//------------------------------// // 38. Mitternacht... Do You Accept? // Story: Hero Souls: Awakening // by SvenFoxx //------------------------------// “So you are the source of such terror.” Blue and red electricity arcing around him as he writhed on the ground, the Thestral barely found the strength to look up at the voice. Look up he did however, and found the most wondrous sight he had ever seen. There, every bit as majestic as he imagined she would be, was his sovereign and ruler Princess Luna. He immediately, through sheer force of will, got into a respectful bow. “M-my sovereign…” he managed to ground out through the pain in his body. “What will you have of m-me?” Luna did not show it, but the sight of a Thestral ignoring pain and torture to worship her caused her heart to pang. She glanced around, examining the nightmare that drew her to one of her loyal subjects. It was quite clear this was a Hero Soul’s mindscape. The sprawling metropolitan landscape made that clear enough. There were few such cities in Equestria, and none like this. Another clue was that the Thestral was shifting between a pony form and that of a bald human with a scar under his eye. Oddly, his human form’s clothing kept shifting between blue, black, white and red variations, the scar on his face worsening and healing sporadically as well. The source of the nightmare however was not quite as clear. There was no mistaking that this was a nightmare, but there were no enemies, no shadows, and no monsters. The clarity of mindscape told her this was a Thestral that spent much of his life sharpening his mind. He should therefore be capable of recognizing this as a nightmare and acting accordingly. However, that only applied to normal ponies. Hero Souls… Hero Souls were different. There were consequences to shoving an entire lifetime of memories into an unprepared mind. The most common result was a crisis of identity, the afflicted pony questioning whether or not they were who they thought they were. This usually solved itself with time. In more extreme cases, total mental meltdown was possible. Much like Twilight, who initially rejected her memories, the bearer of the memories risks killing themselves through their mind fighting itself. Worst case scenario was the Hero Soul going insane and becoming no better than the monsters they were meant to be fighting. Luna made it her mission to do everything in her power to prevent this outcome. She had seen the results of such insanity. Never again. With an almost casual thudding beat of her wings, Luna banished the nightmare. The dual-colored electricity, the city, and the human form that kept showing up shattered like glass, leaving Luna and the Thestral to stand in an empty black void. The Thestral did not relax, remaining bowed. “Rise, my subject.” The Thestral stood and came to attention. Luna internally sighed. She knew there was no point in trying to get the Thestral to relax. ‘Choose your battles, Luna. Starswirl taught you the difference between a difficult fight and a pointless endeavor.’ she thought with mild exasperation. “What is your name, Thestral?” “Mitternacht, of the Black Ivory family in Silver City,” the Thestral, Mitternacht, stated crisply. “Do you know what you are, Mitternacht?” “I only know that I am not a standard pony due to these memories and powers.” Luna nodded. “Have you rejected these memories? Or have you accepted them?” The Thestrals gaze hardened for a moment. “I am Thestral before all else, Your Majesty. My mind, body, magic, power, and soul is yours before anyone else. It matters not what I feel regarding the memories. I will embrace oblivion at your command.” Luna couldn’t quite stop the frown that soured her expression. Mitternacht did not budge despite this. “As your sovereign, I order you to inform me of your personal feelings towards these memories.” Mitternacht hesitated, but rallied when he remembered who he stood before. “I am… unsure what to make of them. They are not my memories, yet they come from my mind as if they were. Further, the powers of the one who these memories belong to are also mine to command, though I have found that it is somewhat difficult to make use of them without a steady source of electricity.” He frowned. “These memories are slowly killing me, or perhaps the powers are. My nightmares stem from the idea that my early death will prevent me from serving you as I desire.” Luna’s eyes narrowed. “You would lie to me? In my very domain?” Mitternacht blanched. He did not, however, respond. Luna waved a wing, and a swirling portal formed to the side showing images of the nightmare Mitternacht was experiencing. “That was not a nightmare borne of fear for others. That was a nightmare borne on the wings of uncertainty and doubt. You doubt the power you command, and that doubt has become fear, and that fear has become nightmares of it turning against you.” With but a thought Luna shattered the window into the nightmare. “I cannot command you to be honest to me. I can command you to speak, but despite what the Thestrals believe, I have no sway over the minds of others. You may lie to me as you wish.” Luna turned and began walking away. “Just be aware that I cannot help those who will not let me.” She made it three feet before Mitternacht called out, “Wait!” She did, indeed, stop. She did not, however, turn. Mitternacht bowed his head. “Please forgive me for my foolishness, my sovereign. I am simply confused and uncertain.” He sighed. “My nightmare stems from my lack of understanding in regards to where the memories and powers come from. Like all Thestral families, mine was intimately aware of the fact that you would return with my generation. As such, I was trained extensively to be your soldier… among other things.” Images of a young Mitternacht going through intense physical training, so intense that Luna could only call it torture, flashed around them. Luna clenched her teeth in anger as she watched a particular memory of Mitternacht going through interrogation resistance training. At eight years old. “I was trained to doubt anything I could not verify myself, and this is something I know nothing about. I cannot bring myself to trust the memories and powers. However I cannot get rid of them, and so I have grown to fear them. This is the source of my nightmare,” Mitternacht admitted, sounding as if he had just confessed a great sin. He flinched when a wing wrapped around him. “You wish to serve under me?” Luna asked quietly. Mitternacht hesitated again, before shaking his head. “No… I wish to serve directly under you. I wish to be the pony that turns all of your loyal followers into a well-oiled machine. I wish to be your Herald, your flag-bearer, and your executioner if it comes to be. I will be your greatest tool.” Luna could feel the honest want and desire in those words. Furthermore, the memories Mitternacht willingly let her view told her it was not a desire for power, but a desire to be important to her, to his most holy of figures. In a way, he wished to be her right hoof. He wanted to be the instrument upon which she enacted her will. “You are what is commonly referred to as a Hero Soul. The memories and powers are yours because you are the reincarnation of this…” Luna trailed off, searching for a name. “Cole Macgrath,” Mitternacht supplied. Luna nodded in thanks. “You and Cole Macgrath are one and the same. You are simply his latest incarnation. This does not mean you must follow the same path as him, just that his power and experience is yours to make use of.” Luna paused. “Due to the fact that I feel no true Mark on your soul, I surmise that you are a minor Hero Soul. Regardless, to become a Hero Soul is not a small accomplishment, and I can see through glimpses into those memories what made him become as such. Great Valor sleeps within you, young Mitternacht.” Luna turned Mitternacht so that they stared at each other in the eyes. “I will give you everything you need to become the Knight of Valor you so desperately wish to be.” Her gaze hardened. “This will not be an easy road, as you know. Your body will be pushed to the absolute limit, and your mind will be forged to be able to withstand the fear that currently grips it.” Luna smiled, and Mitternacht felt a weight lift from his heart. “It is within you to become great. What kind of greatness you achieve… well… that remains to be seen.” Luna stepped back, and saw Mitternacht straighten himself in determination. “So, Mitternacht… I offer you the position of Captain of the Lunar Guard. To be clear, you will be responsible for creating and maintaining the force that bends its knees to me. You will train them to becomes great, much as I intend to train you. You will be my personal guard, my confidant, and my advisor in a world I am wholly unfamiliar with. I can assure you, you will see much in your time with me. “Mitternacht… Do You Accept?”