//------------------------------// // 58. Ruin // Story: Trials of a Royal Guard // by Anzel //------------------------------// The Everfree Forest was shrouded under dark skies as smoke continued to billow up from the fires we’d set. That would cut off most means of escape. Now it was time to corner our prey and to do that, it meant heading to the snare. That was where I was leading my team: to the ruins of the Castle of the Two Sisters. We weren’t moving as fast as I’d have liked. The unicorns were slowing us down with their lack of flight and Sunny in particular was slowing me down. She’d made me stop long enough to send one of my dragoons to the palace to report on our progress. There had been a disagreement about that. In my mind, being down a dragoon shifted power to Lightning Hammer. In hers, we needed to let the princesses know that I’d started a forest fire. Ultimately, I’d bowed to her wishes, but I still hoped the dragoon made it back quickly. Frustration was starting to set in as I shoved through a large hedge and broke into a clearing. I was agitated and my answers to Sunny had been short. She’d just bore it all with grace and a bit of snark. Now I found myself free of the forest. The thick foliage had stopped suddenly, as if it was too afraid to grow any further towards the ravine that separated Everfree from the ruins in the east. There was still some grass, but it was sickly looking and very sparse. Most of the ground was made up of nothing more than the dark grey earth and rocks common to the area. This was not a vibrant landscape. It reminded me of the remains of a battlefield. That is why ponies avoided this place, and it seemed nature did as well. As everypony else made their way through the hedge, they stopped to stare. I didn’t blame them for their trepidation. The whole area was foreboding. At least, it felt that way to me; it was off putting and only agitated me further. I’d never paid much attention to the ruined castle in the past. When I’d seen it, it was just on a flyover. Instincts had encouraged me to keep my distance. Those same instincts were now telling me this was exactly where I needed to be. It was confusing, to say the least. “Move along, everypony,” I muttered idly before waving a wing towards the ravine that separated us from the rise to the ruins. Sunny trotted up to my side, her eyes glued on me instead of what was ahead. Everypony else was looking at the ravine or the ruins but no, she had to stare at me. She was always a pest. “Something on your mind?” I asked. “Yes. Plenty. I’d read about you. Most of it I thought was just… I don’t know… propaganda? Something to give the soldiers focus. It’s all true, though, isn’t it? Dread Knight.” My jaw clenched beneath my visor. Dread Knight. When was he going to go away? Why should I answer that? Why shouldn’t you? Aren’t you proud? Tell her about us! I chose not to and instead trotted faster, using my longer legs and bigger gait to distance myself from the mare. Sunny wasn’t having that, however, and increased her speed so that she could get to my side again. “I’m going to take that as a yes. Great. Now we’ve got Lightning Hammer, Dread Knight, and the Black Dragoons running around in Equestria.” “You send soldiers after soldiers, Captain,” I growled, ice in my tone. “No, Major inside Equestria we send Royal Guards. Silent Knight would know that. You, maybe not. I guess I’ll just have to hope Silent can still hear me,” she replied with sass before falling back. Such an annoying mare. Why did she always get one over on me? She argued better than she soldiered and even when she was losing, she’d cheat to win. Can’t defeat me verbally? Flirt! We grew close to the ravine ahead. The distance and time to close it was lost on me as I muddled through my annoyance with Sunny and my general anger at being called Dread Knight. One hurdle to overcome at a time. The vast gash in the earth surrounded the grounds that the ruins called home. Nopony I’d ever met had been able to explain why it was there, how it had gotten so deep, or what purpose it served. Despite that, it was a formidable defense against anypony that couldn’t fly. Sunny pointed out a rickety old bridge in the distance. “I don’t even need to get close enough to know that won’t hold us. I’m not walking across that, and I’m one of the lightest ponies here.” Steel Wings snickered. “Worried about your weight?” He then wheezed in surprise when Gray Maelstrom subtly bucked him in the side with her left hindhoof. “Ma’am!” he gasped out. “I’ll carry you across, Sunny,” I muttered as I sized up the effort. We had more pegasi than unicorns, so it wouldn’t take much to fly them across. She shook her head. “No, thank you. I’ll let the chief do it since he’s so concerned about my weight. You carry Warrant Maelstrom.” “Suit yourself,” I grumbled before flapping my wings and easing into the air. It was a miracle that Dream Pop and Winterspear had been able to get my wing right after the war. The foolish doctors in Nordanver had said I’d never fly again. I settled over Maelstrom and reached down with my forelegs for her. She looped hers in mine and I started to pump my wings harder. Getting us both off the ground wasn’t easy. It wasn’t even an average task. She was large for a unicorn… actually, for any pony. Then there was her armor and weapons. With a grunt, I finally got us fully airborne and started to fly over the ravine to the other side. “You’re heavy,” I huffed. “Thanks for noticing,” was her reply. “Uh-huh,” was all I could manage before I dropped her off on the other side. I landed and then flopped down onto my rump, panting. Healthy or not, two big ponies in armor was a lot for my wings. While I fumbled for my canteen the rest of my dragoons arrived with their own unicorn burdens. They seemed to have fared a bit better than me. Steel Wings dropped Sunny off beside Maelstrom and landed a few meters ahead of us. He looked over his shoulder and called, “Come along, Major, we’ve got a traitor to capture.” With a flick of his wings, he headed towards what was left of the cobblestone path that had once led to the castle. “Fugitive,” Sunny corrected, not that anypony cared. I was on my hooves and moving again, hurrying to the front to ensure Steel Wings wasn’t our vanguard. A pony like him attacked first and asked questions later. Although, if Lightning Hammer was going to ambush us and blow a pony up, I could think of few more deserving. That’s the spirit. The chief warrant officer’s ear flicked when I came up at his side. “You see, sir, this is how it should have been. You and me, working together. I know we don’t agree on everything, but maybe you’ll come around. After all, I was right.” “About what?” I asked as I pushed some low hanging vines out of my way. “About your wife. Mares like her don’t understand what we do. Sooner or later they all le—” His word was cut off as I grabbed him by the collar of his armor and yanked him to the ground. “Don’t ever speak of her,” I growled before shoving his face against the stones and letting go. The sound of galloping hooves behind me were quickly cut off by Sunny yelling, “Major! This is highly inappropriate. Is this what we can expect from you in this operation? I don’t think you’re fit for command.” Steel Wings started laughing as he pushed himself up and wiped his bloodied nose. “Sorry, Captain. You misunderstand. This was just a training exercise. The major and I go way back. He’s fine. He’s just trying to make sure we’re ready at any moment.” Gray Maelstrom trotted over and shoved Steel Wings back to the ground, her hoof lingering on his back a moment. “Exactly. Just training,” she said before moving on. Sunny huffed and looked back at the others. The dragoons pretended not to have seen anything and the unicorns just shrugged. I didn’t have time for nonsense like that, anyway. We were close and I was starting to sense that maybe Lightning Hammer was already here. There weren’t any hoofprints, but perhaps that was the most telling part. Make the trail going into the forest obvious and then hide ones to the true destination. There was one more curve on the cobblestone path before we rounded a large rock and found ourselves on a straightway to the front of the ruins. Once again, instinct caught me and I stopped. The others did, too. Princess Luna had gushed about how beautiful this place once was. A castle built for and by her and Princess Celestia. A home for them to rule from side by side instead of separately. Night and Day together. Ponies had come from all around to help them realize their goal. A small village had sprung up outside of the walls to house them. Now, the homes were little more than bare foundations supporting some rotted wood. The plan had been a failure. Whatever glory that had once been promised was long lost. The castle was in as bad of shape as the town. The exterior wall was nothing but crumbling masonry that was overrun with invasive plants. At the heart of it was the main gate. One of the large doors had fallen from its hinge while the other was thrown open. Beyond that was the keep itself. It had weathered the years slightly better. Some of it still had a roof even if most of the pearlescent towers had toppled upon it. Of everything wrong with the castle, the most ominous was the stained-glass windows. At least, what remained of them. Many were partially or fully broken. In every shattered instance, the portion of the House of the Night was the victim. With a flick of my wing, I motioned out to my side. “Skirmish formation. Advance carefully and remember, this is Brigadier Hammer. Do not engage him one on one; you’ll lose. “Sapphire, I need a fly-by. Give yourself a lot of room. He’s quick with those lightning spells and blasting gryphons out of the sky was easy for him. Don’t assume you’re better.” “Aye, sir!” she replied before shooting off into the sky, a subtle wave of blue trailing behind her. Everypony else fell into formation. Everypony… except Sunny. She lingered with me as we started to approach the ruins. Always the pest. Now she wouldn’t follow my orders? She was just looking for an excuse to relieve me of command. When we crossed into the borders of the town, we started to pick our way through the old wooden frames. They were choked by creeping vines and pockmarked from years of disuse. I welcome you to my palace, Knight of the Moon. I stopped, so everypony else stopped, too. “Major?” Steel Wings whispered, his stance shifting to one anticipating an ambush. He kept looking around as if trying to see what I was reacting to. Had they heard? Was it only me? Maybe not. I shook my head and flicked my wing forwards again and we continued to advance on the ruins. “Silent… Silent, wait…” Sunny whispered before grabbing my tail and tugging. “What?” I hissed as I shot her a glare over my shoulder. Not that she could see my face through the visor. “I think… I think maybe you should wait. Call for backup? Reinforcements? This is all happening too fast. Far faster than—” Gray Maelstrom approached Sunny from behind and gave her a soft shove on the flank. “Fall in, Captain. No time to wait. Adapt and overcome.” What was that about? She’s trying to hold us back and look like the hero. Hammer must be inside. Find him, kill him, get what you want. Yes... that makes sense. Sunny and I competed on many things. She could have this glory, though. All I wanted was Crystal back. All I needed to do was finish this mission, show her I’d changed, and win her love. She’d have to see I had no choice but to come. We never had a choice. We do what we are meant to do. They must see this. They fear it. Finish the mission. Show them. “Finish the mission,” I repeated before pushing onwards through the ruins of the town. When I came to the last building out from the castle’s walls, I paused, looked for any evidence of ambush, and then rushed across. My soldiers did likewise, crossing the open ground as quickly as possible. Then we all took shelter at the base of the fortification. Ruined or not, it would provide some cover against magical attack. It also gave us the ability to peer into the courtyard through the various gaps. “I don’t think he’s in the courtyard,” Steel Wings toned in his grating voice. It was too soon to come to that conclusion. Even if he wasn’t in the courtyard, he could be in one of the ruined towers. We needed cover. They need cover. Do we? “Wait on Sapphire,” I replied, ignoring the advice. “Come on, Major, you don’t think he’d be stupid enough to take a pot shot at a scout. Use your head,” he shot back. “Wait on Sapphire,” I repeated firmly. Just cuff him again and let’s go. Before I could, Sapphire zipped around and landed by us. She shook her head. “Nothing, sir. I kept a lot of distance but if he is here, he’s holed up in the keep. That’s where I’d be.” “Agreed,” I replied before I caught sight of Sunny crouched near me. She was wide-eyed, looking at me, Steel Wings, back at me, and all around us. Without warning, the tip of her horn illuminated in a pure orange light. “What are you doing?! He’ll see that from a mile away!” I hissed, throwing a wing over her horn. It was hot. “I can’t see,” Sunny said. The mare has lost her mind. She sure had. “It’s day time, Captain! I… never mind. I’ve had enough of this.” Yes. Let’s go. Enough of her games. “Try not to get yourself killed,” I grunted before pushing off the wall and angrily stomping through the main gate. All of my soldiers had looks of surprise but dared not move. They’d not been ordered to. As I strode through the courtyard, I took a moment to take it in. For the most part, it was cut stone strewn about and left to rest wherever it had fallen from the keep and walls. The only thing out of the ordinary were the granite statues that had been blasted apart. There were several of Princess Celestia in relatively good shape, but all of Princess Luna’s were shattered. Looks like if he couldn’t get the real thing, he’d settle for stone. I chuckled at that. Clever. My ear flicked at the sound of hooves behind me. No doubt Sunny coming to try and talk me out of the mission and then do it herself. Yes. Closer now, pet. Claim your prize. Yes, indeed. Lightning Hammer had to be inside, just beyond this depressingly drab courtyard. There would be a reckoning between us. Silent Knight, the hero of the war, and Lightning Hammer, the coward that tried to assassinate Princess Luna. When I reached the doors to the keep, they were hung loosely on their frames. One more obstacle to overcome. With a quick turn, I planted my forehooves and bucked the doors open. As I did, there was a hiss of air rushing from inside out. Old, stale air filled my nostrils and mixed with the smoke on the breeze. It smelled like death… exactly like the battlefields of Nordanver. Yes. To war we go. Yes. We were close now. He was inside. Hammer stood no chance against us… me. The war had left him wounded and broken. He wasn’t the pony I knew anymore. Just some little creature that killed civilians. He was unworthy. A failure. You’ll be far better. I inclined my head, listening for a moment. Could I hear him? Were ponies whispering inside… or behind me? My soldiers? Nopony would whisper with Hammer. “Shhh,” a voice drifted by. “He’s here,” came another. There was nothing else. I crossed the threshold into what had once been a beautiful foyer. Now it was nothing more than the home to dust, fallen stone, and spiders. Once again, I found statues that had been blasted and furniture that had been torn asunder. “Silent! Silent, stop!” I vaguely heard Sunny pleading behind me. The voice was distant. She was calling from what seemed miles away. “Come, find me,” another voice said as if it were merely a room away. “If you’re brave enough.” “Lightning Hammer, come out and face me!” I shouted as I strode through the ruins, working my way deeper inside. We are brave! We are the bravest. We are Dread Knight “What in the alicorns is he doing!” “What he was meant to do.” My vision started to narrow as a red tinge framed the side of my visor. The coward. He does not answer. Let’s find him. “Yes,” I growled before turning down one of the hallways and starting down it. Where was he? This was inevitable. We’d find him. We’d drag him out of his hiding place. We’d show Crystal! Halfway down the hall, I found the opening to a large spiral staircase and started to climb it. He’d want the high ground. I drew my sword carefully. These stairs wove to the right, placing anypony going up at a disadvantage if they were right hoofed. Most were. There was a tug at me as if I was stuck. “Silent, please wait! Wait for the others,” a yellow-and-orange unicorn pleaded as she held onto my tail. “This isn’t right. Wait!” I barely noticed her. What could one little unicorn do in the face of a pegasus warrior? She is insignificant, but pretty. I can give you your Crystal back. I can give you this one, too, if you like. One was enough. The top of the stairs opened up into a large sitting room. At least what had once been one. Furniture was strewn about in various states of disrepair. None of the pieces would be sufficient cover against a magical attack. Not that we’d need it. Not us. Not against a weak unicorn. The air was thick here. Smothering in a way. As if smoke was filling the room. Through my vision enchantment I couldn’t see any though. Some sort of magical trick most likely. If that is what it took for him to face us that was fine. Rather suddenly the yellow unicorn popped up right in my vision. She held out both forehooves, her horn glowing. “Silent Knight! Stop! Stop now! I need you to listen to me, not just hear my words. This isn’t right. You can’t stay here. It’s… oh Celestia… look at you!” Complete the mission. “Move, or I’ll move you,” I said as I came to a stop. She nodded. “I know. I know you would. I need you to just stop for a minute and think. Just a minute. You’ve left everypony behind. You’re barreling forwards like some untrained fool. Crystal wouldn’t want you getting hurt.” Anger flared in my chest when she said that name. Crystal! She shouldn’t have left us if she didn’t want us hurt! We are hurt! “He can’t hurt us,” I snarled, pushing the mare aside with a hoof and stalking through an archway into another, needless sitting room. Why did princesses need so many sitting rooms? What did they even do in these sitting rooms? Have tea? Talk about politics? No, all they did was make poor decisions that sent ponies to war. What good are they? “Us who!” somepony shouted. At the heart of the keep, I found another grand staircase. This one led to what I assumed was the large spire I’d seen from my flights in the past. It was one of the only features still intact. “Nowhere left to run, Hammer.” My hooves started to move up the stairwell on their own. I’d briefly considered the words of the pony from before, but who was she other than some pretty face? Who was she to question who we were. Us who? Us who?! What a silly question. US! US! The top of the stairs ended on a landing that was dominated by a pair of steel doors. They were intact, but one was ajar. Sloppy that he wouldn’t close it behind him. He was here for sure. This was the end of the line. Go in, end him, go home. Finish the mission. The mission is almost over now. Just a little further. We pushed through the door and paused in confusion. Darkness oozed from every inch of the room beyond. It was an inky blackness that swallowed the limited light coming in from the stars that shone through the holes in the roof. Stars? When had it become night? Hadn’t we arrived during the day? Yes? The gloom slowly parted above me as a large, red moon filled the visible sky. It was full and bright. A harvest moon. Yes, for tonight it is time for the harvest. Welcome, Dread Knight. I have waited quite some time for you. Our attention had been diverted. This had been a trick… only Lightning Hammer didn’t seem to be behind it. He wasn’t even in the room. Nopony was. It was barren! Barren and dusty. All that was there to speak of was a marble spire that rose into the rafters. Its base was wide and rose up to six separate arches, each holding aloft an empty basin. Closer. “Who’s there?” we asked. Do you not know me? Your benefactor? The one that saw you through the war when others would abandon you? I am your mistress. I am the Mentor of the House of the Night. I am the Forgotten Winter, and you will be mine. We flicked our wing. “You assume much. The House of the Night was wiped out. Nocturna is dead. Princess Luna rules—” Agony. Immediate agony. Pain the likes of which we’d never experienced shot through our entire body. We fell to the ground as our head felt like it would explode. Do not speak to me of the usurper! I am the rightful ruler and soon shall be restored. Lightning Hammer has failed me. Now, you will do as you’re told. We will. The pain subsided, leaving us dazed. We looked around, trying to find our assailant. Nothing… nopony. “Why?” You are her favorite, and now you will be mine. Do as I ask and I will grant you power from my own well. There will be no more war because no enemy will be able to stand against you. There will be no more pain because you will become impervious to it. You will have your Crystal. You will have the life you want, if you’ll just accept my offer. Give in. We shook our head but it was difficult. Our… my head didn’t want to move. “I finish this mission and she’ll take me back. I don’t need you!” I yelled in challenge. A low, cruel cackle filled the air. It echoed in my head and brought the agony back, forcing me onto my knees. You little fool. The mare is done with you. She will never take you back. Behold! My vision cleared enough to reveal a swirl of energy that formed into a shimmering portal. It illuminated the darkness before an image faded into it. An image of Crystal sitting with Velvet on our couch. I reached my hoof towards them but my hoof went right through the energy, projecting the pair onto my black coat. “I can’t go back, Velvet. He’s never going to change. I love him, but I can’t let him hurt me over and over again. Eventually he’s going to get himself killed. That’s what he is working on. Just like his father. Could you imagine if we had foals and that happened?” Crystal asked as she dabbed her eyes. “No! No, I won’t!” I cried out. Velvet softly stroked Crystal’s mane. “I tried to warn you, but I’m not saying I told you so. I’m just glad you’re finally seeing it. He’d be an awful father, anyway. It wasn’t like he had a good role model. Look at how bad a job he’s done as Velour’s promise father.” What? I’d done well! Right? Our throat started to tighten. It felt as if something was creeping up it. “Silent! Silent I’m here!” The voice was distant. It was familiar. The unicorn mare. Sunny? Her name was Sunny. Crystal sighed. “I told Sunny to keep the ring. I didn’t want to see it again. Who knows? She’s into multi-pony relationships, maybe she’ll have better luck with him. Plus, if he gets killed, she’ll still have two others.” Velvet nodded and put her hoof on a stack of papers on the table. “Well… if you’re sure. All you have to do is sign these and we can take them to the courthouse.” The portal went blurry and faded away. My vision was blurry, too. Wet and blurry. You see now? If you want to keep her, you must be stronger! You must become too powerful to be slain. Serve me and I shall ensure it! For a stallion like you, I will give of myself directly. You will have no peer. You must simply accept. My hooves trembled. I felt weak. Crystal was leaving me before I even got back? Before I could show her I’d changed? What was I without her? You are us! We will have her. No… me. I wanted to be with her. If we weren’t together, what was the point of fighting so hard in the war? “You can give me that power?” “No! Wait!” Of course. That and more. “For Crystal, then, I accept,” we whispered, feeling defeated. “Not yet!” It is agreed! A violent breeze blew across my body, chilling me to the bone. It was horrifying at first, but then I went numb. My muscles hardened and I could feel power rushing through my hooves. The agony was gone. As were the feelings of loss. I stood tall and looked down to see that my dragoon armor had turned crimson. Where it ended and my coat began was starting to blur. I could feel it in my skin. It shocked me back into awareness. “No!” I gasped, trying to pull it off. The deal has been made. My wings flared out as I attempted to get away. Ichor was strung between the feathers, matting them together. They wouldn’t work for me. It’s okay, it is my turn. Let go. Within myself, I struggled. This was wrong. This was bad. No. No! “I said not yet!” Darkness closed in around me, forcing me back into a corner of my mind. Dread Knight stood between me and the world I’d known before. All feeling started to be pulled away from me, leaving only a small window into the outside. My legs took us to where a large hole had been ripped from the wall in the spire. The view was expansive and horrifying. The sky was red, spreading out from the dark crimson moon. Equestria was in danger. It was in danger because of me. Yes, in danger because of your weakness, but don’t worry. I’ll take care of it now. I will do what you failed to do. Please, you don’t have to do this. Of course I do. Allow me to handle things from here on out. I’ll be sure Crystal is still there for you. No! Stay away from her, you… you… who are you? Who am I? Who are we? Come now Silent, don’t be ignorant. You’ve known since you killed Captain Alastair. We were Dread Knight. One and the same. You blamed it all on me, but it was always you. At first, anyway… You made me, and now we’ve taken the final step. Dread Knight is gone. There is only Nightmare Knight.