//------------------------------// // Memories, darkness and Siren vs. Shining Armor, the one hit kill // Story: Time never stands still // by Dradavar //------------------------------// Chapter 3 The way to the throne room was shorter than I thought. I practically fought in front of it. Only two hallways further inside the castle was it. The guards in front of the door haven't seen me till now but they were obviously in an agitated state. 'Any ideas how I should get inside?' I ask Anvil. 'Kill the guards and go crushing in?' he asks hypothetical. 'A way inside without killing everything in my path' I answer facehoofing. 'Hit the guards till they're unconscious and then go crushing in?' he asks, this time hopefully. 'What's wrong with you Anvil, you were never so coldblooded and hotheaded.' 'You think so?' 'Whatever.' I took a few more moments thinking of a way to get inside. The guards in front of the door shout something I don't understand, getting back to their position, left and right from the door they kneel down. 'What?' I think irritated, 'why?' Dark mist was wavering through my field of sight making it harder to see my destination. 'What? Mist?' A cold shiver runs down my spine. The sudden realisation that I'm no longer alone hits me, I turn to the left and look into bright blue eyes, surrounded by a darker blue. Wings, a horn. A black regalia with a crescent moon. My eyes widen as I jump to the side, away from the pony. I land a few meters away from her, getting in position to draw Garnjiel. I look at her... or the place where the pony should be. I look around panically. 'Behind you! You idiot!' Anvil shouts. My eyes widen again, I draw the blade and ready myself to- A hard hoof crushes onto the blade and pushes me down to the ground. The pressure is enough to make it impossible for me to either move Garnjiel or myself. "Pray tell, you have a rather strange weapon there" the pony, a mare, talks in a stiff way. It sounds like she's having a tough time talking normally. I growl. The pressure on my back won't get away. "Tell me, what do you want with that sword in the throne room?" she asks, as I hear more hoofsteps approaching. "I want...to..." I stop, taking some deep breaths, "talk to my liege." "Your liege?" her voice changed a little bit, it sounded now a little bit surprised, "it's been a long time since I've heard that word in combination of my sisters name." "Sister?" my eyes widen, "Celestia was an only child!" the pressure on my back rises, I can feel and hear the popping sounds in my back. A little bit more pressure and my spine gets cracked. "What did you just say?" her voice was now getting malicious, "how dare you to contend that my sister is an only child?" I growl louder, "that's.... the way...... I've... met her..... first!" I gasp. The pressure on my back stops. I gasp louder and roll on my back, taking deep breaths, gasping and wheezing I look at the mare before me. 'Damn she's big!' was my first thought. My eyes wander up, seeing the tiara I notice I'm talking to royalty. "You've met my sister? As she was an only child?" she asks, rising her brows in disbelief, "Impossible, that was almost 1800 years ago." My eyes widen. I knew I was long gone. The time in the darkness never stoped, neither did my feeling for time stop. But apparently time moved a lot faster than I anticipated, if I had to guess I'd say I was lost for around 400-500 years. "1800 years?" "Luna?" a warm, calm voice comes from behind me, "what are you doing with that pony?" I'm still lying on my back, I look up and look at a upside-down version of the new pony. I gasp. I turn on my belly, draw the blade, 'Luna' is shouting something, I jump up and.... ram the blade deep into the ground. Kneeling next to the blade, I take a deep breath. And remember. "My liege, I, Dark Siren Neylitha, captain of the Eclipse guard, have returned. Awaiting new orders!" Celestias eyes widen. I can tell without seeing her. "Sister?" Luna asks, "what does this mean?" I'm still kneeling, it was never part of my role to see her while she talks. "Nothing" she says coldly, I look up, seeing her glassy eyes, "I don't know what this pony is talking about!" "What?" I ask loud, as Celestia turns around walking down the hallway to the throne room. Ignoring Garnjiel I run after her. "My liege, I-" "Stop calling me liege!" she turns around and looks down at me, a sinister glare in her eyes, and something else. Pain. "But, my liege-" a hoof slaps me across the face, memories forcing my body to move again, I kneel down again, before Celestia can even move her hoof back to the ground I talk, "My sincere apology my liege!" "STOP CALLING ME THAT!" she practically explodes. Rising her hoof again to hit me again. I close my eyes, preparing myself. The hit never comes. Luna stands between us, holding Celestias hoof in her magic. "I don't know what is going on here, but you taught me to never use violence against our visitors" she answers Celestias hard glare with her own. Celestia pulls her hoof back, freed by Lunas magic. "This is not a visitor" she declares, turning around she flounces the hallway down towards the throne room the doors opening for her, "captain armor!" she shouts, a unicorn with blue mane and tail follows her into the throne room. I'm still kneeling in the hallway, now to no one. Luna walks in front of me. "Rise Siren" she says. Not sure of what to do, I don't move. "I said rise" her voice gets harsher. "You are not my liege" I answer stoic, almost like a machine. "I don't have to follow your orders." I stand back up and look into her eyes. Seeing that she's surprised that I ignore her. I walk the hallway back to where Garnjiel is buried in the marble floor. Walking next to it, I move closer and lean against the flat side of Garnjiel. Waiting for my liege to return. 'Maybe she didn't realize who I am?' my thoughts are slow, my cheek is still stinging from her hoof. 'She did' Anvil answers. 'How can you know?' I ask him, trying to stop the feel to- 'You seem to think that this blade can only hear. This blade can also see aslong as it's primary rune is not covered' he explains. Luna didn't follow, but I could hear the throne room door open and close again. Patrolling guards and units send out to search me start to gather. In front of me, behind me. There is no way out. No way out. I'm alone. Again. 'You are not alone' Anvil speaks quietly. I turn to Garnjiel, and surprised I blink a few times. I'm no longer in the castle of Canterlot, I'm now sitting ontop a hill. The warmth of the sun shining down on me and Anvil as we sit back on back there. It's a memory the day before we both got Eclipse guards. It was a oath we swear to each other. 'Aslong as we are together, we will never be alone' I can feel him shift. I close my eyes and lean heavier against him, enjoying the feel of his coat on mine. 'You're right' I wipe away the tears on my cheeks. 'We are never alone' I open my eyes again. My glare was on Garnjiel, the orange rune, my rune was turning into a deep crimson. 'Finally' Anvil whispers, his voice fading. 'You remembered your oath' his voice was now almost ghostly. Tears stream down my cheeks. I forgot the 'last oath' we all were forced to swear. 'The last order' I think, 'the second to last Eclipse guard has to guide the last till he remembers. His or hers oath is the most important thing in the live of the Eclipse guard.' I stand back up, ignoring the guards before me. I pull Garnjiel out of the marble. My body feels like it was singed, burned alive. 'Never' 'Forget' 'Your' 'Oath' "For the eclipse!" I shout. Charging through the guards before me. None of them understood what was happening. From one moment to the next I was gone. The door to the throne room, a massive stone door. One swing of Garnjiel. The door crashes inside. I see Celestias face widen in shock and something else. Fear. I step over the rubble. Garnjiel on my back was back in one piece, the crack was gone. "Celestia Sunstrider" I shout through the hall, "last royal unicorn of the Sunstrider tribe, I hereby decree that we the guardians of the throne, the Eclipse guard, will overtake the throne till a new, better king or queen has come to return your tribe to it's former power! Now surrender your position to me!" Silence. The guard from before, 'Armor' was his name, moves in front of Celestia. A ghostly magical blade appearing in the air behind him. "How dare you to order princess Celestia around?" he answers, grabbing the blade in his mouth. I pull my blade, the light, the sheathe of it bursting away from the sword. But instead of disappearing the light rushes to my body surrounding my fronthooves in massive boots, wandering up over my shoulders and around my chest, down my lowerbody and back up between my legs, leaving only my backlegs unguarded. The light rushes up my neck and covering the back of my head, around my ears and grows out to massive horns. I grin malicious, "move peasant" I say coldly, "or die by my hoof!" "Try it!" he charges at me. "Shining Armor!" Celestia cries. Too late. I lunge forward and ram my blade into his chest, breaking his armor, I feel and hear his bones break. His eyes widen. His blade disappears, his magic fades, blood flows out of his mouth. He coughs more blood, spitting it on my face. Lifting him up, together with my blade I twist the blade and shake him off, blood gushing out the massive wound. Drops of the red warm liquid flying through the air. I grin, blood covering my face. And darkness covering my eyes. "Surrender!" I shout.