//------------------------------// // The Black Knight: Part II // Story: Tales of the Sword Coast // by AdrianVesper //------------------------------// Shining Armor fruitlessly scrubbed at a speck of grit marring a stained glass pane with a wire brush. When it finally abraded away, he dropped the brush into a bucket of soapy water and wiped his brow with his foreleg. Nearly finished, he thought, eyeing the next five panes within reach. Of course, after that, he’d have to get a ladder. He looked up at the image of Celestia represented by the glass in the shrine’s window with a small smile. The window slanted inward over the altar, placing the interior of the shrine beneath her spread white wings. A crown of amber flared around her head, coloring the visage of the sun behind her head. Her mane and tail filled the rest of the space with a mix of soft colors. “Why do you have to be so hard to keep clean?” he asked. As the words left his mouth, he heard hoofsteps behind him and immediately dropped into a low crouch. He snatched up the brush as a makeshift projectile and turned to face the intruder. It was the old cleric that had been there when he woke up. “Sorry to scare you,” the pony said. Shining Armor sighed and dropped the brush back into the bucket. A splash of warm water hit his coat. It’s been four days, he told himself. Nopony had come after him. At first, he’d thought Mi Amore Cadenza would find out why he was at her mother’s estate, or worse, that the Vixen would want some sort of reprisal for his failure. He shook his head. “It’s not your fault, Orion.” From the doorway into the shrine, Orion eyed the window behind Shining Armor appreciatively. “Good work. You should take a break.” “But I’ve hardly started,” Shining Armor protested. Orion smiled at him knowingly. “There’s no rush. Besides, somepony was asking to see you.” He stepped aside, and another pony took his place in the doorway. Shining Armor recognized her; it was Cadance. “I’ll leave you two to talk,” Orion said as he walked away down one of the temple’s stone corridors. Shining Armor stared at her as she confidently strode into the shrine. The light played across her mane and coat, revealing all of the details he had missed in the moonlight on the balcony. “So, you stayed here,” she said. Shining Armor swallowed. “Yeah...” Cadance fixed him with a sharp gaze. “Why were you there that night?” She took a step closer. Shining Armor turned back to the window, unable to meet her eyes. “Why’d you come looking for me?” he asked. He picked his brush back up and set to work on the next pane. Her hooves clopped on the stone as she moved closer. “You saved my life. It’s the least I could do. I would have come sooner, but with the attack, the guards insisted I stay home.” She gave a rather unladylike snort. “‘For my own safety’...” she muttered. “They couldn’t protect me there.” “And you saved mine, by bringing me here. We’re even. You can leave and live your life.” He heard her sit on the floor behind him. “I’m not going anywhere until I get some answers,” she said. Shining Armor scrubbed the glass in silence. “Did my mother hire you to protect me?” Cadance asked. “Why didn’t she discuss it with me?” Shining Armor spun to face her. “Your mother didn’t hire me.” Cadance was calmly sitting beside the altar in the center of the shrine. “Then why?” She looked up at the stained glass window. “If it wasn’t my mother, who else could it be? The Goddess?” Shining Armor glared at her. Stupid noble princess, he thought. “Do you think I’m your protector? Your guardian angel? Well, I’m not.” He scowled and looked at the floor, adding, “You don’t want to know why I was there.” “Then tell me why you’re still here,” Cadance said. “You had to know I’d come looking. If you didn’t want to answer my questions, why didn’t you leave?” He sighed. “I want to become a cleric.” She blinked. “Why? It all happened so fast, but by all appearances, you’re a capable fighter and a talented spellcaster.” She peered at him. “Why learn something else?” Because you’re not the only one who needs saving, he thought as he turned back to the window. “Why not?” he said. She heaved an exasperated sigh. “Fine, keep your secrets.” “Are we done?” “One more question, and I’ll leave,” she said. “What is it?” Shining Armor asked, rubbing the brush across the glass. “What’s your name?” Shining Armor froze. She’s seen your face. Don’t give her your name too. You’ll end up in a noose, he told himself. Make something up. He glanced over his shoulder, prepared to lie. “Please?” she said, staring at him with her wide violet eyes. “Shining Armor.” Shining Armor transferred water glowing with a faint golden light from a basin into an earthenware jug. Around him, ponies filtered out of the chapel, where the temple held a weekly gathering for those seeking the wisdom of the clerics and Celestia’s blessing. After the jug was full, he turned toward the doorway that lead to the shrine at the back of the chapel. He walked over to the shrine, pausing to scratch around his neck. The grey robes marking him as an acolyte were rough, and he didn’t like wearing them, but fortunately he only had to don them for events. When he reached the shrine, he poured the contents of the jug into a channel around the edge of the room, where the properties of the blessed water would be maintained. She was here, he thought while he held the jug upside-down over the pool of water, listening to the rhythmic glug-glug of the water falling out in bursts. Cadance had been sitting among the gathered ponies. Two guards accompanied her. She stuck out like a clean patch on a dirty rug. Usually, ponies of her means came privately with a donation when they sought the temple’s services. Most of the ponies that came for the weekly gatherings were poor. During the service, she had kept glancing at him. He tried not to look back and stand solemnly like he was supposed to, but he couldn’t help but meet her gaze. She’d smiled at him, and he’d smiled back. It’d been over two weeks, and there’d been no repercussions from giving her his name. He was beginning to think he hadn’t made a mistake. He shook his head, realizing he’d finished emptying the jug. The basin in the chapel still had leftover blessed water. He turned to head back. And bumped into somepony in the doorway. He recoiled, nearly dropping the jug when he saw it was Cadance. “Sorry,” he said. “No, excuse me,” she said, taking a step back. “Do you... need something?” he asked, glancing past her at her guards. They waited stoically by the entrance to the chapel. “Can we talk?” she said. He held up the jug in his levitation. “I’m in the middle of something.” The white-robed cleric in charge of presiding over the service, Sigil, looked over at him and smiled. “Go ahead, Shining. I can finish up here.” Shining Armor walked beside Cadance through the gardens surrounding the temple. All around him, green fronds stretched up toward the noon Sun. Beyond the gardens, a wall separated the temple grounds from the city. “There haven’t been any more attacks, have there?” Shining Armor asked, trying to hide his concern with a mellow tone. “None. There’s always guards with me now. There’s two more just outside this temple. They stand outside my door when I sleep. If someone is still after me, no one appears to want to risk the attempt,” Cadance said. “So, why are you here?” Shining Armor said. “I want to know more about you,” Cadance replied. Sighing, Shining Armor stopped beneath the leafy canopy of a tree. “My answer hasn’t changed.” “I know. I didn’t expect it to,” she said. She sat on her haunches beside the tree and smiled at him. “But I have other questions you might be able to answer.” Shining Armor peered at her. “Like what?” “Do you have anypony special in your life?” Shining Armor blinked. “Orion, I suppose.” He settled beside her. “Oh...” she said, glancing at the ground. “I didn’t know you were that way.” She looked at him, raising a brow. “Isn’t he a bit old?” “Yeah, he’s very old.” Shining Armor said. “Why is that strange? He’s been kind enough to let me stay here and mentor me. I don’t know if that makes him special, but he’s the closest thing I’ve got.” He glanced at Cadance. “What do you mean by ‘that way’? What way?” “Oh! I thought—” She laughed. “Nevermind.” Shining Armor gave her a puzzled look. “What’s so funny?” Cadance glanced up at the branches above them. “Are those plums? I love plums.” He followed her gaze, nodding. With his levitation, he plucked one of the riper looking fruits from the branches and passed it to her. She took it with a smile, and bit into it. The juice dribbled down her chin. Her face twisted as she quickly swallowed. “Not ripe?” Shining Armor asked. She shook her head. “No, it’s ripe.” She smiled brightly. “It’s delicious. Here, have some,” she said as she passed him the plum. Shining Armor took a small bite from the plum’s sweet flesh. He licked the juice off his lips. “Yep, it’s ripe,” he said. “You keep it, I ate before I came here,” she said. He shrugged in response and took another bite. “So...” she said while he chewed. “No girls of note?” Shining Armor swallowed. “Well, Jinx, I guess.” He looked at the ground, his face falling as he remembered the filly from the marketplace and the corpse on the balcony. “We met... a long time ago.” “I see,” Cadance said, her gaze wandering. “Are you close?” “We might have been. I think she was my only shot at a real friend, but I made a mistake and we got separated.” He sighed. “She’s gone now.” “What happened to her?” Cadance asked. “Remember the mare with the crossbows trying to kill you?” Shining Armor said. Cadance nodded. “I think that was her,” Shining Armor said. “I don’t know why she was there, or how she ended up in my line of work, but we crossed paths at the wrong time.” Shining Armor cringed internally as he realized what he said. I let my guard drop, he thought. He anxiously glanced at Cadance, wondering if she’d realized what he’d revealed. “I’m so sorry,” Cadance said. She hoofed at the ground. “What’s it like? Having a violent line of work?” Internally, Shining Armor sighed in relief. “There’s a lot of killing. I’ve felt... black – ever since I first killed a pony. It’s like there’s a shadow running through my veins that I can’t escape.” He looked at the temple. The shrine’s stained glass window gleamed in the sunlight. “It’s why I’m here now instead. It’s why I’m trying to be a cleric. I want to be better.” He stiffened as Cadance nuzzled his shoulder. She immediately pulled away. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to—” “Don’t be,” he interrupted. “It was just unexpected, is all.” He swallowed. She smiled and nuzzled his chin. He returned the affectionate gesture, his heart racing as he inhaled her scent. Her lips brushed his cheek, and the plum slipped from his levitation and landed in the dirt between the tree’s roots. “I’m glad you were there,” she whispered. She pulled away a moment later, and immediately, he missed her closeness. “I have to go,” she said. “But I’ll be back next week.” She stood up and took a step away. “I had your armor repaired; I hope you don’t mind. It’s been delivered to your quarters here, along with your shield and bow.” “Goodbye,” he said, warm feelings fluttering through his chest. She paused, glancing over her shoulder. “One more thing. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about ‘the Bloodhound’, would you?” He froze. The warmth in his chest vanished, replaced by a chill. “No,” he said, shaking his head. “Why?” “I did some digging, and I rumor’s say he’s one of the assassins that was after me,” Cadance said. “I’ll let you know if I remember anything about him,” Shining Armor said. Shining Armor poured over the pages of a book, illuminated by a stubby candle burning on his desk. He read the words, but he couldn’t remember the previous sentence or the slightest scrap of context. He tried to focus his wandering mind, but by the third time he started at the beginning of the same page, he gave up. He dropped his head and rested his temple on the pages with a sigh. Barely two hoofspans away, his armor rested atop a small chest in the corner of the room. He could see the freshly forged links where a hole had been ripped by the bolt. It had hit him between the ribs and thoroughly punctured his right lung. He was lucky to be alive. His masked helm stared back at him from on top of his shield. It beckoned to him, invoking memories of the life he’d left behind: the thrill of the hunt, the smell of blood in the air, the surge of satisfaction when the moment finally came and he took a life. Inside of the helm, and inside of him, was an empty void; it needed to be filled. The nightmares were getting worse. He turned away from the helm and leaned back in his chair. My life is better now, he told himself. His room was even smaller than the one he had in the guildhouse, but here he had friends, rather than business acquaintances. He didn’t get paid, and he’d left all of his money behind, but the temple had a sizeable collection of books. And then, there was her. Every week, he counted the days until she visited. Usually, they’d walk through the gardens, but twice, they went somewhere else. She called them dates. There’d been five so far, not counting the first one. Usually, they ended in a kiss. Sometimes it was light and quick, and sometimes it was long, deep, and passionate. He loved them all. Every week, he came closer to slipping and revealing the truth. Every day, he wondered why she was interested in him at all. She’d grown up in luxury; he’d fought for scraps on the street. He was a killer; she glowed with kindness. I don’t deserve her, he thought. A hoof rapped on the stones at the entrance to his room. He looked up. Ginger, a fellow acolyte, stood in the doorway. “Shining! Orion says it’s time for you to try healing. Somepony brought in a hurt dog!” she yelled. Shining Armor stood over the altar. Ginger restrained a medium sized dog with a patchy coat on the stone. A ragged gash ran down the animal’s calf. According to the owner, the dog tried to squirm under a fence and got cut by a rusty, protruding nail. The wound might heal with time, but gangrene was likely, and the dog was bleeding profusely. I am a conduit for Celestia’s light, Shining Armor recited in his mind as he lifted one of his forehooves. Here, in the shrine, was the easiest place to perform the magic he needed. He hoped that Celestia’s power could wash away the shadows he felt. “You can do this, Shining Armor,” Orion said from beside him. Taking deep breaths, Shining Armor reached out toward the injured animal. He looked up at Celestia’s visage above him. Though no light lit the window from outside, light from candles in the shrine reflected off the colored panes, revealing her shape. Help me. The dog growled at him as his hoof drew closer. “Easy, girl,” the owner said, standing off to the side. Shining touched her leg next to the wound. Trying to channel energy into the wound, he focused on the point of contact. He closed his eyes, feeling deep for the connection to the Celestial Plane that was supposed to manifest. He found nothing. He wasn’t sure how long he tried before Orion gently ushered him aside. A minute, perhaps. He sat beside the altar and watched, helpless, as golden light filled Orion’s eyes and the dog’s leg became whole. A few seconds later, she was wagging her tail and jumping around her owner. Shining Armor saw the pony donate a hoofful of bits on her way out. Shining Armor sat against the outer wall of the shrine. The crescent Moon bathed the gardens around him in a gentle white glow. “Why didn’t it work?” “I’ve always found it harder at night,” Orion said from beside him. “I don’t understand,” Shining Armor continued, “I did everything I was supposed to. I devoted myself to her. I wanted to help ponies. It shouldn’t matter if it’s night or day.” Orion sighed deeply. “Celestia doesn’t ask for your devotion, she asks that you give to others and spread her light.” Shining Armor hoofed at the dirt. “I know... I just meant I’ve tried.” “And you’ve done a fine job.” “Then why didn’t it work?” Shining asked. Orion rubbed at the bridge of his nose. “I don’t know. Sometimes, it takes time to develop the connection.” “Or maybe I’m not good enough to serve her,” Shining Armor said. “What if what I’ve done has ruined any chance I had?” Orion shifted, his old bones creaking, and gently touched Shining Armor’s shoulder. “Don’t give up, Shining. Don’t look to your past, look to your potential. Be patient.” My potential, Shining Armor thought. Do I have the potential to heal, or only to kill? Can I be saved? Shining Armor stopped in front of Cadance’s estate. Cadance leaned against his side, her warmth passing through his coat. Their evening together had been wonderful, driving the previous day’s failure in the shrine from his mind. “We’re here,” he said. She murred and rested her head on his shoulder. “I know.” He chuckled. “Why aren’t you going in?” “One, I’d like to spend more time with you,” she said, wrapping one of her forelegs around his, “and two, I think I need another kiss.” She looked up at him expectantly. Shining Armor turned his head and leaned in to meet her lips. It started slow, but quickly escalated. She slid her tongue slid into his mouth. She hadn’t done that before. He liked it. When they eventually pulled apart, he caught a scornful glare from one of her usually professional guards. He ignored it, focusing on the beautiful mare beside him. She gazed back at him, a soft smile on her lips, and whispered, “Goodnight.” “Goodnight,” he murmured as she walked away from him. Her guards escorted her through the gate in the estate’s wall, and soon, he was standing alone in the street. “I’m so lucky,” he said quietly, smiling to himself. “Are you now?” a voice said from beside him. Shining Armor jumped. He turned to look at the speaker. A pony in a dark cloak lurked on the edge of the street. “Who are you?” Shining Armor asked, glaring at the figure. “Don’t you remember me, Shiny?” The pony threw back his hood. Shining Armor recognized him as Vellum. “You disappear, and now, when you turn up, you’re having a sloppy make-out session with the target, which begs the question: why isn’t she dead yet?” Shining Armor lunged at him, using his larger body to pin Vellum against the wall. “Quiet!” he hissed. He felt a prick at his chin. Vellum’s switchblade hovered beneath his jaw, ready to stab up into the underside of his mouth. “Are you getting soft, Bloodhound?” Vellum whispered. “Why does it matter?” Shining Armor growled, ignoring the blade beneath his head. “Because the Vixen wants you to know that the contract is still on. She thinks the rest of the players have given up, and by some stroke of brilliance or luck, you’ve gotten close. You still have a chance to give her results,” Vellum said. “And if I don’t?” Shining Armor asked. “We both know our family isn’t the most forgiving.” Shining Armor sighed and released Vellum. “Tell her I need a weapon,” he said. “I’ll admit, I’ve gotten attached. I can’t choke her or something. It needs to be quick.” Vellum nodded and pushed his switchblade back into its sheath. “Like ripping off a bandage.” “I’ll stop by the guildhouse tomorrow and get something,” Shining Armor said. Shining Armor sat on a low bench in the temple gardens beside Orion. A puddle collected in the crags of the stone path beside the bench from that evening’s watering reflected the glimmering night sky. He faced Orion. “What did you want to discuss, Shining?” Orion asked. Shining Armor ran his hooves along the wooden slats of the bench. “If you knew somepony was putting somepony you loved, your daughter for example, in danger, what would you do to stop them?” Orion took a slow breath. “I love my daughter very much, and she has wonderful children who rely on her. I suppose I’d do just about anything in my power to protect her.” “Even if it meant killing?” “If someone was trying to kill her, in a heartbeat.” Shining Armor quirked a brow at Orion. “And Celestia would approve of that?” Orion shook his head. “I can’t claim to speak for Celestia. All I know is what I think is right, and if protecting what you love isn’t right, I don’t know what is.” He focused on Shining Armor. “Killing is a terrible thing, but sometimes, it’s something you have to do.” “I think I’m in love,” Shining Armor murmured, staring at his reflection in the puddle. And she’s in danger, he thought. “Then why are you so morbid, young man,” Orion said with a smile. “Cadance is a wonderful mare. Be happy.” He shivered. “Come on, let’s go inside. This night air is getting to me.” Shining Armor stood and helped Orion off the bench. He glanced at the stained glass window. I hope you can forgive me, for what I’m about to do, he thought. Covered by his armor, Shining Armor tapped the edge of his shield against the guildhouse door. He waited patiently. Within a few moments, a small peephole slid open. “Password,” a voice said. Shining Armor focused on the door and cast a spell: Knock. It flew off its hinges and into the pony behind it, then hit a wall inside with a vicious crack. He followed it, leading with his shield, and nocked an arrow on the string of his bow. The light of the dawn streamed through the doorway behind him, casting shadows inside the guildhouse. A flicker of movement on the stairway caught his attention. He drew back the string and fired. His arrow thunked into something fleshy and a cry of pain filled the air. He nocked a second arrow and fired again. Another fleshy hit – then silence. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, the pony between the door and the wall groaned. He rushed forward, his hooves thundering on the wooden floor, and smashed his shield down on an exposed limb, leaving it a twisted mess. The pony screamed. Shock and blood loss would finish her. Hooves drummed on the second floor, where most of the ponies slept. They were coming. He glimpsed a quiver leaning against the wall near the door, and snatched it up, adding another dozen arrows to his supply. Repositioning, he nocked another arrow and raised his bow. He hit the first individual to appear solidly in the chest. At this range, it was hard to miss. The griffon slumped down the steps, a loaded crossbow falling out of his talons. Shining Armor wasn’t ready with another arrow when someone else moved at the top of the air. A unicorn poked around the corner with a bow and fired. The arrow thunked into Shining Armor’s shield. Shining Armor retaliated with a Magic Missile spell. A purple orb jumped from his horn and struck the unicorn. She staggered on the steps from the hit, and he finished her with an arrow. A door to his left slammed open. The cook rushed at him from the doorway with a cleaver in his mouth, likely trying to catch him by surprise. Shining Armor flipped his shield sideways and met the cook’s charge with the bladed edge, eviscerating him. He shoved the body away, and turned his attention back to the stairs. His eyes tracked a small pouch flung from the door at the top of the stairs until it struck the floorboards in front of him. Boom! White light filled his senses. His ears rang. Blinded, he stepped back and cast Shield to protect himself. Flash powder, he realized. When his sight cleared a moment later, shadows clung to the edges of his vision. There were two targets in sight: The first was a filly barely old enough to be called a mare fumbling with the loaded crossbow. She was about the same age he’d been when he’d first come here. The second was a pony with a hoof mace and a breastplate at the bottom of the stairs, one of the bounty hunters. I have to kill them all, Shining Armor thought. No memories can remain. The filly managed an accurate shot. It deflected off his arcane shield. He returned fire, shredding her shoulder with an arrow. She screamed as she lost her balance and tumbled down the steps. The pony with a hoof mace lunged at him. He knocked the blow aside with his shield, then ran the bladed edge up along the pony’s torso. The metal rim sparked off his attacker’s breastplate and drew a red line across his throat. Almost instantly, blood surged from the wound. The pony stumbled, shaking his head, then slumped to the floor. Something stung Shining Armor in his exposed calf. He whirled. Vellum pranced away from him, the spike on the tip of his tail red with blood. “Shiny! What are you doing!” Vellum shouted. Shining Armor took a step forward, numbness quickly spreading across his wounded leg. The poison burned as it seeped through his veins. Vellum maneuvered, staying just out of reach. Shining Armor snapped his bow up and took a shot. His arrow skewered Vellum through the elbow. With Vellum hobbled, he closed and smashed his shield into his enemy’s face. Vellum staggered backwards and hit the wall, his nose bleeding profusely. Shining Armor took another step, dragging his lip hind leg, and closed enough to press his forehoof against Vellum’s throat. Shining Armor saw Vellum’s switchblade pass through his foreleg, but he felt nothing. Shadows surged inside of him as Vellum’s fur turned to ash. He watched Vellum’s skin turn black and wither away. Shining Armor’s pricked leg stopped burning. The switchblade pulled free as Vellum went limp, and the hole it left behind closed. Panting and invigorated, Shining Armor released Vellum’s withered body and turned. If his count was right, there should only be one more individual in the guildhouse. He advanced on the door to the Vixen’s office. After smashing his way through the door, he found her cowering behind her desk. “Shiny! We can work something out!” she shouted. Her pleas fell on deaf ears. He put an arrow between her eyes. Shoving the body aside, he searched the Vixen’s bloodstained desk until he found the contract. It gave no hints about the identity of the customer, so he burned it. On his way out, he followed the filly’s blood trail upstairs and executed her before she could escape out a window. If there were any witnesses, another branch of the Thieves Guild would seek revenge on him. He also took any bits he could find, hoping it would make it look like the killings were motivated by greed. Shining Armor walked toward the front gates of Cadance’s estate. Daylight shafted in through the eyeholes of his mask. He carried his shield slung across his back. Blood dripped off the rim and stained his armor. It happened again, he thought as he approached the gates. The shadows had taken him when he fought Vellum. It had saved his life from the poison, but all he could think about was the desiccated husk and the mutilated corpses he’d left behind. He still remembered that night all those years ago, with the ponies in robes gathered around the altar. He thought he could escape the shadows. For weeks, he’d lived a peaceful life, but the moment the rush of battle returned, he reveled in it. I was born to kill, he thought. He was a pony, but he knew he was something else as well; they called him a Shadowspawn. When he reached the gates, two guards blocked his path. “Halt!” they shouted, brandishing their spears aggressively. I look like a murderer, he realized. He recognized this pair from one of his dates with Cadance, but they’d never seen him in armor. He glanced down the street. He could turn away, ditch his armor and weapons in the bay, and pretend this never happened. He could be happy with Cadance. There’s one more thing I have to do before she’s safe, he thought. He pulled off his helmet. “Tell Lady Cadance Shining Armor is here to see her,” he said. They both took a step back in surprise. “I’ll… let her know,” one of them said as she turned away and headed for the front doors of the house. The other kept his weapon ready. Shining Armor passively plopped onto his haunches. He regarded the guard. Unbidden, various ways he could kill the pony in front of him appeared in his mind. He tried to ignore them. Ponies in the street stopped to stare at the bloody unicorn facing off with the noble guard. He tried to ignore them too. Finally, the messenger returned. “She’ll see you on the veranda,” she said. Both guards stepped aside for him. He walked through the gates, feeling their wary eyes on him. He crossed the courtyard and entered the house. It looked different with sunlight streaming in through the windows – welcoming. The last time he’d been inside, he’d been here to kill. Now, he could admire the open, vaulted ceiling and the glittering chandelier. A servant stared at him as he climbed the stairs, but he ignored her. He could see fresh paint on the window frame ahead, where the shattered panes had been replaced. This time, he found a door. She wasn’t there, so he sat on his haunches beside a wicker couch, set his helmet down on a table, and waited. The east and the west wings of the house flanked the veranda, enclosing a courtyard behind the house. Beneath him, a well-kept garden buzzed with life. Bees and butterflies flitted between blooming flowers. He swallowed as he thought about what he was going to say. When you tell her why you were there that night, you’re going to hurt her, he told himself, but he’d already made up his mind. “I didn’t expect you, Shining,” Cadance’s melodious voice called out to his right. He turned his head to look at her as she stepped through a doorway. She stopped short. “Shining, what happened? Are you alright?” He opened his mouth to speak, and three words fell out. “I love you.” They weren’t the words he planned to say. She blinked at him, speechless for a moment. This can’t be happening, he thought. He swallowed, futilely trying to wet his dry mouth. A dull throb echoed in his chest. He turned away from her, unable to look at her when he spoke. “And that’s why I have to tell you the truth.” “What truth?” she asked. He leaned his forehooves on the railing and swallowed again before continuing. “That night, when I saved your life, I came here to kill you.” He closed his eyes tight. Her hooves clipped on the wood. She was stepping closer. “I know,” she said. “I found out you were the Bloodhound after you gave me your name.” He opened his eyes and turned to her. “You do? Then why did you—“ “Because you didn’t,” she interrupted with a soft smile on her lips. “You had the opportunity to, but you chose not to.” He stared at her in disbelief. “I was wounded! How did you know I wasn’t just trying to get out alive? How do you know I’m not still trying to kill you?” She reached up and touched his cheek with a hoof. “I didn’t. When I saw you the second time, it looked for all the world like you were trying to change. It was a risk I was willing to take, and it was worth it.” It all makes sense, he realized. He recoiled, taking a step away from her. “You used me,” he growled. “Why else would a pony like you be so interested in a killer like me?” She cringed, hurt passing across her face. “Shining, I—“ He scowled. “Well, it worked. I knew where they were. I stopped them. I killed them all. I burned the contract. You’re safe now.” He turned away from her, heading for the door. “I’m glad you think it was worth it.” “Shining, wait,” she said, catching his shoulder with a hoof. He shook her off and stepped into the house, blinking away tears. “I love you too!” she cried. He froze mid-step, his foreleg cocked. “I didn’t want you to kill anypony for me! You’re handsome, noble, smart, and wonderful.” She rushed past him, blocking his path. She focused on him, her violet eyes ablaze. “I wanted to be with you because my heart told me I was safe with you; even though I knew it was risky.” She wrapped her hooves around his neck. Blood still clinging to his armor stained her fur, but she didn’t seem to care. She kissed him, and he kissed her back. When she pulled away, she whispered, “You are my guardian angel. If I believe it, who’s to say you’re not?” She pressed her cheek against his. “Please don’t leave me,” she breathed in his ear. “Stay with me.” Shining Armor rushed through the main entrance to the temple. A silk vest rustled against his fur; it was a piece of finery given to him by Cadance. Tonight was the night. How could I forget it?! he thought. Sweat clung to the pads of his hooves as he headed down the corridor to his humble room, despite the chill carried by the stones. Cadance had asked him to escort her to the Hearth’s Warming ball, and he was already late. In his room, he found the small padded box. He snatched it up quickly checked its contents. A golden band set with a beautifully cut amethyst stone rested inside the box, sized for a unicorn’s horn. It had cost him all of gold he’d taken from the guildhouse to commision it. Satisfied, he tucked it safely into a pocket in his vest and darted back out of the room. Maybe it’s too soon, he thought. Doubts had raced through his mind since he first conceived of the plan to propose to Cadance: Her mother wouldn’t approve; he had no family name – no pedigree of note. They’d only been together a few months. Among the nobility, the mare was supposed to pick the stallion. He hesitated, considering leaving the ring behind. A cough echoed down the empty halls. His ears perked. It came from the chapel. Isn’t everypony outside for the festival? he thought. He headed toward the source of the sound. When he stepped through the chapel doors, he stopped in shock. Orion lay in a crumpled heap in the middle of the floor. He clutched a sealed bottle of wine in one foreleg and held his gut with the other. His breaths came in ragged gasps. A sheen of cold sweat covered his coat. Shining Armor surged forward. “Orion?! Are you alright?” “I’m fine, Shining,” he said. “It’s time.” Shining Armor lifted Orion gently in his levitation. He draped one of the old cleric’s forelegs over his shoulder. “It’s your heart, isn’t it?” he asked. “It’s happening again.” Orion nodded. “We have to get you to Sigil! She can fix you,” Shining Armor said. “Not this time,” Orion said, his weak voice barely audible. “She’s with her family on the other side of the city.” Shining Armor took a careful step toward the door, helping Orion along. “Then we’ll take you somewhere else.” Orion dragged his hooves. He moved without urgency. “You’re going to propose to her tonight, aren’t you?” Shining Armor shifted, working to reposition Orion onto his back. Just keep him talking, he thought. “I don’t know. I’m afraid she won’t say yes.” Orion grunted as Shining Armor pulled him up. “You have to. You two are meant for each other.” He glanced at the bottle of wine on the floor. “She’ll say yes. It’s why I was getting the wine ready.” Shining Armor smiled. He blinked back tears as he settled Orion’s body on his back and took a step toward the door. “Then we’ll all have a drink to celebrate,” he said. “I’m not going to be there, Shining. I wish I could, but not even Celestia can heal old age.” Shining Armor shook his head. “What’re you talking about? You’ll be there. We can fix this.” “You need to let me go,” Orion said. Shining Armor felt the body on his back go limp. “Orion?!” he shouted. No response. He stamped his hoof in frustration, and turned toward the shrine. This has to work, he thought. He rushed into the small room and laid Orion’s motionless body on the altar. This time, I can do it, Shining Armor told himself. He raised his forehoof and gazed up at the stained glass window. “I need him, you hear me?!” he shouted at visage of Celestia. “I need him to be better! I need him to be good enough for her!” He reached for the connection that should be there, and this time, he felt something. A deep well of divine power rose to his command. His foreleg tingled, and he reached down and pressed his hoof against Orion’s chest. Orion’s fur withered away. Shining Armor immediately pulled his hoof back, but it was too late. The wisps of satisfaction he felt every time he took a life coursed through him. He felt sick. “Why didn’t you save him?!” Shining Armor roared up at Celestia. He slammed his hooves down on the edge of the altar, chipping away a chunk of stone. “Why can’t you save me?!” The stained glass stayed silent and motionless. “I tried!” he shouted. “I did everything I could! What more do you want from me?!” Celestia said nothing. With a snort, Shining Armor turned away from the shrine, never to return. The heat from a glowing red forge seared Shining Armor’s coat. He eyed the pieces of a suit of black armor laid out on a scorched oaken table appreciatively. He lifted the thick helm in his levitation. A demonic visage worked into the metal stared back at him. A smith stepped up beside him. “This is what you wanted, right?” she said, wiping sweat from her brow. Shining Armor nodded. This is the way it has to be, he thought. He’d married Cadance, like he planned. She’d wanted to marry him, and he couldn’t turn away from her, but if she was going to have her guardian angel, it would have to be an angel of darkness. Just before the wedding, he’d taken some of what she’d inherited from her mother and had this suit of armor made. “It had a real nice sheen before I stained it,” the smith said. “Why’d it have to be black?” Shining Armor set the helm back down on the table. “Because some things can’t be escaped,” he said. He wrapped his levitation around the breastplate. “Careful, with the thickness you asked for, it’s going to be heavy even with the enchantments,” the smith said. Shining Armor easily lifted the breastplate from the table. “I can handle it.” He peered at the enhancing runes on the inside surface before positioning the plate on his chest. The smith shifted on her hooves. “I could get one of my apprentices to help you put it on, if you want to see how it fits.” Shining Armor shook his head as he tightened the straps with his levitation. “I need to know how to put it on alone.” One by one, he fixed the pieces of armor to his body. It was as heavy as he expected platemail to be, even with the magic. The protection it offered would be excellent. I’m going to put it in a shell, he thought. He would be Shining Armor by day, and a monster by night. It was the only way to keep Cadance safe. The monster could hunt and sate his thirst. The threats to her would never go away, but the monster could kill them. When he fixed the last piece onto his back, he turned to look at the smith. “Where’s the shield?” he asked. “Here it is,” she said as she picked up a monolithic piece of metal leaning against the table. With a grunt, she shoved it up onto the table. A sharpened, serrated edge ran down one side of the shield. Arcane runes adorned the surface. They would deflect spells. “I had a wizard enchant it just this morning.” “You didn’t tell him who the buyer was, did you?” Shining Armor asked. She shook her head. “Of course not. Nopony knows but me.” Shining Armor picked up the helm and placed it securely on his head. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, digging deep into the well of divine power within him. Shadows coursed through his veins. The Black Knight opened his eyes. Shining Armor would be a better pony, the pony Cadance deserved, and the Black Knight would do what was needed. He flicked up the shield in his levitation, and with one brutal swing, spattered blood on the wall of the smithy. The plates of his armor clinked as he stepped over the body. “Now no one knows.” The Black Knight was born to kill.