A mysterious stallion confronts Twilight and her friends, informing them of a great threat to the safety of Equestria.
"Call me, Comrade."
In what would seem like the darkest hour of Twilight's young life, a mysterious stallion offers a helping hoof. Without any other options she follows, with him only saying:
"I'm with the Pact of Shadows, you're going to have to trust me."
Yet the question rattling her mind as they walk deeper into the darkness of night, is can she really trust this stranger?
Cover Art coming soon from Ignis Animation Studios!
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
This project is defunct. I have just totally lost my inspiration to continue writing it, and felt as if my own writing skills were not up to the task of creating the story I had envisioned. Perhaps I will return to it one day, but the chances of that are slim-to-none. Sorry.
Darkness cast its black shadowy cloak over the land of Equestria, the same this night, as any other. The only beacons of light are the moon and scattered stars across Luna’s jeweled night sky. Nopony used to appreciate the true majesty that the night brought to their world. Instead they would lock themselves away in fear and shunned what might lie in the darkness. This lead to Luna’s deep jealousy and ultimately her transformation into Nightmare Moon, a monster she never wished to be again.
“Luna! Are you coming back inside?” Celestia’s sudden call startled the young alicorn, who was deep in contemplation of her past.
“Yes, sister, I’m coming!’ Standing up from her cloudy perch, the princess of the night flew towards her royal home in Canterlot. Landing on the balcony outside her royal chambers, Luna walked inside slowly, the tasks of the day finally feeling complete and her burden once again temporarily relieved. She gave a big yawn as she made her way to her bed.
“Goodnight Sister, I’ll see you when the sun rises. Sweet dreams.” said Luna, softly bidding Celestia a restful night.
“Oh Luna, you’ll see to it that we all have a wonderful night of dreams, as you always do.” replied Celestia with a bright smile on her face. With another yawn and a slight chuckle Luna nodded in agreement. Yet something was deeply troubling her, though she couldn’t determine what. She sought to discover it in the morning and drifted to sleep.
Meanwhile, the newly found Princess of Friendship, and her friends were celebrating their victory over Tirek, though they had just had a royal ceremony for it earlier that day. They decided it was only fitting they get to celebrate it alone, as friends without the teaming crowds and royal speeches.
“Wahoo! Party cannon!” Pinkie Pie shouted followed by an enormous bang and a shower of glitter and streamers.
“You mind keepin’ it down sugar cube? Our neighbors are probably trying to sleep.” Applejack replied.
“Relax AJ, I don’t think they’ll hear a thing through solid crystal walls.” Rainbow Dash said with a snicker.
“Well I reckon y’all are right, but still it’s the principal.” Applejack answered.
“She’s right though girls, even if they can’t hear us we should be respectful, everypony needs sleep.” responded a worried Twilight, fearing their happy celebration may be quickly getting out of hoof.
“Um…I think Applejack is right, we should start quieting down…if you want to.” the soft voice came from Fluttershy, whom was sitting in the corner startled from Pinkie’s original outburst.
“Y’alright sugar cube? Ya seem a bit shaken up.” Applejack responded with a look of concern on her face.
“Yes, I’m fine, Pinkie just caught me a little off guard.” Fluttershy answered returning to her cheerful mood.
With a stretch and a yawn, Rarity, who had been sitting on her nearby ‘Throne of Generosity’ as she liked to call it, climbed to her feet. She flipped her curled purple mane in the air as she stood.
“I say, it is getting quite late, perhaps we should get to sleep for the night. Twilight does have a big day ahead of her tomorrow after all. Her first day as the official Princess of Friendship won’t be one to sneeze at.” said Rarity.
“You’re right, Spike has already been asleep for some time, I’m amazed Pinkie’s ballistics didn’t wake him up.” Twilight exclaimed, with clear signs of fatigue in her eyes.
“Well alright gang, I best be getting back to sweet apple acres, even if it is almost midnight, seven am comes early either way.” said Applejack, with obvious signs of exhaustion beginning to show.
“Nonsense, Applejack, you’ll stay here and we’ll accompany each other on each of our ways home in the morning.” cried Rarity
“Yeah! A slumber after-party! Woohoo!” shouted Pinkie with a wide grin on her face.
“Um, Twilight, if it’s okay with you I’d like to check on my animals before we all bed down for the night.” whispered a nervous Fluttershy.
“Of course, Fluttershy take all the time you need!” replied Twilight.
“I’ll help you if you want, Fluttershy, it’ll make it that much easier right?” Rainbow Dash asked, still full of energy.
“Yes it would, thank you.” Fluttershy answered.
Rainbow opened the door for Fluttershy and closed it behind them as they left. Twilight walked upstairs and gathered blankets and pillows for all of her friends. With a flare of her horn, a magenta aura surrounded the items she chose and they slowly levitated off their respected shelves.
Walking back to her friends, she peered out a nearby window noticing a lone white stallion draped in a hooded cloak almost as black as the night sky itself. He appeared to be looking directly at her, though not menacingly. He flipped back his hood revealing his face, it showed great concern, and what Twilight suspected was also a sense of dread. Before she could continue walking he turned and opened his wings, which contrasted his dark surroundings with great ease, and he took flight.
With a shrug Twilight continued back to her friends, not thinking much of the strange pegasus. Yet something started to pick at the back of her mind. Could it be possible she’d seen him before? If so, then where, or a better question was when? It was in her deep thought she hadn’t realized she was standing in front her three friends that were still present.
“Something on your mind, Twi?” asked Applejack
“Oh no, it’s nothing, just lost in thought.” responded Twilight
Twilight set the blankets and pillows on each of her friend’s thrones, releasing them from her telekinetic grip. The magenta glow that once surrounded them and her horn slowly dissipated into nothingness.
“Now Twilight, I am the element of honesty, I know when you’re lying to me.” Applejack answered with a look of concern.
“I’m not lying Applejack, I was just lost in thought. This mysterious Pegasus was outside, and I couldn’t tell if I’d seen him before or not.” Twilight answered, mildly annoyed at being called a liar.
“Well, what did he look like darling?” Rarity questioned.
“I didn’t get the best look at him, but he was white with a black and red mane, and he was wearing a black cloak.” Twilight answered.
“Oooh, spooky!” Pinkie shouted.
“You don’t think he's a possible threat do you, Twilight? Not that your alicorn powers couldn’t take care of him if he was.” Applejack replied with a bit of concerned.
“No, not at all, in fact he looked intensely distraught about something. Almost like his own thoughts were eating him alive, and then he just turned and flew away.” Twilight answered.
“Well, nothing we can do about it now, best we try to find him another time and ask him ourselves. I wonder if he likes parties!” Pinkie exclaimed.
“You’re right, Pinkie, oddly enough.” Twilight answered, a bit perplexed by Pinkie’s wiser than usual response.
A short time later Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash returned. Giving a light knock on the door letting the other four mares know of their presence. They walked inside both with smiles on their faces, but noticing what appeared to be a serious subject being discussed they slowly faded away.
“Uh, is everything okay?” Rainbow questioned.
Twilight filled them in on what had been discussed, Rainbows demeanor turning from tired and cheerful, to energized and angered. While Fluttershy was surprisingly contempt with what she had heard.
“Whats wrong, Rainbow?” Fluttershy asked, who’d begun to get nervous with Rainbow’s sudden turn in emotion.
“No! Some creep has been eyeing us for only, Celestia knows how long! What if he’s trouble?!” Rainbow snapped.
“Rainbow, if he really meant us harm why would he look so concerned?” Twilight asked.
“I guess you’re right,” - Rainbow sighed - “I just don’t trust shady characters like that.”
“Well it’s late, and we all have long days ahead of us, we should get some sleep. We’ll track him down another time.” responded Twilight.
With that each of the six mares grabbed their sleeping supplies and curled up. Twilight turned out all the lights, and lay down to sleep herself. Adjusting herself to get into a comfortable position, which still wasn’t easy with her wings.
“Goodnight everypony.” Twilight said.
A collective ‘goodnight’ came from her five friends. As she drifted off into sleep all she could think of was the mysterious stallion she’d seen. Why was he there? What had him so concerned? How was she going to track him down? So many questions ran through her mind, it was making sleep almost impossible. She shook her head, and cleared her thoughts. The morning would provide all the opportunity she would need. Shortly after she drifted off into the land of sleep.
When Twilight reopened her eyes she didn’t recognize where she was. It appeared to be just like her new home in her crystalized castle. Yet something was amiss. All her friends were gone and they couldn’t have possibly gone home already, could they? After all she had only just fallen asleep, and even Spike appeared to be missing in action.
Suddenly an array blinding light burst through the windows nearby. This is when a familiar face made its way through the front door. It was the Princess of the Night, and furthermore the Guardian of Dreams. No longer doubting where she was, only one other question was on her mind.
“Princess Luna, why are you here, is there something wrong?” Twilight asked nervously.
“Honestly I don’t know why I’m here, Twilight. Normally I have some sort of control over which dreams I enter, but tonight that is not the case.” Luna replied.
“What? Something forced you to come here?” Twilight responded, with a clear look of shock and disbelief on her face.
“Yes and I don’t know what exactly, but I do have an idea. As to what it is, I’m sure the answer may come as a bit of a shock to you.” The Princess of the Night responded.
“What is it? Another threat to Equestria? Is there anything we can do to stop it?” Twilight asked fearfully.
“The destroyer of all Ponykind, but it won’t stop there. It will do everything it can to exterminate every living thing in the world. I fear there is no stopping it.” Luna replied.
The firm and quick response made Twilight drop to the floor and begin sobbing. Never before had the young alicorn felt so helpless, so quickly. Like there was absolutely nothing she could do to prevent something. That there was a potential problem she couldn’t stand a chance of solving.
“Wait, what about the elements? The power of friendship? Would those help in any way?” Twilight begged for a positive answer, but one was not to come.
“Even those may prove to be useless against this monster of devastation.” Luna answered.
Tears began to well up in Luna’s eyes. Once again she began to think of her past mistakes, and how she wanted to ultimately do the same. Drown out all life, in a never-ending abyss of darkness. The sudden flood of guilt and regret was almost too much for her to handle. Her eyes, no longer able to hold back the tears, overflowed. The cold liquid kissing the sides of her face, before streaming down to the floor beneath her. She walked over to the window once more, and gazed up at what was her moon outside of this realm. Shadowy clouds crawling in to block its shimmering light.
Suddenly, without a warning whatsoever another blinding array of light lit up the sky, seemingly from the stars themselves. Accompanied only by a strange voice, whose message was as ominous and foreboding as what they witnessed next.
“Defeat the destroyer, or all is lost.”
When the light quickly faded back into the darkness of night, the two princesses were standing outside. Except what had appeared to be a typical night before, instantly became a world of terror. The sky was no longer its normal blackish blue, instead it was crimson red. Plumes of black smoke arose in every direction, and the scents of death and despair clung to the air like a parasite to its host.
Many bodies of the former inhabitants of Equestria were scattered about, some of them with spears and swords nearby. In this outcome, even though they had fought valiantly, they didn’t overcome the evil that had wrought this horror. It was now, that they learned the true peril of their situation.
The two princesses looked at each other in absolute terror. The shock of what they were witnessing was too much for them to bear. Out of nowhere, the ground beneath them began to shake like tremors from an earthquake. They turned only to see a massive shadowy figure, somewhat shaped like an alicorn. The only part of this pony-like creature that wasn’t black as night, were its eyes. White as the freshest snowfall, yet horrifying like the worst nightmare.
It immediately turned its focus on them, unleashing a massive wave of magical energy upon the area they stood. Twilights reflexes were the only thing that saved them from being vaporized, teleporting herself and Luna to the only place she could think of, Canterlot.
Neither of them were ready for what awaited them in the crumbling castle that stood before them. What was once the throne room of the two sisters, was now a tomb. The bright orange crest of the sun in the center of the structure. Luna approached slowly and weary. She knew what the headstone was going to say, but she had to read it anyway.
“Here lies the eldest of the sisters. Celestia, bringer of the dawn and setting of the sun. May she rest in peace.” Luna read the words with a heavy heart. She sat in front of her sister’s grave site, her head hung low. Tears again began to flow, even heavier than before. Twilight approached the sobbing mare hoping to comfort her, but she jerked away.
“Princess Luna, please remember. This may seem real, but we are in the dream world, even though it seems like a nightmare right now,’ — Twilight said — it’s a warning, which means we can stop this from happening…right?” It was after she said this, she noticed an odd symbol carved into the upper right corner of the headstone. She examined it closely, the jagged shapes slowly became visible as a much larger image. It was a bird, made up of other abstract shapes.
“Luna, what is this symbol here, — Twilight asked, pointing a hoof at the engraved bird — does it mean anything to you?” Luna wiped away the tears as to see the image clearly. When it came into full view, she couldn’t believe what she was looking at.
“I don’t believe it, that’s not possible, — Luna answered in shock — that’s the insignia, or rather cutie mark of my highest ranking guard.”
“May I ask who he is?” asked an intrigued Twilight.
“To be perfectly honest, Twilight I’m don’t remember what his real name is. He always preferred to be called by his title, trying to be as professional as he could. The image you see is a phoenix, just like Philomena. ” Luna answered.
“A phoenix? Why on earth would that be his cutie mark, let alone his insignia?” Twilight asked, a bit perplexed.
“Let’s just say he made himself a bit difficult for his enemies to get rid of, he kept coming back to haunt them. So to speak.” Luna answered with a slight grin.
“Are you saying he can’t die? That he is basically immortal?” Twilight asked.
“Well at least for age, yes he is immortal. However, as you can see by this tomb here, none of us are entirely safe from death’s cold embrace.” Luna answered the question as if she had a sense of great insight on the issue. It wasn’t exactly what she said, but how she said it.
“How is that even possible? I thought only alicorns were ageless.” Twilight responded with a bit of confusion from Luna’s response.
“Magic, of course. It is our magic that makes us alicorns ageless. So, all it would take to do the same to another pony is a spell. Though, it can often come at a great price.” Luna answered with a bit of disdain, almost uncertain if she should continue the conversation at all.
“I’m guessing that price is losing one’s own life, to extend another’s. Right?” Twilight responded, seemingly having put two and two together rather quickly.
“You’re absolutely right Ms. Sparkle. The effect it takes on the body of the one who casts the spell can be quite severe. That kind of outpour of magic, has proven to be fatal many times.” Luna’s response was quick, and almost too boldly stated for Twilight’s comfort.
“So if I may ask, who cast the spell on your guard?” Twilight asked, with a hint of regret as soon as the words escaped her lips. She was certain she knew the answer, but curiosity had its claws sunk deep into Twilight’s young mind. She had to know more about how this worked. More importantly she had to know more about this mysterious guard.
Luna turned to face Twilight, wearing a look of extreme seriousness. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and sighed. Opening her eyes, with a more relaxed face she began to speak.
“I guess you already know how it all works, you may as well know it was I who cast the spell to make my guard immortal,’ — Luna answered — ‘he proved himself worthy of serving me throughout the ages.’
“You were willing to risk your own life to extend his? Why?” Twilight asked.
“You know what it is to feel for other ponies, Twilight. To care for them so deeply, you’d never want to lose them.” Luna answered, showing Twilight a side of the Princess she’d never seen before. Luna herself wasn’t entirely sure of how Twilight would take the information, but she asked the question, and it needed to be answered. “I felt for this guard, that deeply. He has assisted me in many ways, sometimes putting his own life on the line to protect mine.’ —She paused— ‘Immortality stops one’s aging, but not one’s ability to die.”
“I think I understand, Princess Luna. I don’t know what I’ll do when that day comes for each of my friends,’ —Twilight responded— ‘I guess I’ll have to make every moment I have with them count. I know I’m not ready, or able, to do what you did.” The thoughts that entered Twilight’s mind were confusing, and troubling.
“Tis’ a good decision, Twilight. Make everything count.” Luna answered. Surprisingly enough, Twilight had more questions for Luna. One in particular that would catch her off guard.
“So how long has he been alive? When did you cast the spell on him, and where is he now?” Twilight asked.
“As for his age, I’m not sure how old he was exactly when I turned him, but I do know he was fairly young,’ —Luna answered— ‘I turned him a few short years before I became Nightmare Moon. Where he is now, I have no idea.” Twilight couldn’t truly comprehend what she had heard. There was a stallion waltzing around that was over a thousand years old. He had the perfect cover too, he wasn’t an alicorn. She had to meet him, and soon.
“Surely you miss him, and he misses you though right?” Twilight asked.
“I miss him dearly, but I only saw him on occasion before. He was always doing reconnaissance for us. Keeping us safe, from only he knows what.” A saddened look befell the princess, you could see the desire in her eyes to see him again. To try and explain the way she felt about her own past, to try and make him understand. “Sometimes when he returned, all he appeared to be was a walking pile of bandages, a clear sign that whatever he had faced got in a few good hits.”
“I know that Pegassi and Earth ponies can use their physical abilities to defend themselves, but a unicorn would have the best chance of actually defeating any of them. So is he a unicorn?” Twilight’s new inquiry startled Luna, but her answer would startle Twilight more so.
“No, he is a Pegasus who can manipulate the magnetic fields around his body, much like a unicorn does with their horn and magic.’ —Luna paused— ‘It’s what makes him so effective as a guard.” Luna’s response caught Twilight completely off guard. The only non-unicorn she’d ever heard of having any sort of magical ability was Zecora, and all she really did was make potions and elixirs.
“What? How is that, — Twilight was cut off mid-sentence when Luna interrupted her.
“It’s not magic Twilight, it’s a manipulation of the energies that surround us all. You can use magic because of your horn, and reserves of magical power inside you.” Luna explained. “However, this comes at a price as well. If he holds onto any of these energies for too long, his chances for survival are extremely slim.”
The ground beneath them began to shake once again. Their eyes darting in every direction trying to spot the massive shadowy figure. By the time they noticed exactly where it was, it was too late to avoid it. Seconds before it hit them both, Luna remembered something key to helping Twilight discover who her former guard is, as well as where he might be.
“Twilight! There is a group called the ‘Pact of Sh…” Luna shouted, but her sentence was also cut short by the impact. There was no feeling from the enormous blast at all, just an aurora of color. Honestly a beautiful end, considering the circumstances. Everything faded to pure unobscured darkness. Twilight looked around, but couldn’t see any sign of Luna or the large shadowy alicorn.
“Am I dead?” Twilight asked herself. Fairly certain that no pony could survive such an attack of that magnitude. “What was Princess Luna referring to? Pact of …something. It’ll take time, but I’ll find my answers.” She shook her head trying to clear her thoughts and begin thinking clearly again. So much had just happened. It wasn’t long before a warm light began caressing her face. She thought to herself, that morning must have finally arrived. It took all of her mental strength, but she managed to wake up.
When she pulled through the thick blanket that sleep had cast over her mind during the night, she woke to see her friends staring at her with concerned expressions. She wiped away the last bit of exhaustion from her eyes, she let out a large yawn.
“Y’alright Twilight? You’ve been tossing, turning, whimpering and crying for the past hour and a half.” Applejack asked, with genuine concern for her friend.
Twilight gave a brief, but detailed explanation of what she’d experienced in her dream, or rather nightmare. “Let’s just say I didn’t get that good of a nights sleep for now. I’ll explain everything later.” Twilight replied. “I promise, but I need all of you to meet me at the Royal Guard Archives later, it’s extremely important.” She had to find answers, and quick. The six friends parted ways to take care of their own daily tasks.
The new day arrived with a bright, warm sunrise. The moon slowly crept behind the horizon, as if to fall asleep itself. Luna still exhausted from her lack of quality sleep, knew of how important it was to get to Twilight and tell her the information she would desperately need. However, despite it’s imperative importance, it would have to wait for the later part of the day.
A cold rain began to pour from the skies above accompanied by lightning that flashed bringing rapid flares of white to the sky, followed by the loud clap of thunder. The sun’s bright light was barely visible through the thick grey clouds, nearly reaching its highest point in the sky.
Her best bet on finding any information was the Royal Guard Academy archives. Perhaps they’d have a graduating class yearbook and she could find him. Though the military was pretty adamant on keeping certain information out of the public eye. Still shouldn’t be a problem for her considering her new public-status though.
She arose from her throne and walked to exit the castle, telekinetically picking up an umbrella. Spike jumped up from his own seat and rushed to her side. As she opened the door she saw her friends walking towards her. With a smile she trotted happily towards them.
“Hey, girls! Any of you ready to head over to the R.G.A.?” Twilight asked with a grin. She couldn’t stop thinking of her verbal exchanges with Luna in the dreamscape, they were weighing heavily on her heart and mind.
They all gave her a nod of approval, signaling they were ready to travel. Twilight flared up her horn, and in a spherical flash of purple they were gone. She was teleporting them to the Royal Guard Academy in Canterlot. This is exactly where they needed to be, and hopefully the information they sought was inside these walls.
“We’re here!” Twilight shouted. She was hoping for a cheerful response from her friends, but it was not to come. They too were thinking deeply on the scenario that occurred that morning. Twilight waking up in such distress had them all increasingly concerned.
“Twilight, we’re all concerned about what happened last night darling. Can you tell us what happened?” Rarity asked with a rather displeased look. “I hope you don’t think we’d forgotten what you said.”
“Of course not!” Twilight snapped. “I’ll tell you, but I want to do some digging on that Pegasus first.” She wasn’t about to let the others curiosity about her nightmare break her own concentration. She needed her own answers before she could give any herself.
Two guards stood before a pair of large dark oak doors. They’re armor was made of solid gold, which was more for show than for actual protection. They learned that when Chrysallis and her changelings attacked the royal city. Recent changes made the guards who actually fought wear steel armor as its strength is much higher than gold’s, but so was its weight.
“Good day Princess Twilight, how can we assist you?” one Guard asked as they approached. The other not breaking his stance or line of sight.
“Can you direct us to the Academy’s Archives please?” Twilight asked with a smile, hoping this would be a confrontation-free meeting.
“Of course Princess, right this way.” The Guard answered, opening the door closest to him.
As they entered the large marble carved building, a gust of wind forced itself inside. Flames of the torches mounted on supporting pillars, danced in the light breeze. The moving light made glorious colors explode from the bright reflective floor.
The guard continued to guide the group down a large corridor. They walked down the corridor for what felt like hours, passing multiple locked doors on each side. Twilight began to feel uneasy. She was unsure if she truly wanted to make the discoveries she was seeking so fiercely.
“Are we almost there? I’m getting bored.” Rainbow snapped, growing more impatient with each step. The blue Pegasus never was one for lengthy suspense. The guard gave no reply to Rainbow’s snarky question. He continued to march them along, not saying a word.
They finally reached the end of the corridor, standing in front of two large iron doors. A dim light shined through the crease between them, and with a loud clang the doors unlocked. A platinum plaque with the words ‘Academy Archive’ hung to the right of the doors. It slid open with a long eerie creek, and outstepped what appeared to be another guard. This one was different though. He wasn’t wearing any armor, just a cloak with the insignia of the academy, a brightly colored row of stitched soldiers topped with the letters R.G.A.
They entered a massive room which resembled a very large library, but these books held public record of all of Equestria’s military, both past and present. A large painting of all the royal guard’s squad captains hung in the center of the back wall. Shining Armor was on the farthest left. A list of names in alphabetical order, by last name, was bolted to the wall below the painting.
“Welcome! Is there anything I can help you find? I’m the records keeper.” asked the mysterious stallion in a high-pitched almost shrill voice. “We have all the Academy’s records here, from GPAs to Medals and yearbooks of graduates!”
“Yearbooks! We need access to some of your older yearbooks.” Twilight responded with excitement. It was the first real good news she’d had all day. To finally get some answers thrilled the young princess, as her pursuit of knowledge always did.
“Okay, not a problem. What year were you looking for?”
“Well, we’re looking for a graduating yearbook from one thousand years ago, give or take a few years.” Twilight responded, giving an impish grin. She knew how ridiculous it was to make such a request.
Yet the records keeper didn’t seem phased by what Twilight had said. Instead he nodded and stepped away for just a moment, walking around the corner of a bookshelf. The rattling of metal echoed in the large room, and a short moments later a loud metallic click.
“Sorry for the delay! Our older records are sealed in a vault, and they are far from organized.” stated the records keeper as he set down a stack of about twenty old dusty yearbooks. He hadn’t been gone for that long, five minutes at the most. Yet he was still apologizing for being slow. The group of young mares admired his professionalism.
“Thank you, we’ll bring them back to you as soon as we find what we’re looking for.” Twilight said. She grasped the books with her magic levitation and took them to a nearby table, laying them all in the center. “Okay girls, lets get to searching, remember white stallion pegasus, red and black on the mane and tail.”
They all flipped open a yearbook and began searching for a stallion matching the description Twilight gave them. They each searched through three different yearbooks when Fluttershy’s ears perked up. “Uh, Twilight. I think I found him.” She said, pointing a hoof at a picture of the ‘Zulu Squadron’. Each of the graduates stood in line, though the color on the photo was greatly faded, you could still make out the red and black of his mane and tail. Though, his flank and cutie mark were covered by the graduation robes.
Below the picture was a long list of names, most of them blacked out or covered up, only their squadron titles were still visible. Some of those were illegible as well. She matched his position in the line-up to where his name should be. She held up the yearbook to a light, but she could only make out the letters c, o, and e in his name.
Flipping another page she was staring at an image taken of an obstacle course with various students tackling each of the challenges. Yet, right in front on what appeared to be a slalom section, was the stallion she was looking for. He was unmistakeable, and this time his cutie mark was in full view. The abstract phoenix appeared to be glaring back at her, as if it was trying to tell her something.
“I think we’ve discovered who he is girls. I still don’t know his name, but at least we know there is record of him.’ — Twilight said — ‘I don’t think town hall would have any information on him. Since he’s, well you know, over a thousand years old.” Now they just needed a name, and place to find him.
The light in the room began to turn from golden yellow, to a dull orange. The sun must have been setting, but how long were they searching? It was a little passed noon when they’d arrived.
What they didn’t know is they were being watched, by the very Pegasus they sought to track down. He sat outside a window frame in a back corner of the room. His cloak giving him enough cover in the shadows of the fading sunlight. Without hesitation he spread his wings and took flight away from the building.
“We’ll meet soon Twilight, as soon as Luna gives you one last piece of intel.’ He said, disappearing into the sunset. ‘Once you learn all you can about our organization, I’ll reveal myself to you.” His seriousness never left his mind. He knew what was at stake, and he’d defend it to his last breath. Only through battle, would he willingly draw his last breathe.
The six friends had more to work with on their target, but still nothing on where he might be. They returned the yearbooks to the records keeper, and made for the door. The guard that had guided them inside was still standing at attention, waiting to guide them back for their departure. He opened the large door, and they stepped once again into the long corridor. The trip back down to the main entrance seemed to go by much faster than the journey inside.
It wasn’t long before they were back outside the Academy. They hadn’t realized just how long they’d been searching through those yearbooks, and just how little information had actually come from it. They didn’t have a full name, but they knew he was the leader for Zulu Squad, whatever that meant. They all looked up at the sky, which was now exploding with pink from the setting sun, Celestia’s work without a doubt.
Twilight flared up her horn to teleport them back home when an unusually silent Spike started to groan. He clutched his chest and let out a loud belch, followed by green fire and a letter materializing into existence. Twilight grabbed the letter with her magic from mid-fall and unrolled it. She started to read it aloud to her friends.
“Dear Princess Sparkle, I request an immediate audience with you after the moon rise. There is much I still must tell you, and much we have to discuss, signed Princess Luna.” Twilight read. She’d never received a letter from Luna before, and now she was convinced it actually was Luna herself who’d entered her nightmare.
The sun was now out of view, and the moon began to crawl into the darkening sky. The small flickers of the nights stars also came into view, twinkling so calmly they brought a sense of peace to the group. However, it was short-lived. A sense of urgency soon befell Twilight, the letter had said to meet immediately after the moon’s rise. This meant they were running out of time. They had to get to the castle, and fast.
“Come on girls! The castle isn’t far from here, we have to get there quickly!” Twilight shouted. She telekinetically picked up Spike and set him on her back. The group began to run down the walkway, heading towards the castle as quickly as they could.
They took a sharp right turn and were facing the castle’s front courtyard. It was filled with benches and small shops that were closed for the night. Twilight looked up to the right-side watch tower, seeing Princess Luna on the balcony still raising the moon steadily into position. The Princess noticed their approach to the castle too. They quickly reached Luna’s chambers, perfectly timing her own entrance from the balcony outside.
“Twilight, I see you got my letter summoning you to the castle. It’s good you came I have much to tell you, but I’d prefer to tell you in private.” Luna exclaimed.
“Sorry Luna, but you’ll have to forgive my refusal on keeping my friends out of this. I already owe them an explanation of what happened to the both of us last night.” Twilight said
“Very well then, but be warned what I’m about to tell all of you is of grave importance. You can’t tell anypony what I’m about to say, if you do our very society could fall apart.” Luna warned. Her particular concern was with Pinkie Pie, the hyper-active pink pony seemed to have a problem with endless talking when she met someone new.
“Don’t worry Princess Luna, I won’t tell a soul!” Pinkie shouted. Luna took a step back, not knowing how she could have possibly known her thoughts or concerns on the issue.
“Okay then, there are secret groups of ponies throughout our land. Some of them secret policing forces for the public, their members hiding in plain sight.’ — Luna paused —‘One of these groups is called the Pact of Shadows. They use the cover of darkness to capture dangerous criminals, defeat fearsome beasts, and spy on potential threats.”
The six friends weren’t quite sure how to take this information. Secret societies in Equestria seemed a bit insane, and laughable at the least. Yet previous accounts of criminals disappearing, and their activities stopping at about the same time seemed to justify the crazy claim.
“This is what I tried to tell you before we were separated in the dreamscape last night, Twilight.” Luna continued.
“Princess Luna if I may ask, how do you know so much about this secret group in particular?” Rarity asked.
“Well, I’m their co-founder to start with, and the Pegasus you’ve been tracking down is the other co-founder.” Luna answered. The Princess’ answer shocked the group of young mares, as well as Spike. “Speaking of him, you can come in now.” Luna said.
“Who is she talking to? We’re already inside.” Pinkie said. There was a long pause among the eight of them. The soft sound of another pony’s hooves could be heard coming from the hall, and a shadow elongated across the opposing wall.
“She was talking to me.”
The group quickly turned around to see the Pegasus they’d been trying to track down standing right in front of them. Draped in the same cloak Twilight saw him in before. Their eyes widened, a feeling of unease clouded the air around them. Unsure if they should speak, or remain completely still. A wisp of wind flowed through the room, and his cloak lifted up briefly. They spotted the phoenix on his flank, confirming his identity.
“Hello, you’re the leader of the Zulu Squad right?” Twilight asked, recalling the class photo of him in the yearbook.
“It’s been a very long time since I’ve been called that,’ He answered ‘but please Princess, call me Comrade.”
Twilight, stared at the white Pegasus for what seemed like hours. She sat in awe in Comrade’s presence. She could sense every part of his being, his pride most of all. She could see the seriousness in his eyes, just how determined he was to see this threat brought to its end. He looked as if he would sacrifice everything to keep Equestria safe.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again Luna. If I may ask, how did you know I was here?” Comrade asked.
“I saw your shadow when you came around the corner.” Luna answered with a giggle.
“I guess I’m a bit rusty on remaining unseen after all these years.” Comrade said with a smirk. “It’s been far too long, I’ve missed you.” Something had come over Comrade, his serious demeanor faded away and a smile spread across his face. With a lone-tear running down his face, he walked towards Luna.
When he finally reached her, he closed his eyes and smiled to himself quietly. He pressed his head against hers, and they sat there, mentally embracing each other’s presence. Comrade and Luna alike began to contemplate how to make up for time that had long been lost. This seemed to suffice, just being together again. Nothing needed to be said, silence was their perfect companion.
It had been over a thousand years since they’d seen each other, and Comrade wasn’t around when Luna had returned from the moon. He’d been on a mission from his higher-ups at the time, clear across the land of Equestria in fact. He wouldn’t return to Ponyville himself for another year after Luna’s return. When he finally did, and he saw her for the first time in so long, he thought it best to let her adjust to this new world. Things have a way of changing over a thousand years. He had the blessing of watching these changes occur slowly, she was thrust into it abruptly.
It wasn’t much longer after that he began to keep a watchful eye over her, not making contact for almost an additional two years. No true risks or threats truly came her way with the exception of Tirek, the power-hungry centaur who was hell-bent on destroying Equestria. Yet, when Celestia, Luna, and Cadence transferred their magic into Twilight, he knew no physical harm would come to any of them, Tirek was too full of himself to harm his potential slaves.
The much condensed power inside Twilight was enough to destroy almost anything, it must have been a nightmare in itself to try and control. There was nothing he could have done to Tirek after he’d taken Twilight’s magic either. In reality he’d felt like he’d failed the one assignment he ever had that truly lead to something drastic or important.
It was true that he’d encountered a multitude of gruesome creatures in his lifetime, but none as fearsome as that. It was then he decided to enhance his abilities, he could endure much more, and create even more powerful blasts. The risk of overloading his body, and ultimately dying was still an issue, but he’d minimized it as much as he could.
His train of past thoughts and memories was brought to a stop when his concentration finally broke. Twilight had been patting him on the shoulder for quite some time, hoping to get his attention. She’d finally broken through to them both, having severed some kind of mental conversation. He took a step back from Luna, and bowed.
“Excuse me Princess Luna, I believe there is much that I have to discuss with Princess Twilight and her friends.” Comrade said. He was reluctant to step away from her, but Twilight still wasn’t done in her pursuit of answers. Not that there was much more she could learn about him, but there was plenty she could learn about the Pact of Shadows.
“Very well then. I eagerly await your return Comrade.” Luna said with a smile. She turned and walked towards her bed, blowing out a couple torches on her way. She shut the door behind her, and laid down to sleep whilst the group of ponies made their way out of Luna’s chambers.
“So Comrade, please tell me a little bit about yourself, and this group you work for.” Twilight said in a rather demanding voice. “Oh, and girls, I’ll send you on home. I’ll discuss everything with you in the morning, and you all look like you could use some rest.” With an intense magenta flash her friends vanished into thin air. She was growing more and more tired by the minute herself, and didn’t wish to stall any longer. She’d waited long enough, it was time to know everything she could about him, and his group.
“Of course Princess, but I’d rather demonstrate what there is to know about me later. So how about I cut to the chase and just tell you about the Pact of Shadows?” Comrade asked, hoping to detour the conversation off of him in specific. Unfortunately for him, Twilight wasn’t having any of it.
“Sorry Comrade, but I only know who you were a thousand years ago. I know nothing of what you used to do, or what this ‘Pact of Shadows’ even wishes to accomplish.” Twilight snapped, slightly annoyed at Comrade’s dodging question.
“Only in the blackest of night, can the brightest of lights shine true.” Comrade responded ominously.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Twilight asked.
“That’s the motto of my organization, Twilight, it’s what we believe in our hearts.” Comrade answered. “We believe that the most we can do for Equestria, is under the cover of night, working behind shadows and removing violent threats to all of Equestria.”
“I take it that’s what the inspiration of the group came from? If I may say though, you don’t appear to be ‘properly colored’ for the job.” Twilight said. She was curious as to how an almost pure white pony could hide well under any shadows. It would stand to reason better that darker colored ponies take on that task.
“You’re right Twilight, that is where we got the name. Regarding to my coloring, the more inconspicuous you look the less suspicious you are.” Comrade answered. “If a darker colored pony is spotted by an enemy, even in the dark, the enemy will be far more suspicious of them.” Twilight immediately noticed the logic, and its truthfulness once it had been said to her.
“Oh, I get it. Exploit a flaw, and turn it into a strength! That’s brilliant!” Twilight said. She was truly shocked at how amazing that tactic was, like the story of the Trojan Horse. You send in something that seems perfectly harmless and when the enemy takes it in, or in this case disregards its presence, you strike.
“Yes, we’ve taken down many threats to Equestria just based on that tactic.” Comrade responded. “After they lose interest in us lurking around, if we’re noticed at all, we take them down from the inside. Yet none of them were as big of threats as what you and your friends encountered with Tirek.” There was a bit of sorrow in Comrade’s voice. It gave Twilight all the hint she needed for her next question.
“So, why exactly do you need help from my friends and I? Not that we’re unwilling to help, you just seem like a powerful group.” Twilight asked. She already knew the answer, but she needed to hear it from him. She needed to know that their help was really necessary. More importantly she needed his, she needed to feel a sense of hope.
“We can’t do it alone Twilight. We need you and your friend’s capabilities to give us an edge, but I take it you knew that.” Comrade said. “More importantly than that, the Pact’s forces are dwindling. I’m the only one who doesn’t age. We’d pass the honor down through generations, but even bloodlines eventually run dry.”
Remembering that this group had been founded well over a thousand years ago, Twilight realized they must all be nearly gone by now. Not many beings can say they live forever. This once again reminded Twilight of her friend’s inevitable fate.
“So how many of you are left? Do these other members also have special capabilities?” Twilight asked. She was trying to size up their chances of survival against these new threats.
“Theres roughly a baker’s dozen of us myself included. At one point our numbers were in the hundreds.” Comrade responded. His expression fell, as did his spirit. What once appeared to be a proud warrior, quickly became a broken stallion. He went from a prideful stance, to sitting in his own depressions. “I’ve seen things Twilight. Things I wouldn’t wish on anypony, not even somepony as crazy as Discord, the chaotic nut.” He paused as tears began to run down his face.
Twilight chose not to speak. She didn’t want to interrupt him, let alone send him over his sanity’s edge. She could see that he needed a release, somepony to let all of his past guilts and heavy emotional burdens out to. Just like Luna, he’d spent a hundred lifetimes alone. Sure, he was a soldier in a secret protection group, but from the sounds of it they tackled their missions alone too.
“I’ve witnessed executions, that had no legitimate reason for happening. I’ve seen entire villages fall under siege by tyrannical maniacs. I’ve even been captured, beaten and tortured myself nearly to the point of death.” Comrade continued. “I’ve never failed a mission, and for the first time I feel as completely helpless as every other pony.”
“You’re not helpless, Comrade.” Twilight responded. “Your power may not be arcane like mine, but I still feel it inside of you, and it’s more potent than even you know.” She hesitated to continue talking.
Comrade regained his emotional footing, and rose to his feet. The entirety of his prideful nature and serious demeanor had returned. He met Twilight’s unyielding gaze with his own. Neither one of them was about to break focus. It was almost like a life or death staring contest for a brief moment.
“Twilight!” Comrade shouted. “Are you ready to put an end to this hellish nightmare?” His glare intensified, as if he was trying to peer into her very soul.
He wasn't about to let Equestria down, and if he were to fail he wasn't going down without a ferocious fight.
The two couldn’t continue discussing anymore. It was getting too far into the night. Twilight and Comrade both would need all the rest they could for what awaited them the over the next few days. Twilight gave a polite nod in Comrade’s direction, and he bowed in respect to the young princess. They said their goodbyes, and parted ways for the night. Twilight left the castle, and Comrade re-entered Luna’s chambers, and sat at attention next to her bed. Luna had long since fallen asleep, and if Comrade slept at all that night, he’d be simply resting by her side. He didn’t want to disturb her sleep either. The thing that surprised him most, was that Twilight hadn’t asked his side of the story on how he became immortal, but that wasn’t important now. Cherishing what moments they all had left was all that mattered.
