//------------------------------// // The 'Eclipse Guard' and 'Essence' part 2/2 and Siren vs. the rainbow maned mare // Story: Time never stands still // by Dradavar //------------------------------// Chapter 16 "What do you mean? Luna asks, she sounds confused. Shining looks at me with big eyes, confusion reflecting in his eyes, even Smile was looking up at me from underneath the table. "As I said" I answer, "Garnjiel is the embodiment of hatred and I'm its carry" I look down on Garnjiel, seeing the rune pulsate faster. "I still don't get it" Luna follows my gaze looking down onto the blade. I sigh and pull out Celestias letter to me, opening it I read out the last lines. "She said this, 'One last warning' I explain, "'while I won't tell you everything, this is up to you to find out, don't believe what my father told you about the Eclipse-Weapons. There were more ingredients to them than that what you know. Sadly not every ingredient is a 'good' one'" Lunas eyes widen, she understands what I'm trying to say. Shining looks even more confused, "wait, wait" he shakes his head looking up at me, "I don't get it. What is meant by 'not a good one'?" "It says that the weapons of the Eclipse Guard had Essence forged into them" Luna explains, "and if you think about what Siren just told us, it means that dark Essence was used, crystallized bad emotions" she looks down on Garnjiel, her expression shows disapproval and almost something as fear. I nod, "yes, the weapons of the Eclipse Guard have bad Essence forged into them, that gives them their power" I explain, "but at the same time it corrupts the owner, every bad emotion the owner feels strenghtens the weapon, that's why our strength rises in the battle. All emotions that are bond to battle strengthen us. Hate, fear, wrath, all the emotions that make ponies grab their arms, just another catalyst for our power" I look down on Garnjiel, my mind was clear, the moment I sat down onto this chair I started to control my emotions. It was hard. Garnjiels voice, the voice of hate was screaming, shouting at me. It was faint, unlike the first day I was here in canterlot. "Did you corrupt Skull?" Shining suddenly asks. My eyes widen, thinking about it, a moment later I shake my head. "No" I answer, "I didn't even manage to scratch her with my blade, she was far too fast for that" rethinking the battle, some small detail gets caught. My eyes widen again. "But" Shining and Luna look at me, I gasp, "her armour!" I facehoof, not thinking at that. "Her armour?" Luna asks, her eyes were wary now. I nod, "yes her armour! I defeated her because I was able to make it impossible for her armour to rebuild itself. I impaled Garnjiel into the wall, burying multiple parts of her armour all together" I growl, thinking about this mistake. "Garnjiel corrupted the pieces of her armour" I look down on Garnjiel, anger wells up in me, "and after the armour put itself together the corrupted parts corrupted the whole armour." "And after she put it back on..." Luna understands. "...It corrupted her" Shining also understands. "Yes" I nod, feeling my anger. "Anger" I gasp and tumble away from Garnjiel, almost falling down the stairs. The voice got louder. Not much but it did. "What?" Luna looks at me confused. I shake my head, trying to calm my thoughts. Not a pleasant feeling to cut off emotions, forcing yourself to other emotions. "I made the mistake to get angry at myself" I take a deep breath, calming myself some more, "just another feast for it's hate" I state. "Why don't you just" Shining looks at me, "you know... throw it away?" he looks at me with an asking expression. "That's a really bad idea" Luna answers him, "if somepony else finds the weapon it might find a new host and-" I cut her off midsentence. "That's not possible" I look down on Luna, her brows raised she looks at me, "this weapons are bound to us by a blood pact. Nopony else can even lift these things" I explain quickly, I shake my head, "no, the reason why I don't get rid of the blade is that it's part of my oath. I just can't fulfill my oath without it" I walk back and put my hoof on Garnjiel, the rune pulse gets slower. "And what if you are freed from the oath?" Luna asks quietly. I look at her, my feelings were confusing, on the one hoof there was a chance to be freed by the oath, on the other hoof there was still the wish to protect everything I love. "I can't" I shake my head, "not now." Luna opens her mouth to say something, but get's interrupted by the sound of heavy boots hitting the floor. "Miss Neylitha!" the guard rushes in, bloodsplatters where on his armour and coat, he gasps. "What is it?" I stand up, walking closer to Garnjiel. "The revolutionary army is attacking canterlot" he spits out between gasps for air. "What!?" I shout, Garnjiels rune reacting, "why didn't we hear anything?" I ask the guard quickly. He shakes his head, still heavily gasping, "it's a sneak attack, we only just noticed." The sound of an alarm bell suddenly fills the hallways, echoing through the castle. "Any demands?" I grab Garnjiel, hauling it on my back, it's magic erupts in more flames around my neck. The guard shakes his head. I look down at both, "Shining, you and Luna stay here I will protect you" I look back at the guard, "tell every guard to retreat, drop your weapons and flee into the barracks and the throne room, I want to have a word with the revolutionary leader" I explain. "Miss?" the guard asks, confusion reflecting in his eyes, this order was strange. "Just do as I say!" I exclaim, making him shrug, he looks back up and nods and turns around calling out for his comrades. "Siren?" Shining asks, "why don't you try to defend the castle? We are under attack!" he exlaims. My eyes snap back at him. I feel it. The aura. Shining falls to his knees, shivering and quivering trying to get back up. My expression and voice show intimidation, I look down at him. "These are confused ponies, scared ponies" he looks up at me, sweat starting to form on his forehead, "I won't attack civilists just because they're too scared to accept change" I exclaim. I turn to Luna. "Princess" I feel some of the magic in the room disappear as I comply myself back under Luna, "sit on your throne" the chair behind me disappears, it's magical particles returning into my burning mane, "I will protect you" my face shows determination. Not the first time I had this look on my face. Memories flash through my mind. "Please" I beg the bigger pony before me, his menacing eyes as he lifts the broadaxe over his head. "You will never have the courage to kill me!" he shouts, his weapon comes rushing down at me. I don't hesitate. "I'm sorry" tears fall down my cheeks as Garnjiel cut's off one of the legs of my opponent. Garnjiel impales itself into the body lying on the floor. "I'm sorry father" I cry. I blink, seeing guard rushing into the throne room. "Good!" I shout at them, making them walk in faster, "come in, sit behind the throne" I exclaim, some of the gaurds show me a confused look, but it melts away the moment they see me. I see a few wounded guards hobble in, I help them to get behind the throne, their wounds were not severe, a few cuts and bruises, the heaviest wound one pony had was an arrow in his back. "Here they come!" suddenly a guard shouts, a pain filled cry later I see a blue pegasus walk in, her long rainbow mane ruffled and messy sticking out in every direction, a rainbow coloured sword as cutie mark tells me she knows how to fight, as if the the sword washed in blood in her mouth wouldn't be enough proof. She spits out the sword, my eyes follow the blade and I notice the royal insignia on it. It was the weapon of a guard. She scoffs, "the weapons are totally unbalanced, far too heavy at the tip" she looks past me seeing Luna on the throne. "I knew it" she walks closer, her wings open and I see the hidden wing blades. I stand there mouthagape. 'Amortheyf?' I ask myself, 'No! Impossible!' Amortheyf was glistering, the long slender blade of it, covering her bones and muscles, rounded at the tip, perfect to cut everything, even if you are not able to fly. "Whats wrong with you?" the pegasi asks looking at me, as she took a step closer. I gulp. "Your weapons" I speak quietly, ignoring the group of ponies of different race stream in, they were all armed, most of them carrying swords or other cutting utensiles. She looks at her wings and smiles, "pretty cool eh?" she asks, ignorance fills her voice, she looks back at me, her eyes reflecting bloodlust. "Wanna try them?" she shouts and jumps at me, her wings pointing at me, she wanted to impale them into my chest. Garnjiel crashes into the floor as the pegasi lunges to the side, sliding over the floor. I gasp. "You are not worthy of carrying Amortheyf!" I exclaim. She raises a brow but scoffs a second later, "I don't even care where you heard the name of my weapons, I will just slice you up!" she jumps into the air, rushing down at me she tries to slit my throat. Garnjiel stops her and she tumbles to the side falling to the floor. I jump up, and impale Garnjiel into the floor, right there where her left wing should be. Where it should be. The pegasi was back on her hooves sending her right fronthoof right at my face. It connects, I tumble taking a step backwards. 'This is wrong!' my mind shouts, 'Amortheyf shouldn't even exist anymore!' I try to find my balance, a second later a second hit, right at my ribs get deflected by my armour, it didn't hurt but it was sending my balance more off. I fall to the floor, gasping. I look up at my opponent. She takes a step closer and scoffs, an arrogant look on her face she looks down at me. "Are all the guards as weak as this?" her eyes reflect something dark, something menacing. Something unnatural. 'She is not herself' my mind concludes, 'but it doesn't matter right now' I shiver as I try to get back onto my hooves. "No" I'm back on my hooves, "they are not" I look at Garnjiel, still impaled into the floor a few steps away from me, "and I'm not a guard" I look at her. "Whatever" she shakes her head, spreading her wings again, "it doesn't matter, you are the enemy, that's enough reason" she lunges at me, Amortheyfs tip ready to cut between my ribs, to cut my lungs, my heart. I take one step to the side. The pegasis surprised face is the last thing I see before my left hoof crashes down into her face, sending her flying backwards. She lands on her back, her wings spread wide, as I rush back to Garnjiel. It's hilt in my mouth, as I pull the blade out of the marble. The pegasi cries loud as I ram the blade into her right back leg, ramming it deep into the floor, pinning her down. "Dash!" one of the other ponies cries out, rushing at me with an old ragged sword. I turn around, sending him backwards with a hoof to the chest. He coughs and gasps, dropping the sword, as he kneels down, holding his chest. More ponies want to move, want to help. "Silence!" I shout, the magic on my back erupts sending a wave out. Most of the ponies fall down, unconscious, even the guards fall down. My armour disappears, Garnjiels rune was sucking everything up. The blazing rune on it disappears leaving only a faint pulsing image of it behind. I gasp, looking down on the pony as she cries and wails, flailing her other legs as she tries to free herself somehow. I walk closer, putting my hoof onto her chest with low pressure, trying to make her stop move. She won't. "Stop moving!" I shout at her, she can't hear me. I headbutt her. She grows silent, losing her consciousness. I gasp and hold my own head, growling at the headache I inflicted to myself. I look back at Shining Armor, he was pale and trembling. "Shining, please come here and hold her down" I pull out Garnjiel, a few dropps of blood fly away from it's tip, hauling it on my back, "and try to mend the wound" he nods weakly, walking closer he looks at the mare lying in front of him. I turn around, looking at the last few standing ponies of the revolution army. "Are there any ponies left with the will to fight?" I ask loud, making the most of them shrug. "No?" my voice is still pretty loud. I turn around, looking at Luna. She nods, looking at the guards behind her, "please accompany these ponies to the dungeon and don't hurt them" she orders. I look at the guards, some of them wearing a angry expression. "If I hear any reports of a guard hurting one of these civilist I swear by this bucking giant blade on my back I will cleave you in half!" I shout at them. The guards rush to the revolutionaries, carefully taking their weapons away and taking them out of the room. A growl fills my ears, I turn around seeing Shining sitting next to 'Dash', I walk closer, seeing the wound Garnjiel made slowly closing. "I can't close it completly" he explains, "I can only stop the bleeding" he looks at me, I look back. "Will there be any lasting damage?" I ask him quietly. He shakes his head, "no. You did a good job, you rammed the blade right through her bone without breaking it, the bone will heal without any problems" he looks down on the mare, as her lids slowly open, she growls and gasps. She sees me, fear reflecting in her eyes. She opens her mouth, she looks like she wants to say something but nothing escapes her throat, finally just another growl echoes through my ears. I sigh. "Look" I sit down, next to her, "you never gave me the chance to talk to you, you just attacked me" I look at her, a stern look on my face. Her eyes miss the strange black sheen from before. 'Dash' sobs. I look at Shining, "bring her into the infirmary, and place two guards in front of the room" I order him, "I will talk to her later, once she calmed a little bit" Shining nods. Slowly lifting her up with his magic he walks out of the throne room, levitating her by his side. I look at Luna, seeing her stern expression. "Are you happy?" she suddenly asks, "the will not even hate and fear me now. They will also say I have bloodthristy monsters as subordinates" tears start to stream down her cheeks. I walk closer to the throne, up the stairs and stop in front of her. I hug her. "They won't" I speak calmly, tightening my hug. "I promise" I whisper.