Album 1: The Greatest Gala Ever
Chapter 15: the Knighting Ceremony
“Noooooo need to panic.” I told myself, “It’s only me being KNIGHTED by Celestia AND given a gift by Luna for helping stop the Nightmare after my best day ever was TORN TO SHREDS in the most literal manner possible......”
I kept walking, doing my best to calm myself down. It’s really confusing being elated, scared, and pissed all at once, doncha know? Regardless, I was getting ready to turn a corner when.....oh fuck.
“Hi there, I’ve been waiting for you.” said the dragoness, her back leaning against the wall.
“You...but....but....ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff-” To say I was pissed at meeting the same damnable draogness that DESTROYED the Gala and SET THE NIGHTMARE FREE was an understatement of epic proportions.
“WHAT THE BLOODY FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE!?” I screamed, shifting into my 9-ball form, going from barely hip-height to standing a head taller and twice as wide as the wingless reptile.
“I’m a guest here.” she said, pushing off of the wall and standing straight up, turning to face the livid changeling.
“A GUEST!?” I snarled, “A GUEST!? YOU ARE A GUEST NOW!? GUESTS DON’T GO BEATING THE HOST INTO A BLOODY PULP! NOR DO THEY UNLEASH ANCIENT EVIL DEMONS TO RUN AMOK! NOR DO THEY GO THREATENING OTHER GUESTS!”
“Do you even know why I beat Luna to a bloody pulp? Oh, and if you are wondering, I did fix her up afterwards, not a scratch on her. Damn well took a lot of strength to do that.” she muttered, crossing her arms.
I didn’t bother listening further, there was no way in HELL I’d be able to keep calm around this gal. I had to literally force myself to turn around and walk away, before I did something we both regretted. Like, say, punching her. No idea if she might have some kind of counter attack spell and I don’t feel like getting in trouble for any suspiciously dragon-shaped holes in the walls....
And yet, once I had turned around, the same goddamn FUCKING DRAGON was standing RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!
“Excuse me, ummmm, Knightmare was it, but you might not want to try and run or forget about someone who can move faster than wind, just saying.” She said, a smug little smile on her GODDAMN LIPS!
“I’ll give you two seconds to leave me alone before I throw you through a wall. I’m a LOT stronger than you think, little miss Mary Sue.”
She uncrossed her arms and tapped her head slightly. “Two things, one, I have a weakness, and it actually is pretty damn big, and two, I’m not moving and I already know you could probably throw me through a wall. Thing is, unlike the ‘Lunar Legend’, that doesn’t kill me or hurt too much.” She grinned widely. “Come on.”
“Don’t care if it hurts, I just want you outta my way. I’ve had a LONG day and I don’t feel like dealing with a smug-ass egomaniac right now....why do you think I’m avoiding Griffin?”
Next thing I knew I felt a claw choking me, my head slammed into a wall. The dragoness was pinning me with one of her hands, and her eyes had changed, seeming to be both purple and crimson at once. “I’m not going to go into many details, but I am not an egomaniac. Luna stole the life I hated, only to deliver me to a living hell. I’ve lost more here than I believe you have, mister ‘Happy-Go-Lucky’, and Griffin can go fuck himself for all I care, he’s an asshole and I can’t wait for the day someone takes him down a peg or two.” She then stepped back from the wall, her claw relinquishing it’s grip from my throat.
“Honestly....” I said, “I don’t know what I lost....my only memories of earth are working for an organisation called ‘The SCP foundation’ and meeting Celestia. I’ve had most of my memories taken from me. I don’t know if I lived a good life, wasted it away, or went through hell and back. I don’t KNOW what my life was like outside of working for a bunch of murderous lunatics who think that being smart gives them free reign to control the world from behind the scenes. I’ve been working on recovering my memories. So, yeah. As far as I know, maybe you have lost more than me. I don’t know, nor do I care, I’ve been here for less than a week and already I’ve been nearly killed FIVE TIMES, raped once, and had to rebuild a town that was destroyed by someone who wanted to kill me....So, yeah. You aren’t the only one having a shitty time here in Equestria.”
She looked away from me, good, at least she feels some goddamn pain, then started to whisper back, sobs hidden under her voice, “I’ve lost my father and my brother, my sister is the only person I have left, and the FUCKER” and here she punched the wall next to her, turning it into fine powder, “That killed my father is still walking free! Hell, he’s a goddamn hero in everyones opinion!”
“I know how you feel...” I sat down, curling my tail around my legs, looking less like a wild beast and more like a scared kitten. “When I heard of the mighty ‘Griffin the Griffin’, I was expecting some kind of awesome badass hero.... What I got was a depraved nutcase who talks up and down about how he was bullied and how he hates them....but that’s exactly what he is...a bully, a tormentor. He just doesn't care about anyone he’s not close too. Even then, he still treats his ‘friends’ as nothing but tools to use....”
She stopped for a second before turning to me, bloody tears running down her face. “It’s nice to know I’m not the only one who sees him for what he truly is.”
“...we need more heroes, Ember. If Griffin’s the best we’ve got...then it’s up to those of us who can see beyond the glory and glamor to take up the job....I don’t know about you but...I’m not gonna let that bastard hog all of his unearned glory...” I stood up, shifting back to my normal form. “I’ve got to get to a knighting ceremony...Knowing Griffin, he’ll probably ditch it just to be a dick. Care to join me?”
She wiped her eyes and turned to him, smiling slightly. “Only if I get to be the understudy.”
I grin. “I....have no idea what you’re talking about...no, literally, I’m missing all but a few years of an eighty year life, I have NEVER been to a knighting ceremony before.”
She chuckled at that. “It’s actually not that common. What I was referring to was acting, and moreover my desire to stay in the background. A changeling is one thing, a dragon? That’s stretching it.”
“If Loony’s OK with you, then I think I can handle it. Just...don’t break anything. And you hurt Celestia, and I break YOU. got it?”
“I only hurt people who either shatter my world, or threaten to do so, so Celestia is safe.” She said, then extended her hand. “The name’s Ember.”
“I learned that much from Ritz.” I said, “The name’s Knightmare.” I took her hand and gave it a light shake. “Truce?”
“Truce.”
*****
“OK!” I said, still a tad nervous. “Shall we begin?” The Mane six were already in the grand hall, most of them sitting rather nervously. Apparently, I’m not the only one having..issues. I nodded to Ember as the black dragoness took a seat near the back. Swallowing my fear, I stepped forward, meeting up with the girls. Aoi and Griffin followed suit, taking up positions beside one another....
“Anyone else nervous?” I asked, gaining nods from the Mane Six, but nothing from Aoi or Griffin. Soon, Celestia and Luna arrived, looking as regal as usual.
Celestia looked towards us. “Are we all ready for the ceremony?” A chorus of affirmatives came along from everyone, except Aoi and griffin....wow. Well, apparently the seven of us was sufficient. “If there are no objections then we may proceed with the ceremony.” She gave a gentle smile to the entire group. No objections were given by me, any of the mane 6 or Aoi and Griffin.
“Good, we can begin the ceremony.” Celestia walked up to her place in the grand hall and cleared her throat.
“Citizens of Equestria, today is a day where we celebrate the victory of ten heroes. These heroes created much amusement during the Gala. Whether it be chasing my sister through the grand hall or singing songs unheard of within the borders of Equestria. Throughout the entire night they had amplified the value of friendship that we all hold so dear to our hearts and shown us that it can be expressed in a multitude of ways.” Celestia paused and takes a breath.
“I truly wish that creating fun and joy were the only reasons that we were currently having this ceremony however it is not. During the Gala many... interesting events had taken place that I wish had not. The royal archive had been destroyed. Many creatures from the zoo escaped. The palace was reduced from its once great stature to rubble and trashed filled towers and halls. The worse of all the terrors that occurred that night was that Nightmare Moon in her spiritual form corrupted and overtook one of my little ponies.”
Celestia took another breath. “But these heroes! These nine mighty heroes fought back the beasts from the zoo. They fought back the Nightmare and forced her out of the poor pony. While our heroes slept after their difficult fight our former enemies, The changelings helped clean up the rubble and the trash created from the mayhem. They put out the fires of the archive. Truly that shows there is always hope. So now I ask you all, every pony and changeling that may be within my reach to give respect to these heroes as I make them Knights of Equestria.”
“Did she just say what I think she said?” I asked Twilight.
“Yes, now hush!” The mare responded, both of us turning back to Celestia’s smiling face.
“Shall we begin?” The sun-princess asked, stepping forward.
“Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight knelt down before Celestia. “For your qualities of leadership, and your immense magical prowess, I bestow upon you the Knightly Title of ‘Archmagus’.” She tapped both of Twilight’s shoulders with her horn. “Now rise, Archmagus Twilight Sparkle, Vice Reign of Ponyville.”
“Vice Reign Twilight.” Princess Luna spoke, stepping forward with nine parcels in her magical grasp. “Your knowledge of magic is commendable, but your skill on the offensive is frail. For that I bestow upon you this weapon for your protection.” She unwrapped one of them, revealing a violet staff with a beautiful gemstone at the peak, carved in the shape of a hammer’s head. “With this, the Mace of Zeus, you may channel your magic into a strike of lightning to stun your foes before they can harm you or your friends.”
Twilight took the weapon in her magical grasp, gulping down her anxiety and bowing before the princesses. She kept the weapon next to her, holding it proudly.
“Applejack.” she, too, knelt. “For your undying desire for truth and justice, I bestow upon you the Knightly Title of ‘Justicar’.” As before, she tapped both of Applejack’s shoulders with her horn. “Now Rise, Baroness Applejack the Justicar of Sweet Apple Acres.”
Applejack stood proud, seeing Luna before her, bearing another gift.
“Fair Applejack. Your bravery is commendable, but even then, bravery is simply not enough to fight evil with. And for that I grant thee this.” A wrapping dropped, revealing a polished blue broadsword almost as large as Griffin’s blade, Hades. “This Ultima Blade will follow the motion of your thoughts, controlled by your will. And with a thought, it can shift into that of a longbow, allowing you to protect the innocent up close, or at a safe distance.” Applejacka accepted the blade with a graceful bow, holding an honest smile on her face.
“Rarity.” The alabaster unicorn knelt down. “for your unending generosity, and your bravery in the face of danger, I bestow upon you the title of ‘FlameHeart’.” She tapped Rarity’s shoulders. “Now Rise, Duchess Rarity FlameHeart.” Rarity had to almost literally restrain herself from her own glee as Luna stepped forward.
“Rarity, though you show no fear in the face of danger, even a lady as fair and beautiful as yourself must be ready to fight when the chips are down. And for that I gift you with this.” she unwrapped the third parcel, revealing a whip with a glowing red lash. “This is the Flame Bute. A flash of fire, tamed by powerful magics. With it you may show your enemies the fire inside you in a manner they cannot ignore.” Rarity bowed graciously, wrapping the whip around her waist gently, feeling the warmth travel through her body.
“Fluttershy.” The yellow pegasus made an adorable squeak before kneeling. “Your kindness knows no bounds, and even in the face of terrifying beasts it hasn’t wavered. Even in the face of a full grown dragon, your greatest fear, you stood your ground in kindness. For that I bestow you with the title of ‘DragonHeart’.” The tapping of the shoulders again. “Now Rise, Dame Fluttershy DragonHeart.”
“Dame Fluttershy.” Luna said, stepping forward again, with another package. “Though you are brave, and your vow of non-violence admirable, combat will be inevitable in the coming battles. For this I bestow thee with a weapon that you can rely upon without fear.” She unwrappws the package, revealing an innocent-looking ornate bell. “This is the Gaia Bell. All animals that hear its tone will come to the aid of its bringer, to defend them at any cost. Keep it close, and keep it safe.” Fluttershy bowed low and scooted herself back into the line.
“Rainbow Dash.” The multicolored pegasus stepped forward with a grin. “Your loyalty knows no bounds, and you fear no battle. you have shown admiral grace under pressure and have managed to use a technique thought lost for forty millenia. For that I bestow upon you the title of Lightbreaker.” She tapped RD’s shoulders. “Now rise, Dame Rainbow Dash the Lightbreaker.”
“Dame Dash.” Luna stepped forward, bearing another gift. “Your willingness to fight may be necessary in the coming battles, but bravery and a will for battle can only go so far. Thusly I bequeath these blades.” She reveals a pair of wing-mounted swords attached by chains. “These were designed after the Blades of Chaos wielded by Lady Firefly during the Great War. Like then, I feel they will be a great asset for you in the coming battles.” The hyper pegasus squeed gently, immediately attaching the blades to her wings and testing her mobility.
“Pinkamena Diane Pie.” Pinkie stepped forward and bowed low, looking nervous at the use of her full name. “You show fear to no being, from the evils of Discord, to the dreadful Nightmare Moon, not even Chrysalis’ elite warriors could bring you dread. You have managed to bring enemies crashing down, all while bringing a smile to the faces of all you see. And for that I bestor the knightly title of ‘JoyBringer’.” She tapped Pinkie’s shoulders gently. “Now rise, Dame Pinkamena, The Joybringer.”
“Lady Pie.” Luna said, “Though you fear no pony or monster, even a bravery as unwavering as yours must be ready to fight against immense odds. For that I bear you this gift.” she unwrapped the sixth parcel, revealing a bright pink hammer-axe, shimmering lightly with it’s candy-like design. “This is the Earthsplitter. With a single strike you can make the earth itself tremble beneath your hooves.” She handed Pinkie the weapon, who took it with a solemn salute.
“Knightmare.” My turn to bow. Still friggin’ nervous. “In your short while that you have been part of Equestria, you have managed to nearly destroy a town by defending yourself, then dedicated your time you could have spent adventuring to rebuilding it entirely alone. You have come to this Gala and brought joy to us, and even in the face of danger you refused to abandon us to our fates. You not only fought against The Nightmare, but even forcibly imprisoned her within your guitar, knowing the risk you put yourself at, and not once have you ever asked for more compensation than mere kindness. For this I bestow upon you the title of Paladin DemonBane.” She tapped my shoulders gently. “Now Rise, Sir Knightmare DemonBane, Paladin of the Sun.”
I smiled happily, fighting to hold back my desire to jump for joy, even as Luna stepped forward.
“Sir Knightmare.” She began, pulling forward a long package. “Is it not true that, in your world, Paladins could wield holy magicks?” I raised a brow, noticing Luna wearing her best trolling grin, then nodded slowly. “Well, your physical might is...sufficient, but your magicks are sorely lacking. And for that I bestow this.” She opened the package, revealing a polished wooden stave studded with seven gems, each the color of the rainbow, carved in an eldritch shape from a sturdy dark wood. The staff glowed with it’s own light, the glow growing brighter as it came closer, multicolored bolts of lightning arcing between the gems as it came closer to my guitar. “This is Twinkle, the Spark of Magic. A special staff that will allow you to show your true potential as a mage in times of desperation. Keep it close, and let it help you become stronger in the ways of magic.”
I accepted the weapon with a bow and stepped back into line, waiting for the next to be called.
“Griffin North.” Celestia began, “Though you have proven yourself time and again to be a troublemaker, each time you have managed to prove yourself a hero, and this time is no different. For your brave defence of the city of Canterlot I now bestow upon you the title of Lord-Captain.” She stepped forward, waiting for him to kneel....he wasn’t not moving. She raised a brow and shrugs, tapping his shoulders anyway....and her horn passed right through. “....what?”
I blinked and step over to poke Griffin, and my hand passed through with ease. Rainbow poked Aoi, garnering the same non-existant reaction. Stepping back we looked at Celestia, who had turned beet red and literally had steam coming from her ears.
“HIT THE DECK!” Is the only warning that Luna was able to give before....
“GRIFFIIIIIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
“Note to self, don’t piss off Celestia....” I whispered, watching the two shadow-illusions dissipate from the force of her shout. Luna sighed and placed the last two gifts away, apparently unable to give them to their rightful owners.
“Wait, Princess! I have an idea!” Twilight said, looking kinda...twitchy...
“I’m listening...” Celestia said, her toneless voice sending a chill down my spine.
“Well, why not prank him back? Something that will get right under his skin?”
“Like fleas?” I replied, blurting it out.
“Close, but not quite. Though we’ll need your help for it, Knightmare.”
“Piss off Griffin? I’m in!”
“OK, so here’s the plan!” Twilight said, we all leaned in conspiratorially. Once we were done, Celestia asked a few reporters to take photos on Twi’s signal. I stood, bowed, and took the form of Griffin.
“Now Rise, Lord-Captain Griffin North!” Celestia said, tapping ‘Griffins’ shoulder. Right on cue, several cameras flashed.
“I now proclaim Princess celestia as Best Pony!” I said, managing to mimic Griffin’s voice perfectly. Only Grif himself would know the difference. With a nice laugh, we opted to leave the coronation after Celestia marked a royal decree, making griffin and Aoi both ‘Knights of Equestria’, under the titles of ‘Lord-captain’ and ‘Windclaw’ respectively. They’re gonna take their honors whether they like it or not!
“...Anyone wanna head to Donut Joe’s?” Rainbow said, seeming quite happy about her new toys.
“Sounds like a plan!” Celestia replied, “He has an exquisite wine selection available for late-night customers. I think he’ll let us crack one open early if we ask nicely.”
“Eat donuts and get drunk? Sounds like a plan!” And with that, we set off for what’s probably the best donut shop in the multiverse. G’night everypony!
[Knightmare’s New Gear!]
“Harmony borne from wars endless rage, a shaft of holy light will be borne to the warrior in the shadows with the blessing of the Holy Seven” - Excerpt from ‘The Book of Blades - A guide to mystical weapons of Ancient Equestria’.
Created in tandem with the Blades of Sun and Moon, this staff, known as ‘Twinkle’, is a powerful ‘Magical Amplifier’ intended to allow a magically weak warrior to be capable of using magic in an effective and efficient manner. However this comes at a cost as it draws from the user’s life force to ‘breach’ their mana reserves, granting them full control over their own spellcasting power.
Appearance: Approximately five feet tall, Twinkle is made from Baobab wood, a magically strong wood that is immensely flexible and almost entirely unbreakable. It has a dark purple coloration and a jagged appearance, with six crystal nodes protruding from the crook of the staff and a seventh crystal resting within the crook, floating as if permanently levitating. Each of the crystals matches up with the magical gemstones used in the forging of the Elements of Harmony.
Special Effects: Overclock, Magic Missile, Metatron
Overclock: The user may activate this ability once every day. For one minute the user gains full access to their mana reserves. This allows someone unable to fully access their spellcasting ability to match power with some of the strongest spellcasters alive. However afterwards they suffer from an extreme, almost debilitating case of adrenaline fatigue and will be incapable of continuing combat.
Magic Missile: A powerful spell that can be cast safely without having to activate Overclock. The spell sends out five bolts of energy that will track and chase the intended target. They will not stop until the target is struck and will not miss unless a solid object is placed in their path.
Metatron: The user's voice is spread far and wide, the distance relative to the force behind the voice. Anything said is instantly translated into any language the caster knows.
D&D Stats: +2 Amplified Darkwood/Adamantine Quarterstaff of Thaumaturgic Might