//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 
// Story: The Dark-Dream Pony 
// by thesilentpony 
//------------------------------//

	“Shadow.” Princess Luna called and a thrill of enjoyment made me heart flutter, but to anyone else becoming Princess Luna’s guard made me cold. I barely care for anyone else and I was seemingly snappy at anyone else. I entered the celestial chamber and Princess
“Yes Princess Luna?” I asked, I looked at Princess Celestia, we had been here for a few minutes, but I hadn’t realized she hadn’t left yet. I no longer bothered checking the celestial chamber because she was already always in there morning and night.
“Luna I need to speak with him in privet, do you mind?”
“Of course not dearest sister.” They hugged and she left going with Onyx. I bowed and she smiled lightly.
“Princess Celestia, it is an honor, what do you require?”
“Stand.” I stood, she had a very worried expression. “I have had some very concerning reports from many of the guard. That even Shining Armor himself has stated unease, and that his ranks would become disorderly, at your mere appearance. I spoke with Luna, and, she said she saw, nothing in your dreams one night. That she had awoken to check her guard, and that she was scared of the darkness she found. What is wrong? Why have I been receiving such, reports of distress and worry?” My jaw locked a little.
“I would not know.” She stared at me for a moment and looked at the moon for a moment before looking back at me sighing.
“Has my sister done something to upset you, or have I, do you not enjoy your position as her personal guard?”
“I do as I am ordered, no more, no less, it is an honor to serve as a princess’s personal guard. I have no complaint.” She stared at me as if trying to see something, but my tone was flat and gave nothing.
“Is your anger do to the fact you are not my personal guard, or that you did not receive title of caption of the guards?”
“I have no anger toward anyone, I am perfectly find being Princess Luna’s personal guard. While it would be an honor to have either of those, I would not accept either offer, I enjoy being her guard.” She stared into my eyes but saw nothing.
“Are you happy?” I paused becoming slightly unsettled, but it would probably only show to her, any other pony wouldn’t see any change. I had never once been asked that question, if I was happy, it simply wasn’t something I considered my choice. Ever since I was a filly my parents trained and taught me with the eye of the guard in mind. The finest soldier the schools had ever seen pass their halls as many a head masters said with ease.
“I am.” She looked at me even more confused now.
“Tell me right now, everything you think.” She said with a darker over tone.
“I-I, enjoy being her guard.” I was now completely unsettled and she could easily see that, anyone could with my hair sticking up from pure unease. I dared not lie to Princess Celestia or even think badly of her or any princess for that matter, but in this case if I did not lie I was sure I would lose Princess Luna forever.
“Has someone cast a spell on you?”
“As if a spell would be able to control me.” I paused and she smiled a little.
“I’m glad to see something, you honestly worried me for a moment. If you have pride you must have other emotions.” I swallowed. “How do you feel for my sister?”
“She is my princess.” I said with a slight tremor. “I love her and are devoted to her with all my heart, I would give my life if she asked.” She walked close to me being only a few inches from me and I backed up out of pure instinct making her step forward and I kept stepping back as she kept coming forward till I hit the wall slamming into a little hard causing me to go up on my hind legs, back against the wall surprising me as well as her now being eye to eye.
“Why do you fear me?” She asked very close to me. Oh how she terrified me, not only was she the most powerful mare in all of equiseta, but the sister of the mare I was obsessed with, she would surely kill me, or worse if she knew.
“I-I don’t, I should get back.” She moved blocking me from leaving and making me realize I was backed into a corner, literally.
“As you princess I order you to tell me what is wrong!” She nearly shouted at me, it was as if a magic blast knocked the breath out of me. I fell to the floor on my back, legs shaking. She looked down at me even more confused now. “Why won’t you tell me?” She asked clearly worried.
“May I come in?” A mare’s voice said, I knew of it little, but I recognized it instantly none the less.
“Come in.” She said and Princess Cadance entered the room. I went to get up but Princess Celestia pushed down on my chest, pressing me harder to the floor stopping me. “Oh no you don’t.” I swallowed, while even being under her hoof was a great honor, that didn’t stop me from trying to wiggle out from under it. 
“What did you call for?” She asked coming over to us.
“I do not know why but he is hiding something and because of that he has caused people to fear him for doing nothing. I do not know but he acts as if a spell is about him. He is a trained mental magic defender, so I will need help with him to know why he acts this way.”
“He looks terrified.”
“I don’t know why he is either, I haven’t done him harm ever and I most certainly do not intend him harm.”
“Please let me go,” I said and they both looked at me. “I have done nothing wrong, I intend no wrong, please let me go.”
“Then tell me what is wrong.” Princess Celestia said and I swallowed.
“He must be extremely powerful to be able to lock his mind from you.”
“He is the most powerful pony I have ever known personally, but his magic causes me worry because it drains his life. I fear that if I did this alone he would use so much magic that I would drain his life away.”
“But, that’s forbidden isn’t it?”
“It’s his natural talent, he uses it no matter what magic he casts, if he casts the magic in its truest form it rivals even that of the elements of harmony, but it would kill him in the same instant that he used it, being a onetime use, then the shockwave would kill any living thing within his power’s range unless he focused it.”
“Should we get Luna?”
“No, I do not want her near such dark magic, for I fear just peering into his dream might have scared her.” Princess Cadance stared at her for a few seconds.
“That, is it safe to go into his mind?”
“Yes, I will protect us, but I need to make sure we don’t burn him up. He is still a powerful guard and I want him protecting Luna.”
“I see.”
“Please, I don’t want to tell you.” They looked at me. “Please do not go into my mind, I do not wish for you to know, every pony is just over reacting.”
“See what I mean.” Princess Celestia said.
“How is it I feel nothing from him, he feels like he’s hallow?”
“I do not know that either, I feel nothing from him, and I normally don’t pay mind to it, but I am too worried to let this go.”
“I love you Princess Celestia.” I spouted and they stared at me for a moment. “I am obsessed with you.” Both of them giggled a little.
“You would have to see you say that to realize how bad of a lie that is.” Princess Cadance said chuckling.
“I-I.” I looked down. “I dare not raise my hoof in anger against princess.” I said shaking a little more. 
“Last chance to tell us.”
“I refuse.”
“Very well,” Princess Celestia said. “Let’s start.” Both of their horns glowed white and I closed my eyes feeling them inside my head. 
“I will not allow this.” I said in my mind and they appeared in a room of my mind looking around.
“Wow.” Princess Cadance said looking around the solid stone box which they were now locked inside of.
“This is Princess Celestia, I order you to let us in!” She commanded and the walls cracked. Making me shake, it was impulse to do anything they asked, and fighting that would be nearly impossible. I was trained all my life to never disobey orders from them, but this time if I didn’t defend my mind, I would surely lose everything that I cared for.
Together they shot blasts at the wall shattering it easily, causing my entire body to tremor from the shock. Another larger room appeared made of metal. 
“I order you to let us through!” Princess Cadance shouted. The metal walls cracked, but not nearly as much as the first room. The metal started to heal and they blasted through again making me whimper in pain as my whole body felt like it was on fire. They went through twelve layers to the thirteenth before stopping, their orders now held no sway.
“Thirty to go and you don’t have the magic to break more than two more.”
“Let them through!” Princess Luna’s voice was like a shockwave, it ripped through every last room I had making me feel cold in the same second, calming down now that they had fully accessed my mind. Rather it was my feeling or the pure raw power she gave, I had no clue how she so easily broke through. We all looked at her for a moment as they went into my mind and my memories having nothing to hold them even a slightest bit back.
“Thank you sister.” She walked out of the room and both Cadance and Celestia opened their eyes to see to see me crying. They had entered my very soul cutting me deeper than I ever thought possible, a numbness silenced my heart, as if they stole everything I was.
“Such, such a deep passion,” Princess Cadance said stepping back. “I, we shouldn’t have done that. Those thought were much too privet.”
“You are right,” Princess Celestia said looking a little sad, she removed her hoof. “But you should have told me this before we did that,” she said now mad. “It could have saved a lot of time, though I would have probably not believed you loved my sister with such an obsession that.” She shook her head.
“Please I want to be her guard.” I pled and they looked at me.
“Of course,” Princess Celestia said. “We would never do anything to some-pony who just felt love for another, even if they are a princess. If we did that then I’m not sure we would be able to find people as guards or maids.”
“May I leave now, I, want to be alone.”
“Of course.” I teleported outside into the gardens on my belly shaking and letting tears fall down my face.
I wasn’t angry, I wasn’t sad, but scared and ashamed, I so ashamed that I had disobeyed them so many times. I didn’t have right to my life or my mind, no pony does in Equestria except for the princess. For they control everything from the sun to the moon, from love and to even every ponies dreams.
I let night fall staring at the ground unable to move, unable to let a single thought wonder even for a second.
“Night Caption Shadow!” I didn’t look up at that name, whoever they were calling, it wasn’t me, I wasn’t a caption, nor was I going to be a guard for that matter. I couldn’t very well protect something people knew I cared far too much for.
“Shadow, there you are!” Night Jasper said running over to me and pausing. “What happening to you?”
“I want to die.” I said with a lump still in my throat. He stared at me.
“No, you can’t want that.” I looked at him.
“But they know.”
“Know what?”
“Princess Celestia and Princess Cadance.”
“Know what?” I looked down and he sat down. “Please, tell me, you know you can trust me, what is wrong?”
“They went into my mind and unlocked something I didn’t want unlocked.” He stared at me. “Now I can’t be a guard, much less stay in Equestria.”
“Stop, first of all they haven’t told any pony anything about that, whatever it is I’m sure they won’t tell it to any pony. If it means that much to you I’m sure they won’t speak it to another pony for anything. Now get up, you got promoted.”
“I can’t stand.”
“You just have to try.”
“I’ve been shaking so badly I can’t stand, I tried a few hours ago, but I kept falling over, and I can’t keep a straight enough thought to even use my magic. Or I would have teleported further away than a hundred bits.” He turned looking at the throne room wall. 
“Oh.”
“I can carry you.”
“No, I need you to kill me.” I said with a hallow heart.
“NO!” He shouted at me standing up. “I don’t know what they found out, but taking your life is no answer. They clearly didn’t see it as dangerous if you were promoted for it, heck you can get married to princesses now.” I paused. “Now get up, you are going to go see them even if I have to drag you there.”
“Please I’m too scared, and I'll have no defense against them this time.”
“Onyx!” Onyx ran over to us. They pushed me on a small cart and pulled me. We got to the throne room and Princess Celestia and Princess Cadance was waiting at the throne, making pure terror take me, over causing me to jolt my legs and run for the doors. They slammed shut making me slam into them rather hard.
“NO, NO, NO, NO!” I begged scrapping on the door, but the handles had disappeared making it impossible to open, and I couldn’t keep a thought long enough to use magic. Magic lifted me up and my legs went numb as I floated over to them. Both Onyx and Night Jasper were completely unsettled by this backing up themselves scared now. They had never once seen me so scared, no one had, I simply didn’t get scared.
“Stop.” Princess Celestia said.
“Please no more, kill me now, just don’t go back into my mind.” Both of them stared at me almost at tears.
“You two may leave.” They both almost ran out of the throne room leaving them, no deserting me to their wrath, though I will admit they couldn’t help me here. Tears ran down my face causing shock to cross their face.
“Please, no more.”
“If I set you down, will you run?” I swallowed.
“No.” But she didn’t set me down.
“I am sorry I did that, but understand I had good reason to do it. You were acting in such a way, that every pony which entered this place became uneased. Even my dear student twilight came by you once thought you were a monster and spike ran into a wall breaking a tooth. You know how dear she is to me.”
“Please I meant no harm.”
“That’s just it, you switched off everything, you became a soulless pony, and on some level all ponies are able to connect with each other, even the plants and animals. You gave nothing off at all, and that scared even me. We were going to have to either fire you, solve the problem or find a lot of ponies to take the thirty guards which were too scared of you to stay unless something was done.”
“I.” I cried unable to finish.
“I am sorry for what I have done, I will never do that again, the sorrow I felt once I had done it, it was truly one of the worst feeling I have ever felt. I am truly sorry.”
“Please let me go.” She set me down but I could still feel her magic around me, enlacing the web of reality. I couldn’t just run, she could easily teleport me back, or break my legs if she felt like it.
“I no longer wish to be a guard.”
“You must.” Princess Cadance said staring at me, she had sorry across her face, but it was still the face I imagined laughed as they went into my mind.
“Please don’t make me.”
“We are not making you,” Princess Celestia said. “You do not have to be a guard, but please, do not quit simply for my mistake.”
“I just want to leave, please.”
“We promoted you to night guard caption Shadow, you should fully well understand what that means. Also know that you will be able to stay with Princess Luna as her guard for as long as you like. She will never know what we learned unless you tell her.”
“I don’t understand.”
“What do you mean?” Princess Celestia asked with a slight bit of hope in her eyes.
“Why would you do that, I know you say I was acting badly, but could you not tell me to act in a different way and leave me be. Did you have to completely shatter my mind for the fun of it?” They stared at me looking down, and then this darker light lit Princess Celestia’s eyes scaring me.
“I’m ordering you to stay as guard of my sister.” Princess Celestia said with a sad expression on her face.
“I understand and will obey.” Tears went down her face as I got up finally able to stand after so long on my own ability. 
“We will never do this again.” Princess Celestia said to Princess Cadance.
“I know, I know.” She said looking away. I went to the barracks changing out of my armor and taking a shower, before changing back and going to Princess Luna which was eating in the dining hall. They looked at me as I entered the room rushing over to me.
“What happen?” Night Jasper asked.
“I am Princess Luna’s guard, it is my command and I will not leave it for any reason even if it means death. I will follow and obey.” All three of them stared at me, even Princess Luna was shocked by my words having paused fork still in her mouth.
“But you.”
“I will not disobey an order to stay as Princess Luna’s guard. Please don’t ask any more of this. Go back to your posts please, that’s an order.” They went back to the doors.
“Did my sister order you to stay as my guard.”
“I cannot say.”
“You can tell me, why is it I sense fear, so much fear, betrayal and sadness?” Tears started running down my face.
“Princess, please excuse me, I need a moment.” Now even Princess Luna was reading my mind, and I had no right to stop her. I walked outside of the dining hall and going to a gentle-colt room wiping my tears away and hardening my heart. I stopped crying healing my eyes with magic so they didn’t look red. I cleaned myself up before going back to her.
“What has happen?” I looked at her.
“Nothing Princess, please do not mind my reaction earlier, it was unbecoming of a guard of a princess. I will reframe from any such reaction from now on.” My heart twisted seeing her expression become that of pure sadness, but then to a rage that I had never seen before all the months I had been with her.
She got out of the chair and walked fast leaving food half finished. I had to run to keep up with her, but I fell behind as she glided with her beautiful wings leaving me almost star stuck for a second, what was I thinking? Leave? Die? What the hell was I thinking?! I was going to give up the most beautiful and right thing in the world for what?! Them going into my mind because I wouldn’t tell them how I felt. Had my pride blinded me so much that I would give up the only thing that made my life worth living?
Hell no!
I ran at full speed boosting my speed so much that I ripped the rug with my hooves like tissue paper. I caught up to Princess Luna in less than ten seconds, jumping and tackling her flying through the door of the throne room, planting her flat onto the ground without hurting her even a little. Both Princess Celestia and Princess Cadance were shocked by our sudden appearance.
“Stop,” I said and she stared at me shocked and Onyx and Night Jasper were both shocked as well as they entered the room. “I um.” I paused realizing I had nothing to say, I hadn’t given it a second of thought. Both of us blushed being the first time in a long time being this close with her knowing it, though I had a feeling she always knew when I was close.
“What are you doing?” Princess Celestia asked.
“I was.” I backed off of Princess Luna and she got up looking at me. “I’m am so sorry forgive me!” I said bowing. “Please I, I have acted filly-ish, please I want to be Luna’s guard, I, I’m sorry. Please Princess Luna they did nothing wrong, I was acting wrong I’m sorry, please do not be mad.”
“Thank you Shadow, but this is not something I can simply let go.” She turned to both of them. “How dare you order my guard to keep being my guard when he was clearly scare!” She yelled at them. “I can understand a lot of things, but that is not one of them. Sister when did you ever force someone to do something they were scared to or simply didn’t want to do unless to save other?!”
“There were other.”
“QUIET!” She shouted in a growl at Cadance and the entire room shook violently nearly knocking every pony over. She went inches from Princess Celestia’s face gritting her teeth. “You ever touch my Shadow again and I'll kill you.” Princess Celestia stepped back seeing Princess Luna’s eyes glow red with dark magic energy.
“I won’t do it again, you have my word.” Princess Luna’s eye energy faded. She turned grabbing me, throwing me onto her back and walking back into the hallway. I blushed turning completely red and it showed through my fur easily.
“Um, princess.” I said scared, she paused as we neared the dream chamber turning completely and utterly red realizing what had happen, and what she had just said. She set me down. 
“We’re so sorry about what happen, it will never happen again, and if it does you must tell me right away.”
“Will, and thank you.” 
“Very well, we should go finish eating.” We went back to the dining room, I reheated her food and she kept eating before we went to the dream chamber. “You two wait outside please, I need to talk to Shadow.” They went outside closing the door. I looked at her a little nervous.
“What do you require?”
“About what I said, earlier.”
“Think nothing of it, I’m sure you were in the heat of the moment.” She blushed.
“Yes, I’m sure that’s what it was.”
“Well dreams to save.”
“Not this night.”
“What?”
“I’m feeling something more, the night is still early, and there is a concert hall playing a most lovely melody. I’m sure it would do us wonders, we so rarely go out any more. It would be nice.”
“Very well I will have.”
“Just us.” I paused.
“Very well Princess, we can go alone.” She smiled and I smiled. We walked out of the room. “Please go on ahead to the carriage, I will be there shortly.” She nodded leaving and I turned to them. “We will be going to a concert hall, follow and make sure to watch for anything weird, do not get noticed.”
“Looks like your moving up.” Night Jasper said.
“First of all shut up that’s a princess, she’s still far from my league.” 
“Come on,” Onyx said. “You have to be joking, the way she threw you on her back, she completely wants to get closer to you, you have to be blind to not accept that.”
“Anyway follow please.”
“Are you sure?” Night Jasper asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Well I heard a story not too long ago, that Princess Luna aka nightmare moon will take ponies out that she likes and force them to run through a forest till they drop dead, or she catches them and then she rips out their insides forcing it down their throats till they choke to death.” I stared at him a little annoyed. I didn’t like anything the made her look even a little bad and I didn’t take kind to jokes.
“Well button it, that was nightmare moon, twilight and her friends cured her of that evil, she wouldn’t do that now if she ever did it.”
“Did you see her eyes?”
“Yes now do as you’re ordered and shut up about that.”
“Yes sir.” He nodded and I teleported appearing next to Princess Luna. I paused seeing her wearing something of battle armor, she normally didn’t wear anything while in the castle, but this worked nice to.
“Shadow.” She said smiling. We got onto the carriage and the two ponies looked at us wings ready.
“Where to Princess?” One of them asked.
“I need to pick something up at.” She looked at a piece of paper. “Three north and forty west.” I paused. 
“That’s forest isn’t it?” The pony asked and I paused. I chuckled in my mind at the stupid thought, there was no way she was like that, right? No the chances of just hearing something like that were too big to believe, someone wanted to test me or scare me, or something. I wasn’t sure who but I would find out.
“Yes, there is a cabin there, I need to piece up a special cake.” They took flight flying us across the night sky.
“Wonderful night for a midnight feel.” She smiled.
“Yes a full moon tonight, it’s great for a nice moonlight dinner as well.” I smiled. “How about we walk after we get the cake, the concert hall isn’t far away.”
“Sound great.” She nuzzled me a little bit. She was happy and I hadn’t ever seen her this happy. It made me feel great, and completely cut away everything bad I had felt over the last day. We landed and I looked around. “Where is the cottage?”
“Not far but a little into the forest. We can’t land in there because the trees.” We got off and she turned to them. “Thank you, both of you can go back, well hoof the rest of this.”
“Well if your sure.”
“Yes.” They flew off and I looked at her smiling a little nervous. 
“So how far in the forest is it?” I looked at her smiling and I stepped back, she had transformed into her nightmare moon form. “Oh you got to be kidding me.” She grinned showing a very toothy grin making me back up.
“Run.” She said stepping forward and blue flame lit the ground on fire. I turned and ran into the forest, exactly where she wanted me to go, I guess to make it more sport for her. I ran speeding up zigzagging using my magic to speed up.
“Portal open, come on.” I said trying to open a portal or teleport but it didn’t work no matter how much I put into it.
“Now, now!” She called with a spring to her voice. “That would be cheating.” I looked to my right as she appeared next to me. I jumped and she missed a grab as I landed on a tree force pushing and shattering the tree sending me flying through the air. Crashing through a tree to keep running having lost where I was, and the moon wasn’t helping. I chuckled at the thought of trying to use something that the person I was running from could move at will.
I stopped after a while tired and running low on life energy, rather I kept running or she captured me, one way or another I was surely going to die, she looked like she was out for blood, and that’s exactly what she was going to get.
“Stopped running?” She asked making me do a one hoof flip dodging her magic grab, I started running and she came after me 
“Never!” I shouted playful even those I was about to pass out. 
“Got you!” She grabbed at me and I jumped to the right boosting my speed, but having looked at the wrong moment ripping through a tree helmet snapping my neck too easily sending me fly and crashing into a tree, bending my armor cutting into my gut crushing several rips, probably shattering them, then rolling through the air landing on a rock scraping off my fur to start to bleed out.
The look on her face, cannot be described making me smile. She without a doubt was horror stricken, but that wasn’t it, it just could not be fully described at the emotions that she went through in seconds.
I chuckled as I barely choked out the words, “I love you.” I said in a gurgle of blood, bone mill, and flesh before everything went into a cold, wet blackness hearing her scream no, no, no!