//------------------------------// // 42. Secrets of the Ancients // Story: Trials of a Royal Guard // by Anzel //------------------------------// The stallion looking back at me in the mirror was familiar. His coat was still white, even if the sheen was long gone. The light blue mane showed similar age, as gray was encroaching into it. His grey eyes were as sharp as ever. They were not filled with fear like the first time I’d seen them. Now they were loaded with wisdom and experience. This was Nimbus Knight, my nox pony ancestor. This was me reliving his memory. A memory of him looking at himself in the mirror and, so it seemed to me, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders. The fatigue wasn’t something I’d brought into the memory—it was his. “It is perplexing to me how times have gotten as they are now. I cannot recall any incident or transgression that should have pushed ponies to this point, and yet here we are. Here I am. “A mere few days ago, we lost contact with the alicorn summit in the Crystal Empire. My scouts inform me that there is nothing where the grand city once was. All that remains is a frozen wasteland. “High Marshal Moonglaive is lost to us, as are the rest of the members of our House. He had insisted that he go alone, leaving myself and the other commanders to look after our cities. How foolish that was. How foolish I was for not sending a contingent of knights behind him. “Despite that clear failure, my peers have decided that I shall be the next High Marshal of the Knights of the Moon. Part of me fears that I am to be the last. What is an order in service to alicorns that no longer exist?” Nimbus Knight shifted his stance, locking his eyes onto his reflection’s. His mind was a swirl of emotions: grief, regret, fear, and doubt. “The matron has ordered the immediate evacuation of Midnight’s Peak, Starlight Grotto, and Dusk Hollow. We’re to move our families to a new city that Lady Nocturna had ordered settled in secret: Haven. “Were things really so bad that she felt it necessary to found such a city? Were they so bad that she did so that even I, one of her most faithful, was not aware of it? Again I ask, how did we get here?” He sighed. “I have decided that after I’ve completed this order, I shall not remain in Haven once the gates are closed. This was a tough decision, but one I feel confident with. My family and I will settle in the small hamlet of Evenfall where I can continue my duties. Somepony will need to be on the outside should our fears prove to be incorrect.” The stallion then fell silent and shook his head. The strain was obvious on his face but the emotions that swelled in him were almost overwhelming. How could it not be? The world as he understood it was being destroyed. I’d bet that at this moment, he wasn’t aware that Princess Luna had survived. Then something changed. The fear melted away into hope. A small, guarded hope, but I could feel it. “This is all history at this point, as I suspect the pony watching this memory is not me or somepony close. Suspect… know… who can say for sure. Magic is a fickle force. A day ago, Dame Augury arrived under a white flag asking to speak to me and me alone. I assumed it was to be to demand the terms of our surrender. I assumed wrong. Very wrong. “Dame Augury, who has never lied to me, swore that the House of the Day was also the target of whatever happened in the Crystal Empire. Despite that, at this point, the die was cast and there was no deviating from the path. She also told me that my bloodline would be necessary to resolve this crisis.” Nimbus sighed and shrugged. “This may sound crazy. This may make me look foolish. That doesn’t matter, though; I heed the visions of the oracle, and as normal she had three. In all of them, my descendant was critical to the defense of harmony… the restoration of it between our houses. “I cannot be sure if you’re Stratus Knight. I cannot be sure if you’re Silent Knight. I even cannot be sure if you’re Clement Knight. Regardless of which of you is seeing this, a great burden has already been placed on your shoulders, I’m sure. That is the lot of our family. In my service, I’ve had to kill monsters and ponies. I’ve fought my hardest and ultimately, it seems it was not enough. You’ll have to finish this war for me.” “The cultists I’ve been after for my entire career are still out there. Though I have eliminated many of them, more always returned as the head of the snake always eluded me. Now I realize I was close to finding their leadership but, for reasons beyond my understanding, I cannot recall any details about my work or where they are. I sense foul magic as all I now know is that these ponies worship an entity called the Forgotten Winter. “You, young pony, are going to have to find this Forgotten Winter and put a stop to it. I’ve fought cultists for decades trying to control the symptoms and not stop the disease. Dame Augury has made it clear to me that it will be you that brings an end to this all, but you cannot do so alone. You’ll need allies and training. I can only provide you the latter as I shall be long departed when you see this.” As he said that, I could sense relief in him. It seemed that by giving up this burden, Nimbus was likely to find some peace. Unfortunately, I could also feel the fear and trepidation building within me. A burden shifted from him onto my shoulders. Fate was real. Destiny was set. This crystal had waited for me for generations. My father and grandfather had failed to find it. Now it fell on me. “I’ve left for you a trove of memory crystals like this one. In each, I will share my memory of training with you. You’ll learn the combat arts of the Knights of the Moon and, more importantly, the nox pony method of resisting magic. It is all I can do; may it be enough.” Nimbus Knight stood to his full height. “Knight, within this conservatory, you will find three silver-bound books that have been hollowed out. They will help you prepare yourself to become the next High Marshal. Learn, prepare, and find the allies you need. “Good luck, Clement, Silent, or Stratus. I’m sorry beyond words to have left this burden for you, but I have faith that you’ll succeed where I have failed. Good journey, and may Nocturna’s light always fall across your back.” The vision of Nimbus drew distant, his feelings draining and leaving me with only mine. Feelings of doubt and annoyance. He’d listed me, my father, and my grandfather by name. How could I deny fate any longer? This pony that had been gone for hundreds of years listed not only me but my father and grandfather by name! “Silent.” If he’d just said Silent Knight, I might have been able to chalk it up to random chance. Wishful thinking. I didn’t mind that I had a duty to perform, but was my whole life to be scripted? “Silent Knight.” What if I failed? Just because some oracle said I would have to finish this task didn’t mean I would. Was my whole life just a series of by the number steps leading me to finish what Nimbus Knight couldn’t? I could feel the hairs of my coat standing on end and my shoulders rising. “Helloooo, Silent Knight.” A hoof waved in front of my face. It was Sunny’s. I set mine on it, pushing it out of the way before turning toward Exemplar Ferrel. “Alright, you win. I give in.” The bitterness in my tone was all too clear, even to me. I couldn’t hold it back. The exemplar’s head tilted. “What do you mean?” “You’ve been trying to lead me towards something since the day I met you. I’ve fought, I’ve been angry, I’ve tried to run the other way. I can’t anymore. I know what my cutie mark is telling me. I’m a Knight of the Moon, and I’m not free to live my life.” “We are always free to choose, Silent Knight.” “What did you see, Silent?” Dr. Kitty whispered, setting a hoof on mine. “Let’s calm down and take some deep breaths.” For the moment, I ignored her, instead staring down the white unicorn. “You say that, but Stratus and Clement Knight are both gone. Nimbus named me and them. How can you be sure I have a choice? How can you be sure there will be no cost if I turn my back on this?” Ferrel shook her head. “I cannot be, and there is always a cost. What that is, I cannot say. I can only relate the visions.” “And two out of three times, they’re wrong. What choice? What freedom? Two out of three Knights are gone.” My head dropped. I didn’t mind doing my duty. The idea that I never had any other option was what bothered me. Everypony that gave me grief about the decisions I’ve made… those that disagreed with them… were they even my decisions, or was I being controlled by a force far outside of my understanding? “Silent, could you please tell me what you saw?” Dr. Kitty asked. Idly, I motioned at the crystal. “That is a message from Nimbus Knight, my ancestor, calling me out by name. Not in vague terms. By name! He says that I’m responsible for stopping the Forgotten Winter.” The words came out in short bites, my jaw clenching. “No, this is not so!” Exemplar Ferrel said, passion creeping into her voice. “It is! You saw what I saw,” I shot back. “Nay, Silent Knight! You have been called to action, but not alone. Never alone. You were told you’d need allies, and allies you have. Powerful ones. This burden is not yours to bear without support.” Ferrel spoke with conviction and emotion. It was extremely rare for her… far different from her knowing, detached, normal tone. “You blame me as though I had any more choice to be the Oracle than you do to be the Knight. I accept that, but know this, Knight of the Moon, you will never be alone. Where you trot, I shall never be far behind. Refuse me if you wish, but I shall spend whatever days I have left reversing the shame my order has wrought.” Dr. Kitty looked from one of us to the other, her hoof stroking along mine slowly. Sunny huffed as she stormed over. “I don’t know what the hay is going on here and to be honest, I don’t care. Whatever this Forgotten Winter thing is we’ll just go out and take care of it together,” she said before pressing her cheek up against mine. “We’re partners and while she’s far behind, looking at your rump, I’m going to be right here.” “Me, too!” Miley squeaked. Dr. Kitty squeezed my hoof. “See, Silent, you don’t have to do things alone. You’ve got plenty of friends here. Right, Tranquil?” The nox pony’s black-feathered wings tremored and then flicked with agitation. “I go where the exemplar goes. If she wishes to walk the path Silent Knight walks, then so shall I.” That was probably the best I would get from Tranquil. She likely bore a lot of ill will towards me for my actions in the past. Still, she’d never let me down… nor would the others. My shoulders slowly lowered as the tension drained. The shock was starting to wear off and logic was returning. This message was direct, but not fully actionable yet. It was enough to start an operation, gather intelligence, and formulate a plan. I’d take lead, but I would not be alone. Never alone again. I put on my officer’s face. “Thank you... all of you. We don’t know what we’re up against but we do know we have a threat looming and that means we’re going to have work to do. “Exemplar, I apologize. I have put much of this blame on you. I won’t do that again. To get started, please show everypony else the memories while I find the books. There will be no secrets in this group.” She nodded. “Yes. Come along, ponies, join hooves.” While they did so, I tried to plan my next moves. I would need to find the books Nimbus had mentioned. It would also be important for me to grab a few of High Marshal Moonglaive’s. Particularly the one I’d been interrupted from. Sunny’s tail flicked. “Miley, you’ve got sweaty hooves!” “I can’t help it!” “Please, you will be unaware of sweaty hooves while you live the memory,” Ferrel said. “Feh! Fine!” Sunny idly poked Ferrel with a hoof. “Can you show me how to do this?” The exemplar nodded. “I can.” While the group settled in to watch the message from the past, I went about locating the silver-bound books. However, a thought was lingering in the back of my mind. It simply wouldn’t go away and it was starting to get annoying. Princess Celestia had been there the day the alicorns were murdered. She’d witnessed it. She would have to know something, but she never spoke of it. For us to achieve our goals, she was going to have to tell us everything, but the idea of interrogating her was not thrilling. Not thrilling at all, but if the Houses were to return to harmony, there could be no more secrets. No more lies. A good commander can’t just ignore an obvious hole in his narrative. It was time to ask the hard questions. ☾ The train gently rocked back and forth along the track as we neared Canterlot. It had been a slightly awkward ride thus far. The engineer, when he saw us all on the track, had thought we were bandits. Which, in hindsight, was fair given our black cloaks. Miley Hooves pointed at the window. “I can see the palace! I’m so excited! I’ve never been in a super-secret talk with the Princesses before!” Sunny set a hoof over Miley’s face. “If you keep shouting that out loud, this is not going to be secret. Who taught you how to be a guard?” The brown mare’s hoof shot up to point at me despite her not being able to see. “I didn’t teach you any of this nonsense. You clearly started learning bad things after I left,” I said. “You shouldn’t have left!” Miley huffed. Sunny removed her hoof. “Well, I agree there.” Exemplar Ferrel stroked her chin, speaking to nopony in particular, “I am at a loss. I cannot associate with the alicorns, but I must associate with the alicorns for the good of the alicorns and all ponies.” Tranquil Dusk softly set a hoof on Ferrel’s back. “I think, given what has occurred with the temple, you may associate with them.” “Simply because the exarch knew of our failure does not make her will wrong. It is clear we have been ordered to distance ourselves so that we may not murder them again.” Ponies around the car went wide-eyed, starring our way. I quickly cleared my throat and said, “Ogres and Oubliettes.” That seemed to calm things down. Dr. Kitty swished her tail. “As excited as I am about this, we should probably not have this conversation here.” “Agreed,” I replied. Miley crossed her hooves and leaned back. “Fine. What are we going to talk about, then?” Dr. Kitty grinned. “I spy, with my little eye, something orange.” “Sunny’s butt,” Miley said. Dr. Kitty’s head tilted. “That’s more of a yellow to me.” I leaned back in my seat. When I thought about fate and fighting the forces aligned against harmony, this was not exactly the group I had in mind. They were fun ponies for sure, but outside of Sunny and the exemplar, they weren’t warriors. That might have been for the best, though. None of the ponies that bore the Elements of Harmony were warriors and yet they achieved things the Royal Guard couldn’t. It was an odd situation to find myself in either way. The train slowed to a stop and the conductor called, “Canterlot station!” Dread started to fill me. Princess Celestia was a friend of mine. We’d had some rough patches, but I liked her very much. Now I was going to try to get the truth out of her once and for all. Miley, Sunny, and Dream Pop were all chattering as if they were tourists when they got up to leave. I looked across at Exemplar Ferrel and met her gaze. She had been looking at me or through me. Perhaps she knew what was going through my head. “The ancient alicorns work in mysterious ways. Perhaps it is best not to question their methods,” she said before getting up and leaving. Tranquil followed behind her. The ancient alicorns kept secrets and schemed. They should be questioned. All of them! Nocturna most of all. Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible, so Princess Celestia would have to suffice. I was the last of our little party off the train and spent the whole trot to the palace thinking about just how I’d speak to the princesses. When we arrived at the palace, Sunny found one of her guards and sent him off to set up the meeting while we waited in one of the conference rooms. Midnight Snow came through the door almost immediately, her chest heaving some even though she’d walked in casually. It was clear she’d rushed. “Sergeant Hooves… I see you’re back.” “Yes, ma’am!” Miley replied from full attention. “Why don’t we go to my office so you can report?” Miley squirmed a bit. I set a hoof on her chestplate. “I’m afraid Sergeant Hooves is a prisoner. She was caught interfering with my operation, so I’ve placed her under arrest for the time being.” This was going to be a game of rules and regulations. It was one that I used to have mastered but had slacked on during my time at war. Midnight Snow was probably highly advantaged here. My assertion was weak, but I prepared myself for the next step. “Did she at least make it an hour before she revealed herself to you on purpose?” Midnight Snow asked, her tone flat. That was not the response I’d prepared for. “Yes, I’d say a few hours, at least.” “That is all that can be expected. Please do not think me foolish enough to believe that Sergeant Hooves would choose me over you. I wholly expected her to reveal herself and I wholly expected you not to send her home. Thus, the House Guard is in the loop, even if it is a roundabout way.” My ears stood up. “Well played, Lieutenant. You’ve certainly outmaneuvered me there.” Lieutenant Snow nodded. “While your shadow looms over me at every turn, Major, I am competent in my role as House Guard commander.” It was hard to mistake the bitterness in her voice for anything else. “I would never assume otherwise, Lieutenant. There is a reason you were my recommendation when I left.” Before she could give a response, the door opened once more and Princess Celestia strode in. She looked at the assembly presented before her and said, “Well, we sent two ponies and now we have seven. Is this the sort of clandestine operation you normally run, Major Knight?” It was a struggle to keep my ears from pinning back. “My wife wouldn’t let me go without Dream Pop to keep an eye on me. Miley Hooves tagged along uninvited… and these two were already there. Now the lieutenant has joined us, as is her responsibility as Princess Luna’s House Guard commander.” Princess Celestia’s brow arched. “Your wife insisted you take Dream Pop? Which one is Dream Pop?” Dr. Kitty lifted her hoof. “Here!” The princess smiled. “Oh, you’re a cute one.” She then turned back to me. “Any other ponies to declare, Major?” “I… uh…” Sunny snorted and gave me a light shove. So light she really just pressed her hoof against me and moved herself. “She’s messing with you, Silent. Be nice to him, he’s a new stallion. Now he just does what all the mares tell him to do.” “I do not!” Princess Celestia ducked her head. “You brought Dream Pop.” “I do what my wife tells me to do. I’m not insane. All the other mares have to listen to me, though.” The princess’s head tilted. “All the other mares, hmm? That is an awfully big assertion, Silent Knight.” “What is?” Princess Luna asked as she walked in through the door. Princess Celestia smiled behind a hoof. “Silent Knight says all mares, other than his wife, have to listen to him.” I covered my face with my forehooves. These alicorns… these mares… Moonglaive was right. They’re all silly. Princess Luna came over and set her hoof on my back. “Oh, I see. Well, he certainly has an ego now.” Sunny snickered and settled onto one of the seating pillows. “Alright, ladies. Let’s all have a seat so Silent Knight can stallionsplain and we’ll all listen. Go ahead, Silent.” All of the mares sat down at Sunny’s urging. It felt very patronizing as they all looked at me with amused smiles. “Alright, while you might think this is all fun and games, we did, in fact, find something. Several things, actually. It appears there were ponies in the past that could manipulate other ponies. So much so that the Knights of the Moon developed techniques to resist such magic.” Princess Luna nodded. “Then we are right to be concerned.” “Yes, I believe we are. It seems reasonable that the magic used in ancient times would have survived, especially were it isolated to the Crystal Empire. Now, along that line of thought, were you able to view Brigadier Hammer’s dreams?” Reluctantly, Princess Luna shook her head. “It has only been a single night. That did not give me much time to investigate. I’ll continue to do so, but last night he either did not dream or I was not able to see it.” “Please do.” All right, Silent, if we’re going to do this, it is time to do it. This was the awkward part. I looked to Princess Celestia. “Princess, who is Maristella?” The princess’s head tilted. “I don’t know any ponies by that name. Why?” Her tone was so sincere, so confident. I wanted to believe her but she was the only link I had to the time period. “Are you certain? She is somepony or something that the Knights of the Moon were aware of. Enough so that Nocturna went around her to engage in some kind of work with Solara. “We need to know who she is, since I believe she may be related to this or something called the Forgotten Winter. So I’d like to ask you once more: are you sure you don’t know who she is?” Sunny stood up. “Silent Knight, I don't like your tone. The princess said she didn’t know, so she doesn’t know.” As calmly as I could, I turned to Sunny. “I’m sorry for my tone, but I don’t believe she is being honest with us. The princesses have asked us to take on a potentially dangerous operation that one or both of them have information about that they aren’t sharing. We don’t have the luxury of secrets anymore.” Sunny took two pointed steps towards me. “Now, you just wait a minute there bus—“ Golden magic grabbed the mare by the tail. “He’s right, Sunny,” Princess Celestia said softly. Sunny blinked. “Buh?” “Silent Knight is right. I’ve kept the secrets of the ancients to myself for quite some time. From you, from him…” She sighed and looked over at Princess Luna. “From you.” Princess Luna stood, her aura flaring across the room and sending everypony into immediate submission. Everypony but her sister. The sister that had admonished her for keeping secrets. “Everypony but Silent Knight, out,” Princess Luna sharply ordered. “But this is my first secret meeting!” Miley protested from where she hid under her forehooves. Thankfully, her protests were immediately silenced by Midnight Snow, who had enough sense to recognize an angry alicorn and beat a hasty retreat. Everypony else left as ordered except Sunny. As the aura washed over us, she forced herself to stand as tall as she could which, compared to an alicorn, was not that tall. “No.” Princess Luna glared down at her. “Will you not heed my order?” “I won’t. If Silent Knight stays, I stay. If you order him out, I’ll go, too. Either way, you two don’t get to gang up on Celestia.” “You forget yourself, Captain. This is personal business between myself and my sister!” “Silent Knight isn’t your sister!” Sunny yelled back. The princess took an angry step forwards, but I reached out to set my hoof on hers. “Princess… Perhaps you could reconsider and let Sunny stay. She is to Princess Celestia what I am to you. Please also remember when the guard was on the other hoof, your sister forgave you… us… me.” “Not out of kindness, but because she was keeping secrets, too!” Luna exclaimed, pointing the hoof I’d tried to hold. “Luna, it was for a good reason, I swear,” Princess Celestia said. “Why don’t we hear what she has to say first?” I quickly put in, standing against the crippling aura and looping my hooves around the one that was pointing accusatorily. Princess Luna’s ears flicked in agitation before she looked down at me. “Very well, but I have no more secrets. Let there be none left between us after today. Agreed?” “Agreed. Please… as I explain, just try to see this from my point of view,” Princess Celestia replied, then reached out and looped her forehooves around Sunny. She pulled the mare in close and held her against her chest. “I did not keep these secrets to deceive you. I kept them because I do not and did not want to recall them. “Luna, you were too young to fully remember the day everypony was murdered. You were spared it by not being in the meeting room. I saw it all myself. I witnessed the cruel and heartless slaughter of our mentors and rulers.” She hugged Sunny tightly and shivered. “I’ve tried to forget it. I’ve tried to bury it. I’ve never spoken of that day to anypony. It seems I no longer have the luxury of hiding the past, however. It is time for me to tell you the truth—all of it.”