//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2 
// Story: Night Guards 
// by Raugos 
//------------------------------//


Night Guards: Chapter 2



Anvil was feeling unusually comfortable where he lay. He opened a bleary eye, and was greeted by the sight of a polished marble ceiling sculptured with a depiction of pegasi and unicorns playing under the sun. This isn’t the barracks. It took him a while to remember that he was no longer in his bunk, but instead in one of the chambers usually reserved for distinguished guests. Nightmare Moon – no, Luna – had offered him and Hammer more extravagant quarters as befitting their recent promotion to Champions of the Night Guard. Hammer had declined and remained in the barracks, but Anvil had seen no harm in accepting her offer. He’d always wondered what it was like to sleep on a rich pony’s bed, complete with thick, fine-woven covers and down pillows. And now I know. Anvil stretched slowly, savouring the caress of the warm, smooth, soft fabric and pillows. He could practically feel the laziness seeping into his hide – small wonder the nobles were always so… relaxed. He looked out of the open window and caught sight of the almost-full moon changing its hue from a luminescent blue to silver. It was Luna’s substitute for the daily cycle of night and day, with blue representing ‘night’, and silver, ‘day’.

With a groan, Anvil quickly crawled out of bed before its softness could tempt him further. Comfort was well and good, but it had a tendency to dull perfectly sharp guards – it was like keeping iron tools in water. As it were, he was lucky that his old habit of rising at dawn was enough to keep him from slacking – this time. He’d have to apologise to Luna and move back to standard hay before it got to him. He looked wistfully at the bed. How I will miss you.  

Before donning his helm and barding, he could not help taking a look in the mirror, as he did almost regularly since the night Luna seized the throne. Even without his armour, he still looked the same as he did after Luna had worked her magic on him, complete with dragon wings and slit pupils. Unlike the enchantments on the old royal guards, his and Hammer’s appeared to be permanent. Scars from battles and his metalworking days were gone, and he wondered whether his eyes would ever be a sky-blue again, or his coat a bright orange. The slit pupils certainly looked more formidable, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to look like that all the time… Never mind, there was no point in thinking about things beyond his control. He fitted on his armour without further delay and left his quarters soon after. 

He found Hammer in the moonlit training yard, supervising some forty-odd recruits for the royal guard. After Luna’s coup, most of the royal guards had refused to bend knee to her, and she’d had them thrown into the dungeons. Those that eluded capture had fled and gone into hiding. 

“You look tired,” the big pegasus commented, “Rich pony’s bed too hard for you?”

Anvil stifled a yawn. “Too nice, actually. Suddenly six hours doesn’t feel quite enough for me. It’s tragic, really.”

His friend gave him a look. 

He snorted. “Yes, yes, I should listen to you more often.” He switched his gaze to the recruits, looking for an excuse to change the subject. Captain Volley, one of the few who remained to serve Luna, was amongst them, demonstrating close-quarter combat with a rather nervous volunteer. They were fairly young, and if Anvil was to give an honest opinion, conscripts might be a more apt term for them – their Night Guard armour hung somewhat loosely on their skinny frames, and the appearance-altering enchantments did little to make them more imposing. If anything, it made some of them look like skinny, grey bats. And their flailing version of hoof-to-hoof combat made it plain that they were quite unsuitable to be royal guards so soon. But then again, it was either that or have the entire palace grounds guarded by the meagre dozen or so guards remaining – himself and Hammer included. 

“Where did these fellows come from?” he asked. “I thought the Houses of Cloudsdale were running out of young ones to send to the Guard.”

“They’re not all from Cloudsdale. Some are from Everfree and the rest are from the outlying towns,” Hammer replied.

“Hmm, I wouldn’t have thought that there were so many pegasi living on – ” Anvil began, but stopped short when he noticed that he’d not been paying proper attention to detail. No wonder he’d thought something was unusual about them – almost half of the recruits were unicorns. He cleared his throat and resumed, “I see you’ve made some changes to recruitment practice.”

Hammer nodded. “After what Summer Cloud did to us? I’m not letting that happen again. Besides, it would do the cloud lords some good to learn that their sons aren’t the only ones who can serve in the Guard.” 

“Does magic mix well with hoof combat? We don’t exactly have anypony skilled in both over here.” He absentmindedly tried to scratch his mane through his helmet. “Hayseed, I don’t think there’s ever been a unicorn in the Guard before.”

Hammer gave a non-committal grunt. “We might as well start. I’ve sent a missive to the Arcane Academy. If we’re lucky, the Headmaster will spare us somepony who can train these fellows. As for mixing it with physical combat, we’ll make it up as we go along. There’s bound to be some creative minds amongst them.”

“Does Luna know about this?”

“I do, and I most certainly approve,” a regal voice said behind them.

A regular pony might have jumped in surprise, but anypony who’d served for long enough in the guard would have gotten used to the moon princess’ habit of appearing behind ponies’ backs. Apparently her transformation hadn’t changed that. Anvil and his friend calmly turned around and bowed. “Your Highness.”

“Rise, and walk with me,” she commanded Anvil. To Hammer, she simply said, “Carry on. I want these recruits fit for duty before the full moon.” 

“Your Highness, that’s only a few days away,” Hammer stated.

Luna’s mouth curled down slightly. “Is there a problem? There won’t be enough of you veterans to watch over the upcoming Night Festival, and I certainly will not have the citizens of Everfree being watched over by stable colts dressed in armour.”

“I will not lie – they’re very raw.” As if to prove the point, there was a loud yelp from the training yard. It seemed that one of the recruits had accidentally twisted his sparring partner’s wing. After sparing the trainees a glance, Hammer continued, “I will do what I can to prepare them, but I cannot promise that they will become able soldiers in that time.”

The dark alicorn scowled, but Hammer didn’t flinch and patiently awaited her response. Finally, she said, “Very well, do what you can. At least make them look presentable. The last thing I need is to look like I’m surrounded by incompetence.”



*   *   *   *   *



“Where are we going?” Anvil asked.

“To the dungeons. I have a special task for you,” Luna said as they trotted side by side through the halls illuminated by the new glow-worm lamps. “We’ve captured another Celestial loyalist, and I want you to be the one to interrogate her.”

That surprised him. There were still plenty of ponies in who were less than happy with Nightmare Moon as their new leader, not to mention that whole part about the Eternal Night. Most were what she called ‘rabble-rousers’ who did little more than complain and gossip, but there were some stronger-willed ponies who were actually attempting to incite rebellion amongst the citizens of Everfree. A large number of them were former royal guards, and not to be taken lightly. The rabble-rousers were easily quelled by Luna’s remainder of the guards, but the real troublemakers were always gone by the time a Night Guard could reach the scene. There were far too few of them to keep watch over the entire city. Anvil slowed in his trot. “Wait, you mean… we’ve actually caught somepony who is part of the chain of command?”

“If not privy to their plans, she is at least certain to have knowledge of their hiding places. One of the guards caught her trying to sneak into the library. She managed to incapacitate him with magic, but then she had the misfortune to run into me. Oh, the look on her face was priceless. She really should have known better than to try to skulk around during my reading hours.” Luna chuckled with glee.

“The library? That’s an odd place to break into. And how did she get into the palace in the first place?” Anvil almost felt like kicking himself when he realised that that second bit was a rather stupid question.

But, apparently Luna was in too good a mood to pin it on incompetence. “Apart from the fact that you’re all stretched thin patrolling the palace? She had snuck up from the lower gardens. She was filthy, and I could smell the moss and damp on her hooves. As to the former, there’s plenty of knowledge hidden in the library. No doubt she believed that there was something in there that could be used to further their plans.”

“Well, it’s good that she was stopped, then. But why me? I’m not exactly the most likely to… ah… scare the information out of anypony.”

“Because I believe that there are ways to acquire her knowledge other than simple intimidation. Her connection to you is one such path.”

Anvil felt his brows shoot up. “Connection?”

“I suppose I should actually tell you who she is – she’s my dear sister’s apprentice, Summer Cloud.”

“Oh…” He froze in his tracks.

“And you are besotted with her, are you not?”

Anvil felt himself go red. “I… well… it’s a little one-sided. I’m not so sure she feels the same about me.”

Her luminescent mane shifted, and its flowing tip curled under his chin. It felt surprisingly smooth and warm as it lifted his face to meet her eyes. “Good enough for me,” she said. “Use it to your advantage. If recent events have shaken her trust in you, regain it. Then find out what you can about the loyalists. Anything that will help me put a stop to their nonsense. I have enough trouble adjusting Equestria to the Eternal Night without having to deal with rebellious subjects.”

He nodded wordlessly, and she released her grip on his chin. And before he could think better of it, the words were out of his mouth, “Your Highness, aren’t you worried at all that Summer Cloud might use my… affection to her own advantage?” Stupid pony, your mouth shouldn’t be quicker than your brain. 

Luna looked as if she’d just been pelted with a snowball. She tensed up, and fixed him a stare that might have put a cockatrice to shame. He blinked innocently. A moment of silence passed, and then a smile cracked her features and she began to laugh. Anvil nervously laughed along. When she was finished, she nudged him forward with a wing to continue their trot down the hall. “Oh, you’re such a tease. You’ve already proven your loyalty to me. Besides, if you really did turn on me, I could always feed you to a hydra – there are hatchlings in one of the bogs, and they do get oh so hungry at times.”

Anvil hoped she didn’t hear him gulp. Luna would never do that, but he wasn’t too sure about Nightmare Moon. And he definitely wasn’t certain that Summer Cloud wouldn’t be able to sway his perspective on the matter.

The dark alicorn had apparently picked up on his nerves, for she scoffed and playfully patted him on the head. “It was a jest, Anvil. I can practically hear you sweating.” Then, her mirth subsided and her tone grew serious. “But truly, if you believe you’ve done something that might be considered the slightest treachery on your part, you can always come to me and confess. Imagine how much less furious I would be learning of it from you rather than from somepony else.” With that said, she offered him a reassuring smile as they made their way to the dungeons.



*   *   *   *   *



The Everfree Palace was built atop a cliff, overlooking a ravine that had been eroded by the force of a sizeable river. Whilst most of the palace structures sat on fairly even ground, some of it was hewn directly into the face of the cliff, below ground level. The library was one of them. And others still were actually inside the cliff – or underground, depending on how you looked at it. And that was where Anvil was being led. They had descended from the old barracks, down and through a series of disused stairwells and dank tunnels. If not for the faint glow from the moon princess’ mane and the luminous mushrooms, it would all have been in pitch black darkness. By his estimation, the dungeon went as deep as the palace was tall. 

At the end of the passage was a large oaken door guarded by another member of the Night Guard, who promptly bowed to the dark alicorn when she approached. Anvil recognised Ripple Dew and greeted him with a slight nod when he had risen. 

“How may I serve, your Highness?” the guard asked.

“This is my Champion – no doubt you recognise him. From now on, he has my leave to enter and leave the dungeon as he sees fit, and you will provide him with whatever he needs to carry out his interrogation. He may speak to any of the prisoners, but the deepest arcane cell is off limits – nopony may speak to my sister but me. Is that clear?”

Ripple Dew eyed him over and nodded. “Understood, your Highness.”

Luna turned her attention to Anvil and said, “This is where I leave you; other pressing matters need my attention. Remember what I told you.”

“How long do I have?” he asked. 

She snorted out blue smoke in response. “So long as you do not tarry, I see no reason to put undue pressure on you. But remember – every passing day is one more day for those traitors to plot against me.” 

So, not very much pressure at all, he thought at the back of his mind. He bowed in response, and she began her walk back up to the more pleasant parts of the palace. Turning to Ripple, he smiled and said, “Lead the way. I’ll have a few words with the new prisoner.”

The guard produced a set of keys to unlock the great door, and they both entered without further ado. The inside was much more spacious than the tunnels might have indicated – indeed, it was also more pleasant. The stonework was nice and dry, for a start, and the place was lit with proper torches and braziers. And it was surprisingly clean. As dungeons went, this was probably one of the nicer ones. Off to one side was the supply room, complete with a shaft and pulley system that brought food and supplies from the upper levels. Ripple Dew led him past this and the currently deserted guardroom, past another locked door and into the dungeon proper. As they trotted past the cells occupied by the former royal guards, Anvil couldn’t help averting his eyes. He had no doubt that he’d recognise many of them. Whispers of “Traitor” and “Monster” and the like drifted past his ears, and a few even spat at him. 

“Pay them no heed,” Ripple murmured. He didn’t even flinch when somepony flung mouldy hay at him.

“How do you stand it?” asked Anvil, once they had passed the occupied cells. He wiped his face with a hoof and it came away sticky. As much as he tried to tell himself that he couldn’t have brought himself to betray Luna, the fact remained that he’d betrayed his other princess, and possibly those who supported her as well. Speculating about what they might think of him often drove him to distraction.

“I often wonder about that myself,” Ripple Dew replied. “But what’s done is done. Nightmare Moon has claimed the throne, and for better or worse, it’s not my place to say. These things have a habit of sorting themselves out in the end.”

It was a quick trot the rest of the way to Summer Cloud’s cell. They found the grey mare curled up facing a far corner, presumably asleep. Ripple was just about to strike the bars to wake her, but Anvil caught his hoof and shook his head. The guard raised an eyebrow, but relented and said, “If you need anything, come find me,” before heading back the way they’d come. When he was gone, Anvil turned his attention to Summer. It had occurred to him on the way here that she might not have been treated gently when she was captured, but a cursory inspection of her resting figure allowed him to dismiss those concerns. If anything, it was a bigger surprise that she was dirtier than the cell itself. There was some muck on her hooves, and generous smears of grime on her grey coat and turquoise mane and tail. Her braids were also getting scruffy. Luna was right – the damp and earthy smell told him that she’d been down in the ravine below the palace.

For a while, it was all he could do to watch her, but he eventually worked up the courage to speak.

“Summer?” he tentatively asked. 

“My friends call me Summer. You may call me Miss,” was the terse reply. 

So she wasn’t asleep, after all. “I just want to talk for a while.”

“No. Go away.”

And we’re off to a wonderful start. Anvil sighed. “Summer, I’m sorry about what happened. I know that Luna has done some… unsavoury things in the past few days, but I don’t believe that it’s entirely because she’s evil, or whatever it is that the loyalists are calling her now.” After a pause, he added, “Please?”

Summer rose and trotted closer to the bars, then sat on her haunches and looked at him with a resigned expression. “Well, you certainly don’t need my permission. Talk.”

Anvil had prepared a whole cartload of excuses for his prior actions to coax her into a more cooperative mood, but now that she’d actually decided to listen to him, he suddenly found his brain fresh out of ideas on where to start. Summer Cloud continued to look at him expectantly. He opened his mouth, then closed it when nothing came out. Those amber eyes of hers seemed to stare right into his soul. She was getting bored – he could tell. He began to sweat. This really isn’t how an interrogation is supposed to work. It was if a parasprite had gotten into his brain and was happily munching away on anything that remotely resembled a coherent sentence.

Eventually, Summer simply snorted and rose to all fours. Just as she was about to turn away and possibly ignore him for the rest of the session, he blabbed, “Luna asked me to find out what you know about the loyalists.” Mentally, he was kicking himself. Horse apples, I’m terrible at this.

The unicorn mare was giving him a funny look, with narrowed eyes and furrowed brow. Whether in surprise or suspicion, he wasn’t sure. Probably both. He gave her an awkward grin to match the ensuing silence. A moment later, she raised an eyebrow and said, “Are you sure you know how an interrogation works? Information is supposed to go the other way.” 

He scratched his helmet. “Yes, well, it didn’t come out quite as I intended. I’m new to this, you know.”

The tiniest smile curled her mouth before disappearing, and she shook her head and sat back down. “Care to try again?”

This time, he settled on asking something that had been nagging at the back of his mind. “What spell did you use on us that time? It was… interesting.”

“You know that I teach others in the use of magic; it’s my special talent.” Summer Cloud tilted her head towards her cutie mark of a spiralling swirl of stardust, and continued, “It was a magical empathy spell – it allows others to see and feel magic the way I do, and the reverse, as well. When it comes to teaching, words can only do so much.” She glanced around, as if afraid of being overheard, and trotted up right to the cell bars. She then beckoned him closer.

Curiosity piqued, Anvil brought his face within whispering distance. And when Summer’s horn began to glow, he realised that he’d made a mistake. “Here, I’ll show you,” she said. A green spark arced onto his forehead, and ‘Ooh, clever girl,’ was his last thought before he got to relive the nauseating multi-coloured display of lights in his head. It wasn’t as bad as he remembered, but it was still enough to make him curl up on the floor, clutching his head and wincing. The unicorn carried on with her lecture as if nothing was amiss. “I’m channelling a little illumination spell right now, and what you’re experiencing is a mental manifestation of the sensation of my magic. Every unicorn has this sense in varying degrees, but for those who have no affinity for magic – namely, you – the experience would be highly disorienting. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Anvil didn’t answer. He was too busy keeping his stomach under control.

“Oh, don’t be such a filly,” Summer huffed. “It shouldn’t be that bad – you wouldn’t be sensing the Princesses’ spells like last time, and whilst I am well versed in magical theory and spellcraft, sheer power is something that I lack. Besides, the severity lessens with each successive encounter.”

Anvil heard the sound of Summer’s spell dissipating, and the lights in his head and behind his eyes faded away, allowing him to slowly get back on all four hooves. He pouted at her and said, “Well, that was… educational. But was the practical demonstration really necessary?” His freshly unsettled stomach seemed to gurgle in agreement. 

Some of the unicorn’s former animosity returned. “You were asking for it. You betrayed my teacher, assisted Nightmare Moon in taking over, supported her in this Eternal Night business, and then act surprised when I don’t treat you nicely?” As if to emphasise the point, she swept her gaze across the iron bars between them, and then towards the corridor that led to the deepest part of the dungeon. “And she has imprisoned her own sister in this place – my mentor is allowed no visitors, no letters, and the only time she sees another pony’s face is when the warden delivers her food!” Summer shook her head in disbelief. “Do you honestly believe she is working for the good of Equestria?” 

“What I believe doesn’t – ”

Summer reached out with a hoof and stifled his words. “No, stop. That’s an answer that Hammer would give, and we all know what he’s like when it comes to giving his opinion. I want to hear your reason for following Nightmare Moon when it is so obvious to everypony else that she’s changing things for the worse. The birds don’t sing anymore, it’s always cold and dark and gloomy, and anyone who dares to speak out is quickly arrested by your Night Guard ruffians, Champion.” She spoke that last bit as if it was a dirty word. 

Anvil stared at the floor as he racked his mind for an answer. 

“And it looks like you need to hear your own reasons as well,” the grey mare quipped. “I want to believe that Everfree is under the protection of guards who can tell the difference between right and wrong.”

“Well…”

“Nightmare Moon hasn’t done anything for the good of Equestria yet, has she?” 

“No, not yet,” Anvil sighed. And it was then that the answer came to him. For all her grand speeches about bringing about the glory of her night to Equestria, there were instances when he’d seen her distracted and uncertain about what she was doing. She would sometimes wander the halls with a brooding expression, fiddling with an abacus and murmuring to herself. It was an old habit of hers, one that betrayed her state of nervousness. Her appearance might have changed, but he could tell that she was also the old Luna he knew – different, yet somehow still the same. He drew himself up and met Summer Cloud’s appraising eyes, adding, “But I still trust her, and so does Hammer.”

“Elaborate, please,” the grey unicorn said.

“It’s not exactly a short story.”

Summer rolled her eyes and lay on the floor, settling into a more comfortable position. “I’m in no hurry. And last I checked, you’re quite fond of talking.”

Anvil settled down as well. He took off his helmet and laid it by his side. “Alright, you asked for it. Don’t blame me if I talk your ears off.” At the sight of her un-amused expression, he chuckled nervously and continued, “I haven’t told you about how Hammer and I became her personal guards, have I?”

She shrugged. “I only know that your skills in metalworking were considered valuable, and must have influenced the decision to draft you into service.”

“Well, it’s a little more than that. We were recruited because it would have been cheaper for the Guard to have its own blacksmiths. The Cloudsdale master smiths are not known for generous pricing.” Here, he tapped his helmet for emphasis. “And then came along two young, unassuming, ground-loving pegasi metalworkers who weren’t too fussy about how many bits you paid them.”

“But you no longer work at the forge.”

He waved a hoof vaguely in the air. “I’m getting to that – it wasn’t until after we’d finished our basic training that we got to know Luna properly. There was this particular season when one of the far-out mining towns had ceased to send iron to Everfree, and runners sent to them were not returning. Luna decided to investigate the matter herself, and she just happened to take Hammer and myself as her escorts.”

“Are you referring to Cobbleville?” Summer interjected, “I didn’t know you were both there when it happened.”

“Heh, it was before you knew us, and we don’t talk about it much.”

“Why not? What happened there was far from ordinary.” 

“Firstly, Hammer. Secondly, I almost met a rather ignoble end that day, so it’s not exactly a fond memory.” He paused as he sifted through his recollections, then shook his head and chuckled. “Horse apples, we went in there expecting some trouble, but not quite that much...”



*   *   *   *   *



“All of the houses are empty, your Highness. Stripped clean as well – anything that isn’t nailed down is gone,” Hammer reported when he returned from his search. 

“What about the town hall and inns?” asked Princess Luna.

“The same,” Anvil replied. He looked around nervously. There was something disconcerting about the place… it was as if everypony had suddenly decided to just up and leave the place with all of their belongings. But then, it would have made sense only if the carts had all been taken as well – but those had clearly been left behind. There weren’t even any tracks in the dirt roads to indicate recent use. A strong breeze began to blow through the village, and it made eerie howling noises as it passed through doors and windows left ajar. He stomped his hooves in an attempt to shake off his nerves.

“That just leaves the mine,” Luna concluded. 

Cobbleville was situated at the foot of a sizeable mountain, and the mining tunnel leading downwards into its depths was quite steep. As the three of them trotted down into the darkness, with Luna’s illumination spell as their only source of light, it became obvious that something was very wrong. The rail tracks for the mining carts were mangled in several places, and the tunnel floor and walls were furrowed with what looked like claw marks. Even more disconcerting was the fact that some of the tunnel’s supporting beams were cracked and splintered. From then on, it became a simple matter of following the damage – they ignored all other branches that were intact.

It wasn’t long before they reached the end of the tunnel – or, rather, what was supposed to be its end. Instead they found that its end had collapsed entirely, leading into a great emptiness beyond. As they stepped through the collapsed section, Anvil thought he noticed a pair of gleaming orange dots in the darkness. They were distant, but distinct enough that he was sure of their presence. “Your Highness…” he warned.

Luna froze, as did Hammer. Slowly, she eased off her light spell, until they were left in complete darkness. Except for the orange dots – they did not go away. 

“Well, that can’t be good,” Anvil murmured.

The three of them stood still in the blackness, watching. Then, the dots blinked. 

“Definitely not good,” Hammer agreed.

“Prepare yourselves,” Luna whispered, moments before she conjured a new globe of blue light. It was far larger than the previous one, and instead of hovering on the tip of her horn, it flared upwards into the darkness above, growing as it ascended. With the light it provided, Anvil could see that they were in an enormous dome-shaped cavern that was several hundred feet high and at least several thousand feet across the bottom. They had probably reached the heart of the mountain. Luna’s globe stopped and hovered at the top of the dome, where it continued to bathe the cavern in a steady, blue light. And right in the middle of the cavern was a full-grown, dark-scaled dragon, sitting atop the largest pile of everyday belongings that Anvil had ever seen. There were cooking pots, wheelbarrows, working tools, furniture, and a host of other objects that one could find in the average peasant’s house. 

He whistled. “That’s quite a collection.”

“I would worry more about the dragon,” Hammer growled.

The dragon eyed Luna’s light globe suspiciously, then returned its gaze to them. It spat out a glob of purple flame in warning, but remained on top of its hoard. When the three of them didn’t run away, it bellowed, “Leave. Now.” Anvil had to admit that he was inclined to comply with its request, but stood his ground only because Luna and his friend had so far shown no sign of any intention to flee. 

“Look – at the far side,” the moon princess intoned. Anvil squinted, and saw dark, moving shapes in the dimness beyond the dragon’s hoard. The villagers. They were huddled together in large groups amongst the rocky formations on the ground. There was no mistaking it; the dragon was holding the entire town captive.

Luna fearlessly strode forward and addressed the dragon in a voice amplified by magic, “Dragon, we mean no disrespect. Please, allow our fellow ponies to go free, and we will leave you in peace.”

Jets of smoke burst out of the dragon’s nostrils, and it crouched possessively over its mountain of stuff. “No. Mine.”

“We have no interest in your hoard. We just want our friends back,” the moon princess called out once more. “Please, there cannot be much food down here; the ponies will not last long if you do not let them go. They will gain you nothing.”

“They sometimes go up, then bring food down for them and things for me. They all belong to me,” the dragon retorted. Its eyes narrowed, and then it reared up on its hind legs and spread its wings, roaring, “Leave, before I make you!”

“I think he’s starting to like us,” Anvil muttered.

“Is… is your friend well?” Luna’s voice was tinged with concern.

“Just ignore him, your Highness,” Hammer advised. “Whatever he has, it’s incurable.”

“Very well.” Luna began to trot towards the dragon, eyes intent upon it. “I want the two of you to guide the townsfolk back up the tunnels. Here, take these.” As she spoke, a pair of light globes flared out of her horn and hovered alongside them. The dragon, apparently fed up with the invasion of its privacy, leaped up from its hoard, flapped once or twice, and then landed with a crash that shook the ground and raised a cloud of dust. It had effectively halved the distance between. 

“Is this wise?” Hammer asked as they warily advanced. “We would be a better match for the dragon all together.”

The dragon inhaled, and Anvil had only the briefest of moments to wonder if his armour would be any good against dragon-fire before it unleashed purple inferno in their direction. But the flames never reached them. Instead, the blast was split in half by a blue, translucent magical barrier and surged to either side of them. In its wake, it left the rocks smouldering and glowing red.

“I don’t burn easily; you do,” Luna snapped at them. “And I cannot constantly shield you in a fight.”

“Point taken,” Hammer conceded. 

“Go. And if any ponies are lost, you’ll answer to me,” she warned.

Anvil echoed his friend’s sentiment, and without further delay, they both broke off and soared to either side of the dragon, careful to keep a safe distance. Looking back, Anvil could see Luna taking to the air as well. The distraction nearly cost him dearly, as a plume of fire appeared right in his flight path – he barely had enough time to tuck in his wings and drop below it. Eyes on the dragon, foal. 

“Leave them, beast. Your quarrel is with me!” Luna thundered. Anvil heard a crash and the sound of splintering wood and tortured metal, followed by a roar of pain – the princess had apparently thrown something from the dragon’s hoard at it. Something heavy. Whatever it was, it did the job well – Anvil was able to reach the townsfolk unimpeded, as was Hammer. The light from the flare hovering by his side shone upon frightened faces, dishevelled and filthy and weary from their captivity.

“Get up, ponies, we’re leaving!” he yelled.

They didn’t need telling twice. As one, the crowd of ponies got up on all fours and began to canter towards him. There were children amongst them, but thankfully they were all old enough not to be a serious hindrance to their speed. He hovered close to the ground, and began to lead them in a wide curving path that would take them back to the tunnel, sticking close to the side of the chamber to keep their distance from the battling dragon and alicorn. He glanced upwards, and saw Luna leading the dragon in a chase around the upper half of the dome. All the while, thunderclouds were forming inside the cave, presumably through the princess’ efforts. He could see her eyes glowing a menacing white, even from this distance. The dragon roared and vented another jet of flame at her, missing only by a few tail-lengths. The townsfolk gasped.

“Watch where you’re going and don’t slow down!” Hammer shouted.

And that was when a hoarse voice cried, “Sirs… please… not so fast!” 

Oh, hayseed. Anvil called for the crowd to stop, and quickly darted to the back of the crowd, where he found Hammer crouched next to a wheezing old mare and an equally winded, elderly stallion. There was another explosion of flame above, and the crowd flinched. “Sirs, we… we cannot. Our hearts… can’t take it,” the old stallion panted. 

“Just leave us,” the mare wheezed.

“That won’t happen,” Hammer stated. He promptly tossed his helmet to the ground, hefted the mare and gently shifted her onto his back, making sure that she had a somewhat rudimentary grip on him, but without hindering his wings too much. “Hang on, and bite my mane if you have to,” he added.

Anvil took the cue and did the same for the old stallion. Before long, they had gotten the crowd moving again, with him in the lead and Hammer bringing up the rear. The stallion was lighter than expected, but he was still heavy enough to slow him down. As they approached the tunnel, he spared another glance to the scene above. Black thunderclouds swirled around the top of the dome and crackled with streaks of lightning. Luna was still leading the dragon on a wild chase, but the dragon’s aim was improving. Even with her aerobatics and the cloud cover and the occasional teleport, every now and then she would be engulfed in the dragon’s fire-breath. She would then emerge from the flames, smoking and covered in soot, and Anvil did not doubt that it was taking a toll on her. Her flight was growing erratic and she was slowing down. It might not be long before the dragon could get within biting distance.

When they finally got the crowd to the tunnel, the next problem became apparent. The ponies had no lamps, and upon closer inspection, it was plain that the unicorns amongst them were in too poor a condition to provide reliable light throughout the full length of the tunnel. Only Hammer and he had the glowing orbs, so one of them was still going to have to lead the way. Worse still, the steep incline was going to be a problem for the elderly pair they were carrying. When Anvil voiced his concern, Hammer simply said, “I’ll take the oldster. You help the princess.”

“Are you sure?” Anvil asked, as he helped to position the couple across Hammer’s back, with their forelegs dangling on one side, and their hinds on the other.

“I’ll manage. Go help her,” his friend grunted. 

He responded with a nod and surged upwards to the battle. The dragon was now snapping at the princess, who was only barely able to avoid its jaws each time with a quick dodge. What is she doing? Without further thought, he poured all his strength into pumping his wings, gaining speed with each beat. As he got closer to his target, he felt the static charge from his swift flight building up in his hair and feathers. The dragon’s form loomed larger by the second. There was a burst of light as it breathed fire, and a sharp cry from Luna. Then, Anvil stuck out his front hooves – and slammed into the dragon’s cheek. Just before the impact, a jolt of electricity leaped from his hooves to the dragon, and just after, there was a ringing in his ears as he received the full blast of the dragon’s roar of pain. 

Time to hide. He darted into the clouds, hoping that his blow would provide the princess with the time she needed to do whatever she’d been planning. And then, there was a blinding flash as a blast of fire came his way – through the clouds. He swerved away, but the flames still managed to sear his tail and lick his left wing. Fearing further damage to his feathers, he folded his wings and dropped like a stone. The words ‘How could it see – ’ were just beginning to form in his mind when he noticed Luna’s little ball of light still flying by his side. Oh. 

The ground was fast approaching, and as he spread his wings to brake, he prayed that his feathers weren’t too badly damaged by the flames. The sudden deceleration nearly twisted off his wings, and the damaged feathers on the scorched one sent him into a downward spiral. Oh, hayseed. He somehow managed to level out his rapid descent, but he still hit the ground with a lot more force than was good for him. He crashed, somersaulted, rolled, and somersaulted again, before skidding on his chest to a halt. Not long after, he heard the heavy thud of the dragon landing nearby. Oh, hayseed. Groaning and coughing up dust, Anvil rolled onto his back and saw the dragon looming over him. It growled and raised a foot – a really big one. An inarticulate squeak escaped Anvil’s mouth as all his muscles slackened. But before the dragon could bring its foot down, he heard the moon princess’ thunderous voice: “That’s enough!” He looked up, as did the dragon, and saw the all of the dark clouds in the entire cavern swirling like a cyclone, right before a multitude of lightning bolts shot out of its centre and struck the dragon from nose to tail. It didn’t even have time to make a sound before it collapsed to the ground.

So that was what Luna had been up to the whole time – she’d been conjuring a lightning storm. She landed by his side, panting heavily and trembling a little. Her coat was stained black with soot, and Anvil thought he could see the tips of her wing feathers smouldering. Up above, the sphere of light and the storm clouds were already beginning to dissipate. “Can you stand?” she asked gently. “I’m spent, so I will not be able to mend anything at the moment.”

Anvil tried to rise, but fell back with a yelp. He was bruised and aching all over, and he smell the stink of his charred hair and feathers. The moon princess sighed and hefted him over her shoulder, as if he weighed little more than a filly. As she did so, he felt a little dampness where his hind legs brushed against her body. “Oh dear,” she murmured.

Anvil caught a whiff of it and grimaced. I thought it felt a little cold there… “Ah… I beg your pardon, princess. In my defence, that dragon was about to squash me flat. Tell me, if I had been turned into an interesting painting on the floor, would you have had me framed?”

Luna chuckled, and he began to giggle hysterically. 



*   *   *   *   *



“Princess Luna killed a dragon?” Summer clouds jaw was hanging.

“No, it was just unconscious. Those things are ridiculously durable.”

The grey unicorn shook her head in disbelief. “Anyway, was that all you wanted to tell me?”

Anvil frowned. “Wasn’t that all you needed to know? Luna could have easily commanded us to help her defeat the dragon before getting the townsfolk to safety. Horse apples, we were ready to do just that – she had to tell us to do the opposite whilst she distracted the lizard. And she even carried me all the way back up the tunnels when she could have made me walk. I was hurt, but not that badly. And, of course, let’s not forget that she did it in spite of my… state of cleanliness.”

Summer Cloud was thoughtful for a moment. “I’ll admit – that’s a side of Princess Luna that I hadn’t known.” “But,” she raised a hoof, “you’re staking the welfare of a great many ponies on your belief that Luna and Nightmare Moon are one and the same. Are you really going to risk that much?”

It was his turn to shake his head. “I cannot be fully certain, but I have seen signs that she is still the Luna we know. And if nothing else, she deserves the benefit of the doubt, after what she did for the ponies of Cobbleville. And… she did save my hide.”

Summer’s expression was resigned, and perhaps a little sad. “I hope your faith in her is not misplaced – for all our sakes.” 



*   *   *   *   *



Anvil realised that he was feeling a little worn when he was let out of the dungeon. We must have spoken for hours.

“Just a few words, eh?” Ripple Dew quipped as he unlocked the door, “I shudder to think of what a long speech must be for you, then.” 

“Would you like to find out?” he retorted with a weary grin.

“Hah! No, thank you. Anything else you need?”

“Yes. Get Summer Cloud a tub, some soap, and plenty of hot water. She’s in dire need of a good bath.”