall to a knee.

“I told you to leave!”

“She teleported back.” Princess Celestia said and I stood up.

“Please we can help you.” I smiled.

“Perhaps you are right. I’m sure Princess Celestia can feel her power returning to her as we speak.”

“I can.”

“Damn you all,” he said breathing hard. “I see now my folly, and I will not escape death this time, my form will break down no matter what I do. I was trapped for far too long to come without pain, and with the three of you I stand no chance in a fight. So I must use plan B, if I can’t rule, then I will destroy everything so there is nothing to rule.”

“Aaa!” I turned seeing Princess Celestia and Luna fall to the ground in pain.

“NO!” I shouted as the sky turned red.

“The sun will roast this planet, and there is nothing you can do!” I looked at them screaming in pain and I sighed.

“Very well,” I said as tears ran down my face. “Luna, keep me in your heart, and know that I will forever love you.”

“What?” She asked confused tears running down her face from the pain.

“I cannot let you die.” My body started to warp as it became magical energy in its purest form. “I will not allow this pure world burn for one single pony’s mistake.”

“No you fool!” He shouted. “You’ll kill yourself!”

“I would die anyway!” I shouted at him. “You fool.” I ran at him and he couldn’t move fast enough as I ran my horn through his chest destroying everything he was and releasing both of them from their torment.

“Shadow!” Luna said running over to me.

“Princess,” I said as everything started to fade. “I love you, don’t not forget me, I’m sorry I made you cry.” I wiped a tear off her face only to be added with more tears.

“We can save you!”

“No you can’t, the grip he had could only be undone with an extreme amount of magic, I used every last bit I had to stop him. No one needs to die other than me, and saving me would surely bring him back, and I could not live knowing it. He killed so many, do not let him come back because of me.” Tears ran down her face.

“No, I don’t want you to go!” I kissed her healing her and Princess Celestia.

“I must, remember I'll always love you.” Everything faded seeing Luna reach for only air as I passed away.

“Luna.” Princess Celestia said coming over to her laying on Shadow’s grave.

“Sister.”

“It has been over two months.”

“I know, but if I leave he’ll think I left him.”

“He is in the heavens sister.” Tears ran down her face. “He watches over us with kind eyes I’m sure of it. Please come, I am going to have Twilight deal with Discord so that nothing like this happens again. Please come with me.”

“A little while longer.” She cried lightly.

“I understand.” She walked away.

Princess Luna looked at Shadows grave reading, to a honorable knight in midnight armor, and true love of Princess Luna, may he rest in the heavens.

Author's Note

This story was one shot by me, I fell it was very touching, I have not edited it and may not for some time. I write stories with a passion and this one hit deep, so it may take time.
.......Please enjoy.
also there will be a part 2 and 3, part 2 will be up soon, after I finish part three I will edit all

The Innocent Pony

Hey everyone, I've gotten a few people asking so i'm going to add this in so people know that it exists
this is the next one in the story line, but it has nothing to do with the mlp story line, while this is a complete story and I pretty much filled in the blanks with why Luna isn't in the show with this story, I jumped off the wagon with the other one and went into my own direction really
while rated mature, Its really more teen than anything, but one or two scenes were iffy so I made it mature so I don't get yelled at or anything

so if any of you were wondering this is the next part, then there's the Desert Pony after this one, I've yet to post it, but probably will since I was ask

http://www.fimfiction.net/story/95863/the-innocent-pony