This was the closest Corser had ever been to a mountain. He really never got out much except in the nightmares, and none of them where in mountainous areas. But this could not measure to any of his imaginings, not that he had ever imagined going to a mountain. Now the sea... That he had imagined may times. Some of the ponies had come from there, and he had the memories of going there. Sure, someponies had memories of mountains, but when one sees mountains every day, they are nothing to be impressed about. He shook his head, and took a deep breath. He had to find a way in, if the little filly had been right, this was what he was looking for.
“Oh,” there was a cave, not too far off the little road, which went up the mountain. He moved over to the cave. It was pitch black. He cleared his throat, and was about to call down, but that felt... Silly. What if there was nothing there. He sighed, and lit his horn. It did... Not light much of all in fact. It seemed... Dim, in the darkness of the cave, and the sunlight did not seem to help. There was the sound of dripping water from somewhere deep within. And it looked deep. He was careful as he walked down the sloping passage. Though it seemed... Well used. That was a very good thing, and promising. But it was a tad slick. It probably flooded when it rained.
It seemed the farther he went down, the darker his light got. Which was odd... The shadow things must have some sort of magic. And like the dark. But that was fine by him. As long as he had enough light to actually see things. It was a very slow pace, but he was in no hurry. He had plenty of time, he had reached the mountain just in time to lower the moon.
The moment he became impatient, he slipped. He tried his best to not, but the slick floor was worse the deeper he went. Perhaps it was to the point of slimy. But he slid, slowly picked up speed, in a sitting position now, and trying in vain to slow himself down. Could he manage magic while he was trying to light at the same time? Unfortunately, or fortunately, the stalagmite stopped him before he tried to find out. He took a deep breath, and shook his head. The air was... Surprisingly not stale like he had for some reason expected. Just very damp.
Slowly he moved around the stalagmite, noticing how there where quite a few of them. There was silence, except for the slow drip drip of water. At least it had flattened out here, and he moved slowly further in, and he could hear something else. Something over the sound of water. He wasn't sure what it was, until he moved into another chamber. It felt bigger than the other one, and he was sure of now, especially when the little ball came bouncing out of the darkness.
He stared at it a moment, “hello?” He said softly, cautiously, as he gave the ball a gentle kick back the direction it came.
But he was met with silence. Then the ball bouncing back towards him. He sat down, and gave it another kick back where it came. His eyes wandered around as he waited for it to come back. There was no way to be sure it would, but he was confident it would. His light was not strong enough to make it very bright, and he could not see very far away. But the ball did come back.
“Never played with a ball,” he said, noticing he gained the softness he had found previously. But he kicked the ball back. “I never had toys of any sort. Besides sticks, or rocks I guess...” Again, back to Corser, then back into the darkness. He felt like he was almost talking to himself, and probably would have, if the ball didn't keep coming back.
“That doesn't sound fun,” the voice was soft, and sounded quite young. Back and forth.
“Oh it could be,” back and forth, “I didn't know any different. I thought finding a cool rock was the best thing...” He shook his head, laughing softly. If he looked hard enough into the darkness, he thought he could see a pair of eyes, though it was simply a glint, that he assumed where eyes.
The ball must have hit a stone or something, as it came back to Corser, because it stopped just inside the area of light. “There are lots of rocks down here.” The glint moved behind a stalagmite. “They're no fun...”
“I bet you don't get toys very often,” he scooted back, away from the ball until he could only make out it's shape.
“Not as often as we'd like. But it's not often they leave them out. Especially now.” He saw the glint come back, and could vaguely make out the shape. It was pony shaped, and not as young as Corser had thought. Almost to the point where she would not be called a foal. She looked at him, her eyes glowed in the soft light. They where... Catlike, and a shade of light purple. “Why are you here? Ponies don't come down here.”
“Well, I'm looking for something,” he said, smiling slightly.
She clung to the ball. “Not my ball.”
“Well, no. Not exactly,” he said, chuckling slightly. “More looking for... Well, looking for what lives down here.”
“Ponies who do that, don't stay for long...” She was still holding the ball close.
“Why not?”
“Because of me.” There was... The opposite of a flash, and Corser acted instinctively.
Something slid away from him, and the light of his horn was now bright as it had always been. The magic that was suppressing it was gone. Corser was on his feet, glaring at the pony who had just attempted to do... Something to him. “That is no way to treat a guest,” Corser said, as he watched the move, unfolding wings. Bat wings. It was pony shaped, but was most definitely different. Bat wings, tufts of fur on it's ears, cat slit eyes... Even the mane looked slightly odd.
The little one ran, and screamed out, “help!”
Corser let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head. “Damn it. Well, so much for first impressions.” He walked slowly over to the shape as it tried to get up. “Now. Do not do that again.” There was a lot of commotion, and what sounded like hundreds of wings. And he looked up.
Dozens of eyes stared down at him, and many of these ponies had taken to the air, several where landing. “What did you do?” Somepony was saying as they where helping the other pony up.
“Defending myself. You cannot simply sneak up on somepony, and then cast something at them, and expect them not to react,” though his argument felt empty.
“It is like some sort of star,” was something he heard in the murmuring.
He cleared his throat, looking around. Many had landed, but still many more where hanging from the ceiling, staring down. “My name is Corser, if you care, and I come with a proposition.” He was met with blank stares. “I'm sure you are familiar with Princess Celestia, and-”
There was a large commotion, some of which where death threats, and general curses. It wasn't until somepony shouted, “silence!” And it fell silent immediately. Wherever that had come from, they where most definitely the leader.
“And Princess Luna,” silence. “Princess Luna has returned, and in her return, all those that sided with her during her betrayal, have been granted full pardon,” there was a lot of muttering, and shifting as somepony made their way to the front. “That means, you are no longer banished.”
“Who are you, to make such claims?” The pony that came forth was old. Not very old, but at that point where when looking at him, the word old sprang to mind. His wings where tattered, and judging from the milkiness, he was blind in one eye.
“I am Corser. Captain of the Night Guard, appointed by Princess Luna.” There was a lot, a lot lot, of murmuring now.
“Be quiet,” the old pony said, and they all fell silent. “And so you have come to us... To say we are free to roam as we please? Just like that?” Corser could not help but notice the sharp fang. Only one, it seemed he was missing the other.
“As I understand it. Yes,” he looked around. They where all staring at him.
“Not many of us where alive than... And I am the last of those that fought...” He moved closer to Corser, well into the light now, and it was easy to see that what he said was true. Battered was an understatement. “And you are saying... That we are to just forget out struggles? Forget what she has done to us? Banished us from the moonlight? It is a fate worse than death... How dare you come and preach such nonsense.”
“Do not talk to me of struggles,” Corser snapped, glaring at him. “If I could bare the scars of what I have gone through, I would be nothing but them.” He stepped towards the old bat. “I have fought, and died more times than any could imagine. You where punished with darkness. I was punished with death, a thousand times over.” He was now face to face with the haggard thing. “You know nothing of pain. You know nothing of torment. You cannot comprehend what it means to be punished. You have lived a thousand years,” the old pony backed away as Corser advanced, “but you did not live and die every night. You had but one fight. I have had countless. You have nothing but the memory of that night of what you did.” The old pony fell back, and Corser stood over him, looking down at him. “You have lived a thousand years, I have lived a thousand lifetimes. Do not dare compare you to me.” He turned away, looking at the group. “I am Captain Corser of the Night Guard. Any of you who wish to serve Princess Luna, may come with me. You will be the guardians of the night. And the others, are free to go anywhere they wish.”
There was now bursts of conversation as Corser made his way back to the ramp out. “Wait.” Corser stopped, but he did not turn. “You...” The old pony was moving towards him, slowly. “You have been through the war... How?”
“It is what Celestia cursed the ponies with. Relive the lives of those who sided against her.” It hurt to say it. To even think about it. “But Nightmare Moon took it away when she returned. To which I am sure you would have flocked to her side had you known of her return.”
“Yes,” he said, staring at Corser. “We would have gone to her side, as we did in olden times.”
“And now?” Corser looked back at the old pony. At his side, was the little filly who had spoken to him. “Now there is doubt in your eyes. You have been beaten down, and you accept it.”
The old pony glared at him, but he did not have any argument it seemed. No words to retort. “Can we really go outside?” Corser looked down, and he saw the little one staring up at him. Her purple eyes where so large, and bright. “We can really be under the moonlight?” She was so close now, not afraid of his light it seemed, and now he could see clearly all the differences. Two large sharp teeth, a mane that looked rough and choppy, black with a dark violet streak. And those eyes. Vertical slits in a sea of soft purple.
The anger that he had felt just a moment ago was gone now, and he smiled. He couldn't help it. “Yes,” his voice had the soft tone once more. “And it is beautiful.”
“You give her false hope,” it was the pony that had attacked him. “You-”
A look was all it took from Corser. But it was not one of anger, now it was of pity, and disgust. “You have no hope.” He looked back down at her. “All of you who come with me, can live beneath the moon and stars. Everypony else, can stay if they want.” He began walking back the way he had came. They shied away from his light. When he left, he heard the burst of conversation. Arguments. He stopped at the stalagmite that he had slid into, and saw the ball pass him. He looked to his side, and there was the little pony, staring up at him.
She was grinning up at him, and he could not help but look at her sharp fangs. “I want to see the moon.”
He chuckled softly, nodding. “Yes. You shall see the moon. But it is day right now.” He wondered how long he had been down here for. It felt like days.
“You will take me into the moonlight?” She was staring up at him with this... Child like wonder. It was the only way he could think to describe it. He could still hear arguing going on, but there where more of the bat ponies coming up. It seemed some had made their decision.
The one that approached him, looked quite young, but Corser was fairly certain there was no real way to judge their age, but he had golden eyes. There eyes where so expressive. They looked quite similar aside from the shade of their fur and mane's, but none of their eyes where the same. Color, perhaps, but not the shine. “You can truly take us from here? If we serve under Princess Luna, we can leave?”
Corser sighed, and shook his head. “No. You do not have to serve Princess Luna. You can do as you want. You are not banished. I am offering you a place to go. Something to do.” They stared at him, and he felt he had to continue, “your freedom comes at no price. No cost. You are, right now, free.”
A green eyed one spoke next, “I wish to serve Princess Luna.”
“Than you shall enlist in the Night Guard, and become a guard of her, Canterlot, Equestria, and the night.” The crowd was growing, and the arguing seemed more intense in the other chamber. “That means, that you will serve under Celestia as well.” He was expecting some sort of protest at this, but the most he got was a few looks of distaste. “And protect her as well. If you cannot do that, you do not have to.”
“I thought Celestia was bad,” again the little pony spoke.
Corser looked down at her, and smiled. “What is your name?”
“Dusky.”
His smile widened a bit, “well little Dusky. I thought that, too. And I still kind of do. But... She's changed a lot in a thousand years. I do not know her reasons, but she made a lot of decisions out of anger, and sadness. But with Princess Luna's return, it seems she has forgiven her, and everypony else.”
He watched as her head slowly tilted to one side. “You think she is bad?”
Of course that would be what she took away from that. He chuckled softly, and stood up straight. “Yes. I do not like Celestia for what she has done for me, and I doubt I ever will. But it is worth it, to serve Princess Luna,” there was a lot of muttering through the crowd. “Just to be close to her... Just to see her...” He stopped, and cleared his throat.
“But we can do whatever we want?” It looked like everypony was there, staring at him.
“Yes. You can go far away, if you want. Explore Equestria. Explore the world,” Corser felt like they where all completely wrapped in what he said. Whenever he spoke, they all fell silent.
“But we can see Princess Luna?” There was more than silence now. Something deeper than silence. Every single one of them, even those in the other room who had decided to stay.
“She will be happy to see everypony. She has been alone for far too long,” with that, Corser turned to the ramp. “And now. We shall travel to Canterlot.”
“We cannot go out into the sun...” Somepony said.
Corser stopped for a moment. How much power did he have, he wondered. “We shall see if that is true.” They made good time up the ramp, especially as he had no fear of slipping now. There where dozens of ponies to catch him. It was quite quick going in fact, as nopony was taking their time. They all wanted to go out.
He wondered who stayed behind. They probably would not stay for long. The moment somepony came back, and told them that Corser was telling the truth, none would be left in these caves. The sun was an almost comforting sight from the darkness of the cave, and he put his light out. But the closer he got, the few stayed by his side. “It hurt my eyes,” Dusky said, she was the only pony who went this far with him.
“It hurts mine, too,” and it did. He was a pony accustomed to the night. The only sun he saw was the evening, and morning sun. But this was the late afternoon sun. He had been down there for most of the day. “In more ways than physical...”
Where the sun started, they both stopped. “Is it going to hurt?”
“I'm not sure. I don't know what species you even are,” Corser waved his hoof vaguely into the sunlight. It was very warm. Behind him he could here the shuffling as the group of ponies shuffled foreword.
She followed his movements, waving her hoof vaguely in the sunlight. Copper half expected smoke to rise from it. “It doesn't hurt... But it's too bright...”
He looked outside a moment, and then nodded. “I agree... Far too bright. We shall wait until sunset, and then go to Canterlot.”
As they sat, a lot of things went through Corser's mind. He had solved the biggest problem. How would things work out now? All of them would be loyal to Luna, he was sure of that. And through her, they would be loyal to him. Then it dawned on him. He had an army. Not a very large one... But it could be enough, couldn't it? “Thus sun is going down,” Dusky said.
He blinked, and looked outside, his back was to the entrance, looking over the dozens of shining eyes. He moved out slowly, and stretched. “I guess it's time then.”
Yes, that's right. It's time to do his job. “Time for what?” Dusky asked, which was echoed by many.
He watched as the sun descended, and then, he raised the moon. It was the first time he had done it with an audience, especially a wide eyed, dropped jaw crowd, which moved out under the night sky as he rose the moon. “You... Can raise the moon.” It was a statement, and Corser wasn't sure which pony said it. It took focus to do so, and to then send out waves of magic to the Everfree.
“Yes,” he said, turning to the group. “Princess Luna doesn't have the strength to do it as of yet, she has been weakened from her transformation back from Nightmare Moon was draining. And now that she has-” he had to stop himself from saying army, “her guards, she will be able to focus on regaining her strength.”
Dusky, and many of the other batponies stared at the moon in fascination. “It's so beautiful,” she said softly.
Corser looked at her for a moment, smiling. “And you will get to see it every night. Now, come. We should reach Canterlot by morning, since you can all fly. Though someponies will need to carry me.”