//------------------------------//
// Loyalty 
// Story: Phantom Book I 
// by Da_Spy 
//------------------------------//

CANTERLOT
"Princess!" Twilight shouted, as she and her friends, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy and Applejack ran in. "Is something wrong?"
Celestia turned with much sadness in her eyes. She sat in her throne, possessing much of her usual majesty, but she seemed to seep discomfort. "Yes,” the princess responded. "Very wrong."
The princess turned to Twilight, and she could see that the princess was not in good shape. "We have had disappearances all over Equestria, and we need your help.” The hard look from the princess was unsettling.
"Well, umm, what can we do?" Fluttershy said meekly. She stood shivering slightly.
"You can help the royal guard defeat this threat. You did admirably with Discord and Nightmare Moon, I would like you all to help—wait,” the princess interrupted herself, looking around. "Where's Pinkie Pie?”
"Oh, Pinkie couldn't come; she has a cold,” Twilight explained.
"Princess!" A guard shouted, running in. Twilight and the rest whirled to see the guard. "We have lost contact with one of our outposts outside the border, and the Wonderbolts are here per your request!"
At those words, Rainbow Dashes eyes grew wide. "Are they really here? The Wonderbolt?"
"Yes,” the guard said, stepping aside to reveal two Wonderbolts, Spitfire and Fleetfoot.
"Where’s Soarin?" Rainbow asked.
"He was visiting a friend at the outpost,” said Fleetfoot.
Celestia stepped forward. "Rainbow Dash, would you like to assist them in checking out the outpost?"
Rainbow Dash just smiled and nodded her head. A chance to spend the day with the Wonderbolts? Crisis or no crisis, this was not a chance she’d miss. "Then let's go!" Spitfire said, turning to walk out. Rainbow Dash happily trotted along.
OUTPOST
Soarin was having a truly terrible time. After coming to what was supposed to be a routine check and meet up with an old friend, the situation had quickly devolved into chaos. His friend now dead, and tons of ponies and changelings overrunning the outpost, Soarin had fled for his life. His wing-man shouted next to him, "Commander, one hostile coming up!"
Soarin shook his head. He could out-maneuver just about anypony, but these guys were something else. “Try to get him off my—”
Soarin couldn't finish his sentence before a pony slammed into his wing-man, causing the pony to go down fast! "Well, hello there,” said the new enemy.
Immediately, both of Soarin’s other guards turned left to try to take out the pony. The pony simply shrugged and swung his wing across Soarin’s side. Soarin felt a bolt of pain and realized after looking down at it that his left wing was paralyzed! But when he looked back up, the other pony along with his escorts where gone! Straightaway, Soarin began to free-fall. Damn! If only Spitfire hadn’t wanted to see her friend so much...
"I've failed," Soarin said in pain as he fell to the ground below. And that ground rushed with open arms to meet him.
Mira looked out over the outpost that was now under her control. She smiled at it, smiled at the power and speed with which they overtook them. Although something felt empty. Suddenly, she found herself thinking back, back to when she was actually very good friends with Phantom once...
Long ago, he was a nice pony. Sweet and kind, but war breaks ponies. The horrors of war, combined with being on the moon so long, broke him. It destroyed that old friend and replaced him with a monster. And now she was the same, a killing machine, and she couldn't help but wonder if it could have been different.
Trixie had just arrived, with her small force. Mira hated her, for she had no military expertise. She hated the pomp and flair that she carried everywhere she went. However, Phantom had his reasons; most of them he explained to her but some he kept away from everypony. She couldn't help but notice that he seemed to be more distant than he was before.
She  also used to be someone, but she and Phantom both dropped their names when they abandoned their past. As she was deep in thought, she looked out over the barren landscape of what she hoped to be hers someday. She wanted to rule over it. She feared much that Phantom only wanted to break it. He might just raze it all to the ground, and in a final insult just leave it all and return to the moon. It’s where he really belonged. Only there...
She stopped herself. Phantom was her friend. And he was all she had. And nothing—nothing—would change that.
Phantom smiled as Soarin fell to the ground, and he floated over to the fallen pegasus. Soarin’s guards had come up behind him only to be knocked out, falling to the ground. Phantom simply landed gracefully smiling at the three Pegasi laying inert on the ground, twitching. Their endurance was admirable. "Wha-what do you want with us?!” asked Soarin weakly.
"Me?" Phantom asked. "I only need you to serve me!” he said with a smile as he passed his wing over the three. Oh how cliché! He laughed at himself. He then grinned maliciously at them. “You three will handle Rainbow Dash for me.”
Soarin half choked. “You’re crazy!” the pegasus shouted.
“Hahahahaha!” Phantom began a streak of laughter that would have rivaled Pinkie for length and enthusiasm. Soarin glared through the pain. Phantom managed to catch his breathe.
“It seems I wasn’t too far off,” replied Soarin in a snark tone.
Phantom looked down at Soarin. “Oh, if only you knew, little pony. If only you knew.”
And with that, process began.
CANTERLOT
"War is coming my old friend, and I will carry out my promise to get you your crown."
"Gaaaaaahhhhhh!" Luna awoke with a fright. She sat up in her bed, sweating. The same dream in two days, with every one about a pony who seemed to know her, but she didn't know him. Some images rushed around in her head. She winced in pain and willed them away. She knew that she had made a conscious decision to forget, but it still bugged her even now. But she didn’t want to remember. She was happy now, and that was all that mattered.
"Princess!" one of her younger guards, Sun Flare, said as he ran in.
"What is it?" Luna asked.
"Princess Celestia has scrambled the entire royal guard and asks us to do the same! She said that a very real threat is coming!" He stood, breathing heavily.
Maybe this has something to do with the dream, she thought. And this is thy chance to show my sister I CAN handle a fight! She turned to Sun Flare. "Do the same with my guards. Find this threat and eliminate it!" Luna got up out of bed and stood.
"Yes, ma'am!" Sun Flare turned and ran down the royal hall. He ran past the sculptures and the chambers, heading out into the Lunar barracks. "All guards prepare for battle! We are moving out!"
The Lunar guard scrambled out of there beds quickly, arming themselves with their blade gauntlets and spears.
Sun Flare was captain of eight squads, all of the members being good friends. A pegasus, he had a coat as white and pure as Celestia, and a cutie mark consisting of three fires in the shape of raindrops. He was strong, though not the strongest, but nimble and quick. He could out maneuver anypony—well, except for Rainbow Dash.
He had been several years ahead of her, but had seen her first Sonic Rainboom. He had been kind of a mentor to her, and he was very proud of her. He was kind, but had a burning personality and flaming loyalty, with a heart that shone with the brilliance of the sun.
He walked out to the barrack courtyard, where over 200 troops stood in formation including his squads.
"Well," said Sun Flare, "let's move out!"

As Twilight and her friends moved down the grand hall, they were all deep in thought. The princess had sent them to meet with up with the royal guard commanders, to brief them on the situation. "I have never seen the princess like that before,” Applejack stated, glancing around.
“I have to agree. She was even beginning to let her mane get dirty! If I was royalty, I would have ten baths a day, just because I could,” Rarity said.
The hallway was decorated with gold furnishing and gem encrusted statues. Rarity began to ogle and stare at all of the furnishings. They opened some rather large doors and stepped into the command center. Twilight stepped forward. The lights dimmed, and no one could see anything.
"Hello?" they all called out in unison.
"Well, hello! Twilight Sparkle!"
"Who are you?"
"I am just the messenger, and here is the message. Listen well,” the voice yelled.
The lights came back on, only to reveal the room covered in scorch marks and the commanders all unconscious on the floor. "War is coming!" boomed the voice. "You have to chose!"