Diamond groaned as she opened her eyes. She could tell she was lying on her back, but couldn’t see anything through the fog that was… did the fog just shift when she blinked? She blinked again, and then several times more to clear her vision.
There was a pony standing over her… She recognized him… “Midnight?”
He had been talking to somepony she couldn’t see, but looked down at her when she spoke. “Hello Diamond.”
“Am I dead?”
He smiled. “No.”
“Dreaming then.”
“Not that either.”
“Wha? But you’re…” Everything came rushing back at once. The filly inhaled as sharply as she sat up. “What happened?”
“We won!” Diamond turned to see Sweetie Bell sitting with Featherdown, Page Turner, and Nyx on her other side.
Featherdown smiled and shook her head at the younger filly’s exuberance. “Everypony was knocked out when the device blew up. When we woke up, the cultists were all tied up and this guy was here.” She motioned to Midnight. “He hasn’t left you since. Friend of yours?”
Diamond nodded. “This is Midnight Star.”
Sweetie’s eyes went wide as she started bouncing up and down. “Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh…”
Page Turner cocked his head. “Midnight Star? Wasn’t that the name of…” He straightened as realization dawned. “…your liege?”
Diamond nodded. “My master. The Alicorn of Hope.” She glanced over her shoulder at the stallion in question. “And apparently the pony who finished beating the cult.”
Midnight snorted. “Yes, because tying up a bunch of unconscious ponies entailed so much work.”
Diamond shook her head. “Still, you…” She stopped, blinked, looked around, and blinked again. “What happened to the device?”
Midnight winced. “It was destroyed, torn apart by the energy of the spell. The spire was shattered too.”
Diamond looked at him. “How’d I get here then?”
“I levitated us.”
“No Midnight, how’d I survive? I was in the middle of that, I should have been blown apart too. What. Did. You. Do?”
He sighed, “I… may have protected you from the energy backlash.”
Diamond braced herself for it. “What was the price? What do we have to stop now?”
Midnight closed his eyes. “That’s not quite how that works. Most of the price was covered by the excess energy the spell gave me. The rest… memories.”
Both of the black fillies present went wide-eyed, but it was Nyx who spoke this time, “You’ve got amnesia?”
The stallion laughed. “No, it didn’t take all of my memories. Honestly, they’re still waiting for me back in my star. That’s really all I gave up, was the thousand years I was imprisoned. The past decade or so and my memories from before I went away are still intact.”
Nyx cocked her head. “So why don’t you talk like Luna does?”
Midnight coughed. “I… uh… don’t know what…” He met four leveled gazes. “Fine, I admit it. Being able to speak well is my one point of vanity.”
The conversation was interrupted at that point by Sweetie Bell rejoining it as she stopped bouncing. “You guys, do you realize what this means? Princess Luna gets her best friend back!”
Nyx leaned forward and whispered something in Sweetie’s ear. The unicorn’s responding shout was heard on the surface.
The pegasi guards galloped forward as they landed. “Princess! Are you alright?!”
The white alicorn looked over from where she was conversing with several of Ponyville’s occupants. “I am quite fine Lieutenants. Do you have anything to report?”
Both pegasi snapped to attention. “Ma’am.” The one on the left said, “There was a magical ripple last night that knocked out all magical communications in Equestria. Repairs to these spells are underway, but some of the older ones… the mages don’t know what to do.”
The Princess gave an enigmatic smile. “I doubt that will be a problem for much longer. Anything else?”
The guard on the right spoke this time, “Ma’am. In response to general inquiries from the guard, seventeen instances have been reported in Canterlot of artifact activation and magical fluctuation, including four instances of magic currently classified as myth being verifiably used.”
Celestia nodded. “To be expected given the circumstances. Do we know anything about the ripple itself?”
The first guard spoke up again. “Yes Ma’am. Strange lights were reported in the skies over Manehatten shortly before communications went down. The School for Gifted Unicorns charted the timing and pattern of lost contact. Manehatten is the center of it.”
Celestia nodded again. “Send messengers to Manehatten’s City Guard and political leaders. Let them know that a special guard task force likely just fought a rather dangerous cult in their city. They are to give this task force all possible aid in whatever they feel needs to be done now.”
“Look kid,” The station captain groaned, “I really don’t have time for this. We’ve got a city to keep from panicking, so thanks for finding Duke Holder’s ward, but we really need to get you to your parents.”
The Black Filly took a deep, steadying breath. “Alright, I’m going to try this one. Last. Time. And then I’m going to give up on the idea that you guards could ever be useful. My name is Black Diamond. I am a Captain of the Guard, answering directly to the alicorns. I just finished bringing down a cult and keeping them from summoning a denizen of Tartarus. They foalnapped roughly five dozen foals, who I need your help getting home. I also need you to hold about that many prisoners until we can arrange transport.” Diamond didn’t even notice Blacklight materializing. “Are. You. Going. To. Help. Me. Or. Not?”
The captain frowned. “I’m not sure I appreciate that tone young filly.”
“Really? Because I’m completely sure that I don’t appreciate you incompetence!” Shadows rose up and swallowed Diamond, then raced across the station and swallowed a smirking Featherdown as well.
The guards would spend the next several minutes staring at thin air. The fillies rematerialized in a nearby alley where Midnight, Sweetie Bell, Page Turner, and Nyx were waiting.
“Well, that went about like we expected,” Featherdown remarked.
Page Turner groaned. “So what now? We need to get everypony home, but the younger foals don’t know where ‘home’ is, and the older ones don’t want to leave until they do.”
Featherdown looked to Midnight. “You’re sure you can’t do something?”
Nyx snorted. “Right, because ponies took it so well the last time a night alicorn showed up.”
“I wish the other crusaders were here.” Sweetie Bell looked down at her hooves. “Applebloom and Scootaloo would know what to do.”
Page Turner raised an eyebrow. “Crusaders?”
“Yeah, the…” Sweetie’s eyes went wide.
Nyx and Black Diamond had the same thought an instant later, and the three promptly raced off with a cry of, “Other Crusaders!”
Babs Seed blinked. “Sweetie Bell?” She asked the filly at her front door, “What’re youse doing here?”
The unicorn gave a squeaky smile. “Actually Babs, I… need a favor.”
Babs rubbed the back of her neck. “Actually Sweetie Bell, my folks are out of town right now.”
Sweetie deflated slightly. “Oh. Do you know anypony who can help us then?”
Babs shook her head. “All tha adults I know are across the river, and the guard’ve been going around tellin’ us not ta use tha bridges.” Babs blew a stray lock of mane out of her face, watching her friend deflate further. “Wattabout yer sista? She’s here a lot, she know anypony?”
Sweetie shook her head. “No, the Manehatten boutique doesn’t even have a location yet, and… WAIT! Of course! Babs, you’re a genius!”
“Well–”
“Come on!” Sweetie grabbed the other filly by the hoof and galloped out of the apartment.
Sweetie drifted the last corner in the apartment complex hallway, aiming for the door with the number she had found in the phonebook and failing to stop in time. Diamond, Babs, Nyx, Page, Featherdown, and Midnight trotted up behind her in varying states of windedness.
“Do any of youse know what’s goin’ on here?”
Page shrugged. “You know as much as any of us. What–”
He was interrupted by the door opening and a pale tan blue maned mare looking out. “Hello?”
“Hi!” Sweetie Bell waved, “Are you Coco Pommel?”
The mare looked between the filly and the group behind her. “…Yes?”
“Awesome! I’m Sweetie Bell, Rarity’s sister!”
Coco dropped her front half to be bring herself to the filly’s eye level. “The foalnapped one?”
The unicorn nodded rapidly. “Uh-huh!” She glanced back over her shoulder at her friends. “And we uh… kinda need your help.”
We got the foals back home safe anyway.
Thanks for nothing, your utter uselessness continues to astound.
-BD
It would be several months before Diamond heard about the unintended consequences of writing the note she left pinned to the guard station’s doors on Babs’s Cutie Mark Crusader Stationery.
It was almost done. They had gotten almost everypony else home. Page Turner had insisted that he could wait for a bit.
Black Diamond and Featherdown were waiting in the room that the butler had left them in. Duke Holder “will see you shortly.”
Diamond had spent all of two minutes looking around the room. She found that the expensive chandelier, mantel décor, paintings, and furniture impressed her far less than they would have six months ago. What held her attention was her friend.
Featherdown was fidgeting nervously. Diamond found herself increasingly perplexed as her friend grew increasingly worried. This was nothing like the filly who had fought Blood’s Eye in the caverns…
Diamond’s reverie was halted as the door opened and a stallion walked in. Several things started to make sense as she realized where she had seen him before. His deep mauve coat and white mane could have been on a poster. His open scroll cutie mark and the sheer size of his mansion said that he was probably quite important in the government. But neither of those had anything to do with why Diamond knew him.
This was the stallion from Featherdown’s nightmare.
Diamond started when he spoke. “Oh, hello there. Who are you?”
She blinked, realizing after a brief pause that he was speaking to her. “Oh! Sorry… Black Diamond. You must be Deed Holder.”
It was the stallion’s turn to blink. “Oh. I’m sorry, but I’m slightly confused. I was told there was a guard here to see me about my ward?”
This was the point where Diamond realized that Featherdown was hiding behind a couch. She stepped forward, subtly placing herself between the stallion and her friend. “That would be me. I’m with the Shadow Rangers.”
He stared at her. “The Shadow Rangers?”
“Yes sir, we’re a special guard division.”
His lip twitched. “I see. And just what makes you special?”
Diamond recognized that tone. She was hearing it a lot lately. “We hunt creatures of Nightmare.”
Duke Holder wasn’t sure why he felt a slight draft at that. “I… see… and you are here because…”
Featherdown had been listening in, and chose this moment to reveal herself. Taking a brief steadying breath, she stepped out from behind the couch. “She’s bringing me home.”
The stallion’s face lit up. “Ah! Featherdown my dear! Welcome home sweetie! We’ve all been so worried about you! Are you alright?”
Diamond’s eyes narrowed imperceptibly as she noticed that he didn’t move. “Yes…” She widened her eyes and gently bopped herself on the forehead. “Ponyfeathers. I’m sorry sir, but I’m afraid I forgot something, thank you for reminding me. It’s a formality really, brief little thing, but it does have to be done, and in private. You understand, regulations and all that.”
He blinked, turning his attention away from his ward. “Oh, yes, of course! I understand completely. I’ll be waiting just outside.”
As soon as the door shut behind him, Diamond’s shadow flowed up it, covering the entire thing in inky blackness. She turned to Featherdown. “Don’t suppose you know a soundproofing spell?”
The unicorn nodded, charging up her horn. Diamond pulled her shadow back and the spell shot out, painting the door the same color as Featherdown’s magic before fading to invisibility.
Diamond nodded before locking her gaze on Featherdown. “What’s wrong?”
Featherdown shook her head. “I’m fine. It just took me a second is all.”
Diamond rolled her eyes. “Featherdown, I recognize him. He’s the stallion from your nightmare. And honestly, even if he wasn’t, you’re more terrified of him than you were of the bucking cult!”
The older filly flinched, dropping her head and refusing to meet Diamond’s eyes. “It’s fine. I told you, as long as Page Turner’s safe, I can bear it.”
Diamond slammed a hoof on the floor. “For crying out loud Featherdown, you just helped me save every last foal in those caves! Tell me how to save you!”
Featherdown shook her head. “You can’t Diamond! You. Can’t. Save. Me. Not from Duke Holder”
The Shadow Ranger just stared. “Did you miss that whole speech I gave Cunning about telling me I can’t do something?”
“This isn’t like that.” Tears were starting. “Diamond, you can’t stay here. You have a home to get back to, you have ponies to protect… You can’t stay here to keep me safe, and the only way to protect me is to never leave me alone with him.”
Diamond rocked back.
“‘Never leave me alone with my uncle.’
There are lots of reasons to say something like that, but there is only ever one reason for that particular sentence. Those exact words will always mean one thing. When a mare tells you, ‘Never leave me alone with him,’ it always means that…
Diamond stared, wide-eyed and with her lower lip quivering. “Featherdown, I…” She stopped, unsure of how to proceed. She closed her eyes, trying to think of something to say. Eventually, steel eyes snapped open as she decided on:
“Featherdown, I cannot give you the ability to protect yourself. However, I can give you the ability to protect others. If being able to protect yourself is a byproduct of that, then it’s hardly my fault.
“You see Featherdown, there is an order…”
Duke Holder smiled gently as the fillies came out. “That took a while, is everything alright?”
“Quite alright sir,” Diamond nodded, “We just need to stop by Featherdown’s bedroom briefly.”
Holder deliberately kept from reacting to that. “Oh? You haven’t finished your goodbyes yet?”
Diamond blinked. “Goodbyes?” She pretended to think for a moment. “O~oh… I’m sorry sir, apparently I wasn’t clear. Featherdown won’t be staying.”
“What?”
“I’m afraid so. You see, she was instrumental in the downfall of Blood’s Eye, so until we can be sure that all members of the cult have been brought in, she will be in protective custody. Additionally, we need to have a full debriefing to make sure we know everything that she did and saw. It will be at least a week before we’re done, so I brought her by to let you know she was safe and get a few of her things.”
“Young filly–”
“Captain.”
“I’m sorry?”
“You are forgiven, just be sure to use my rank in future.”
Deed Holder took a slow, deep breath. “This has gone quite far enough, don’t you think?”
Diamond tilted her head. “What do you mean?”
“This entire façade about cults and shadows and–”
Shadows erupted around Diamond, Blacklight appearing instantly. “Sir.” Her voice was as icy as her eyes. “I can accept it when ponies dismiss me as an overimaginative filly. That’s been happening to me all day. What I will not stand for is ponies disrespecting the order.”
Holder took a step back. “Wha-what are you?”
Diamond’s smile was feral. “I’m the filly who lives in the shadows, hunting monsters and nightmares. I’m the one who dueled a nightmare alicorn and won. I’m the filly that had an entire cult terrified of her very existence. I. Am. A. Shadow Ranger.” The shadows faded away, although Blacklight stayed out. “And right now, I’m the pony who’s going to escort your ward to her room and then a debriefing.” She chirped brightly.
Most of the group was surprised when Featherdown came out with Diamond. Midnight took his young captain aside while the others talked. “I sensed that.” He whispered after a pause.
Diamond took a breath and met his eyes. “I did what I thought was right.”
“Because you didn’t want to leave your friend?”
“Because she told me never to leave her alone with him.”
Midnight closed his eyes. Taking a moment before he asked, “Is he still breathing?”
“I didn’t touch him. I will kill him before I let anypony send her back though.”
The stallion rubbed his temple. “Fair enough. Making her a Ranger though? She’ll be fighting Darkness for the rest of her life.”
“I’ve seen her dreamscape. The Darkness was already there. You can thank him for that.”
Midnight took a breath, opened his eyes, and smiled. “Good job.”
Diamond blinked. “What?”
“Good job. I’m glad to see that you can think for yourself and that you’re willing to defend your decisions. I’m proud of you Diamond.”
The filly didn’t even realize she was smiling as they rejoined the others.
Page Turner was shaking his head at Featherdown. “I’m glad you’re getting away, I know you weren’t happy here. But I can’t go with you. I need to stay here with my family.”
“But… you’re my only–” Page corked her mouth with his hoof.
“Not anymore.” He nodded towards the rest of the group. Meeting Diamond’s eyes, he smiled. “Take care of her.”
She nodded. “Always.”
Midnight was walking along at an easy pace, chatting idly with Black Diamond and Featherdown as he pulled a borrowed cart with Nyx and Sweetie napping in it.
As they rounded one of the last bends before they would reach Ponyville, they saw an earth pony mare sitting on the edge of the road, whittling. She looked up and after a moment of analysis, gave them a smile that almost reached her eyes. “Howdy strangers, what’re your names?”
Hard-won instincts told Midnight to stop walking. He gestured to the fillies as he spoke, silently signaling them to hold. “My name is Midnight Star, and these are Black Diamond and Featherdown.”
The mare nodded slowly. “Yeah, something told me that it might be you.”
Three more mares stepped out of the trees, including Cheerilee and another one that surprised Diamond. “After Silver Spoon told Cheerilee about Black Diamond things started coming together,” The second surprise mare said.
The stranger spoke next. “Then we found out that there was a massive magical event in Manehatten, and we knew which way you’d come from.”
“The point is,” Cheerilee said, “Midnight Star, step away from those fillies.”
The stallion scratched his head before unhitching the wagon. “Right. Forgot about this. Captain, Lieutenant, everything about this meeting is classified. You especially won’t tell your classmates, clear?” The pair nodded. “Alright then, fillies, let me introduce you to Nurtura Squad.”
The four mares exchanged glances. “You know who we are?” The second one asked.
Midnight smiled. “Yes Valkyrie, I know who you are. Diamond? If you would please take off your armor? That might make this a little easier.”
The filly hesitated, then nodded, willing her shadow to peel back and reveal Diamond Tiara. She made sure to keep Blacklight out though, she remembered that Cheerilee wasn’t really a fan of Midnight for some reason.
“Diamond?” The filly in question would forever giggle at the expression on Cheerilee’s face.
“Yeah. Guess my secret’s out.”
“Secret?”
Diamond Tiara nodded. “Black Diamond, Captain of the Shadow Rangers.”
Cheerilee lost all control of her facial expression. “WHAT?!?!?!” Diamond nodded. “Wha-bu… But the bruises?”
“Training. Turns out that injuries carry over when you dreamwalk.”
“Dreamwalk?”
“It’s why I had to train at night.”
“Wha… no… but…” Cheerilee groaned, resting her face in one hoof for a moment. She looked up after a while, inhaling as she did. “Okay. There’s no delicate way to do this. Diamond Tiara, has he been molesting you?”
“WHAT?!?!?!” Diamond shook her head, trying to rattle the thought into making sense. “NO! Miss Cheerilee, why would you even…”
“Because nights, and bruises, and getting hurt, and…” Cheerilee slumped her shoulders. “I don’t believe this.”
One of the mares stepped forward. “I think it might be a good idea to check anyway, keep any misunderstandings from happening.”
Midnight nodded. “Agreed. Diamond, Featherdown, go with her. She’s a doctor, so be open with her, alright?”
The doctor had led both fillies into the tree line to check them over. Diamond had already come out, putting her armor back on in case the other fillies woke up. The tense, slowly easing conversation was interrupted by, “You bastard!!”
Nopony saw Diamond move, but in the blink of an eye, she moved two yards and caught the punch the doctor had meant for Midnight on the flat of her extended blade.
Featherdown came galloping out of the trees. “I’m telling you, it wasn’t him!”
Diamond threw a glance over her shoulder as she pushed the mare away. “You’re sure this was a good idea?”
“She needed to be checked out, how do you think this would have gone if they’d found out later?”
“I’m not sure I can stop them without hurting them though.”
“Don’t worry.” Midnight shrugged off the saddle blanket that was hiding his wings, shaking out the stiffness of disuse from them. “Between all of us we can.”
The sight of an unknown alicorn was enough of a shock to pause the angry mares. An observer decided to take this moment to make her entrance. “You’re late.”
Midnight looked up as the mare descended from the sky. “Well not all of us got time-release prisons, not my fault.”
“I meant the week since you’ve been back.”
“Had to take care of a few things in Manehatten. You could always have come to me.”
“As I recall, the custom is clear. You have to visit me.”
Midnight groaned. “There are young fillies listening.”
“I know, but since we were already on the subject.” Princess Luna landed in the road. “Besides, our friend Lace Heart hath gone through great trouble to teach me those words.”