//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Captain of the Night // by Artimeus //------------------------------// The darkness. There was darkness in her eyes; those were not the eyes I have known for so long. Months ago. Yes, it must have been months ago. We were in the gardens. I should have suspected something. She had been so despondent. She was trying to tell me something. She was asking for help. Shadow awoke the next morning, the sun’s rays mercilessly pounding on his light-sensitive eyes; he quickly closed them. He rose slowly, raising a hoof to his temple. His head was pounding, his body covered in bruises from the tumble down the steps. He gradually inched his eyes open, adjusting to the daylight brightness of the scene around him. When he could finally see without being blinded, he began walking towards the courtyard exit. He glanced around, then upwards, and noticed something peculiar. Black smoke was billowing from beyond the tall hedges of the garden. He quickened his pace towards the archway and stopped short of the threshold. He could not understand the scene which lay before him. He wished he hadn’t awoken. The castle was in utter chaos. Fires were raging in several towers, fragments of masonry and stone blown away, scorch marks scarring the walls, shards of glass littering the ground. Canterlot citizens and Royal Guards were galloping everywhere, carrying water and medical supplies. Armored pegasi flew through the sky, doing what they could to put out the flames in the high towers. Unicorns were moving rubble from collapsed structures and magically holding together those on the verge of collapse. There were cries of pain lancing through the air. Children were wailing for their parents. Captain Noctis looked beyond, through a hole in the shattered castle walls. All of Canterlot was in disarray. The scene within the castle repeated itself for as far as he could see. Shadow stood, mouth agape, his body wracked with the agony of realization, his knees quivering. He nearly collapsed again. Did she cause this? An armored earth pony of the Nocturnal Guard ran past him, and then suddenly stopped. Lieutenant Nova turned and galloped towards him. His helm was gone; a trickle of blood was running down his temple, in bright contrast to his light grey fur. “Captain Noctis! We have been searching for you all morning; where have you been!?” The Lieutenant stared at him, poorly-hidden fury in his eyes, his chest expanding and contracting with the fatigue of heavy labor. “I was… I was just in the…” Shadow stammered, unable to grasp words. His gaze shifted past the Lieutenant. Several unicorns were magically lifting piles of rubble from a collapsed structure. There were several bodies underneath. Tears began to well in Shadow’s eyes. He hastily shut them, gritted his teeth and found a fragment of resolve, then addressed the Lieutenant. “I was attending to a personal assignment for the Princess. She sent me to inspect our garrison on the border of the Everfree Forest. When I arrived, I could not locate the Guard detail. I feared something may have happened to them, so I went searching through the forest. I have only just returned.” He clearly recalled the truth, but he could not divulge such information to the Lieutenant. Not until he had answers. Lieutenant Nova looked at Shadow intently. His features contorted into a scowl. “I see. I suppose we will have to verify your claim some other time, ‘Her Majesty’s Pet’. As you can see, we are rather preoccupied.” Nova held Captain Noctis in great contempt. The two had never seen eye to eye, and had competed viciously in training. Shadow had proven his superior aptitude in all faculties, relegating Nova to a perpetual second place. He had not taken his defeat with grace, and constantly reminded Shadow that, were it not for his heritage, he would have no place in the Guard. Soon after he became Captain, Lieutenant Nova began to refer to him as “Her Majesty’s Pet”, a condescending nickname which struck a chord with Shadow’s detractors. Time had not tempered Nova’s attitude. Shadow steeled his jaw. “Know your place, Lieutenant,” he growled. He then asked a question, one which he feared to know the answer to. “What happened here?” “You don’t know,“ Nova stated, rather than asked. Anger permeated Shadow’s eyes. Nova quickly straightened his posture and said, “My apologies, sir. There was an insurrection. We do not yet know the full details. Members of Command are attempting to piece together a full story as we speak. From what I understand, however,” Nova shifted his gaze to the ground, melancholy washing across his face, “it is likely that Princess Luna may have been involved.” Nova’s voice fell to a whisper. “Although… we have not located her, as of yet. And Princess Celestia has magically sealed her chambers. She will not respond to anypony. However, all have reported hearing... crying from within.” Nova sighed. “We are on our own for now, it seems.” Shadow fixed his gaze on the grass in front of Nova’s hooves. An overwhelming sense of anguish and dread overcame him. Was it possible? Could a member of the Royal Family, his lifelong friend, commit such heinous acts? Another scream of pain pierced the air. No. No, she could not have done this. She is not capable of doing this! If I had known… if I had done something… “We could use your assistance in the Labyrinth. Can you fly?” Nova’s voice shook Shadow out of his trance. He looked up and did his best to remove all emotion from his face. He spread his wings, sunlight diffusing through them. He flapped them a few times to ensure nothing was broken. He then quickly launched himself skyward and hovered a few paces from Nova. “Yes, it seems so. I can provide aerial support for a search party, if that is what you intend.” “Indeed it is, sir. I will be there shortly.” With that, the Lieutenant galloped away. Shadow watched as he vanished behind a pile of rubble, and then ascended into the sky. From his aerial vantage point, he was able to survey the damage in greater detail. As he flew in the direction of the Labyrinth, he assessed the surrounding areas. Fortunately (as far as such a thing as fortune could apply), the majority of the gravest damage had been contained within the castle grounds. It appeared that the battle had been centered on Princess Celestia’s tower and had spread outwards, with collateral damage leaking into Canterlot proper. The fires outside the castle walls were slowly becoming contained or extinguished as more support arrived from outlying settlements and regions. Pegasus support had been requisitioned from Cloudsdale, as hundreds of them were soaring through and above the streets of the city. Shadow did not want to think about how many innocents were harmed over the course of the night. Nor did he wish to consider what had happened to Princess Celestia, or why she had locked herself within her chambers. He did not want to think about anything. For now, he would do all he could to execute his duties as Captain of the Nocturnal Guard. He would save as many lives as he could that day. Then, he would begin his search for answers. He would discover the truth, and as all soon discover, the truth can have devastating implications.