//------------------------------//
// Reforming The Guard 
// Story: Establishing Luna's Royal Guard 
// by Zeck 
//------------------------------//

	Silent Wing paced nervously in the throne room of Canterlot Castle. Though she was part of the Night Guard and had visited the castle on countless occasions—even been in this very room many times when Princess Celestia was here—she had never been in the room by herself. She had always been there with other Night Guard ponies to make reports, or hanging in the shadows while court business was attended to before the Princess spoke with her. She had always found the room too bright and colorful for her tastes, but she had never felt threatened in it. 
Now though, with literally no other pony around save for her, the room felt terrifyingly imposing. The ceiling towered above her, seeming to bend at impossible angles the higher it went. The stained glass windows, usually so bright and full of life, now looked as though they were broken. The figures that were depicted on them no longer showed triumphs over evils, but instead appeared to be laughing at her in silence, mocking her frantic pacing.
Get a hold of yourself! You are a Night Guard! 
Silent Wing stomped her hoof, perhaps a little too hard, on the tile floor to stop her pacing. It echoed throughout the entire room, enhanced by the fact that she was wearing her Night Guard boots. She was dawned her entire outfit, save for the helmet, in honor of tonight. She winced slightly as the sound bounced down the hallway. She hoped she hadn’t woken anypony up so late at night. 
There’s nothing to be scared of. The others are right outside. Remember, this was your idea. Relax.
Silent Wing took a deep breath and forced herself to stop shaking. It was unbecoming of a Night Guard, and especially one who held the honored rank of Captain. If her fellow guards could see her now, they’d never let her live it down.
Silent Wing licked one of her fangs and stretched her wings, taking comfort in the familiar sound they made when she flexed them. There was nothing to worry about. Princess Celestia was a kind ruler, and she had graciously allowed this meeting tonight. If anything went wrong, Princess Celestia would be there to handle it. 
As if sensing that Silent Wing was thinking about her, the white alicorn entered the room. Even in the nighttime, Princess Celestia seemed to radiate light from her being. Her soft rainbow mane continued to flow behind her head, as though trapped in a never-ending summer breeze. 
“A pleasure to see you again, Captain Silent Wing,” Celestia said with a gentle smile.
Silent Wing bowed deeply. “An honor as always, Your Highness.”
“I must admit, I was rather…surprised by your request,” Celestia said as she walked forward until she stood directly before Silent Wing. “Pleasantly surprised, mind you. Who’s idea was this?”
“Mine, Your Highness,” Silent Wing said, coming out of her bow. “I…I hope that it’s acceptable.”
“Of course it is, my dear,” Princess Celestia said. “I honestly cannot think of a more fitting present. It filled me with joy when I read your request. But I must ask, what made you think of it?”
“Well, um…” Silent Wing kicked gently at the ground and diverted her gaze. She was going to feel really stupid over what she was about to say, but she had to say it. “I…I grew up hearing the stories. My great grandmother would tell me them when I was little. They’re the main reason I joined the Night Guard. And now, with a chance to…” Silent Wing trailed off, unable to finish her sentence. She felt so foolish discussing her dream from when she had been just a little filly. 
“I see,” Celestia said, patting Silent Wing on the head. The batpony instantly wished that she had elected to keep her helmet on as the Princess ruffled her blue mane, but she had to admit that she rather liked the sensation. It made her feel young again, like when she would sit by the fire and listen to her great grandmother tell old stories about the Night Guard, and Luna’s Royal Guard before that. Those stories had been so magical to her then, and now she would have a chance to see part of them herself.
“Shall we go?” Princess Celestia asked, raising a hoof to lead the way. She started walking and Silent Wing followed right next to her. Too many times, Princess Celestia had insisted that Silent Wing walk next to her instead of behind her. It was still a little odd for her, but she had finally started to feel at ease next to the Princess instead of tense.
Princess Celestia lead Silent Wing through a wing of the castle that she had never been in before, and then up some stairs and down another hall with a plush blue carpet. They stopped in front a gorgeous door that was decorated in priceless blue gems.
“Is…is this it?” Silent Wing asked, her knees shaking despite her best efforts to control the nervousness racing through her.
“Yes, it is,” Princess Celestia said. “Would you like me to knock for you?”
“Yes please,” Silent Wing said. She was unsure if she could control her body if she tried to do anything other than stand at the moment.
Celestia raised a hoof and knocked gently on grand door. “Luna, you have a visitor.”
“Enter,” came a soft voice. Princess Celestia looked over her shoulder and smiled at Silent Wing, then pushed the door open, but didn’t enter. She tilted her head, indicating for the batpony to proceed. Princess Celestia wasn’t coming with her? That wasn’t good. What if Princess Luna didn’t like her? What if Princess Luna was disgusted with what the batponies had become since she had first met them? What if Princess Luna laughed in her face, or told her that her idea was the worst thing she had ever heard?
What if Silent Wing’s fillyhood idol didn’t like her? 
Silent Wing swallowed and stepped forward. She peeked her head into the room. “Princess Luna? Are…are you here?” she asked quietly.
“We are here,” a soft voice said from somewhere. Silent Wing’s eyes instantly went to the bed on the far side of the room. The drapes around it were partially closed, but her eyes cut through the darkness easily. There she was! The Princess of the Night. The pony who had welcomed Silent Wing’s kind back into the society of Equestria and had given the batponies a place to belong and a purpose in their lives.
Silent Wing was suddenly at a loss for words. She stood perfectly still, her head peeking around the door like a filly trying to snoop on her birthday presents. She didn’t regain the ability to speak until she felt Princess Celestia gently push her into the room and then close the door behind her.
“Um, uh, Your…Your Majesty, my name is Night Guard and—no! I-I mean, my name is Silent Wing and I am a member of the Night Guard.”  Uh! She was making a complete fool of herself! She needed to get herself under control. Princess Luna would never go for the idea if she thought this was how the Night Guard behaved now. 
“Thou art one of the batponies that took our place?” Luna asked from her shadowy bed.
“Yes!” Silent Wing said, her wings perking up instantly. So the stories were true. Luna did speak with the royal we! Silent Wing felt her wings perk up even higher as she listened to the legends come to life in her mind. “Er, I mean, no! I mean, we watched over your night in your stead. While you were gone. I-I mean, we would never want to take your place, Your Highness.”
“But why not?” Luna asked. Silent Wing really wished the Princess would come out from the shadows of her bed. She wanted to see the Princess of the Night clearly. “Thy kind hath done an excellent job in our stead. And thou hath never fallen to darkness as we have.”
“Well, um…” Silent Wing was at a loss for that.
“Thou must hate us,” Luna whispered. Her voice was so quiet that Silent Wing thought she had heard wrong.
“What?” she said, startled. “Why in Equestria would I hate you?”
“Not just thou,” Luna said. She picked herself up off of her bed and finally stepped out of the shadows and into the soft candlelight. “All the batponies must despise us for what we did.”
Silent Wing did not reply, but simply stared at the pony before her. Luna was only slightly taller than Silent Wing herself. She certainly wasn’t as tall as Princess Celestia, and if Silent Wing hadn’t been told by Her Highness otherwise, she would have doubted that she was speaking with the Princess Luna. Where was the flowing mane and the starry tail? Where was the pony who embodied both the fierce power and gentle soothing of the night itself? 
Silent Wing still found the Princess beautiful though. Her coat was a soft royal blue, also the same shade as a clear night sky. Her mane and tail were sky blue, and while they weren’t glistening and flowing like her sister’s, Silent Wing was still hypnotized by them. Her cutie mark ran nearly the length of her entire flank, a dark night sky with a crescent moon in it. That, at least, matched the tales Silent Wing had heard about Princess Luna growing up.
But the eyes were what erased any doubt Silent Wing had about whom she was speaking with. They were the same teal color she had heard from the stories, but more importantly, they were filled with sadness, the same sadness that her ancestor had empathized with a thousand years ago. The eyes refused to look up at Silent Wing for more than a moment or two, and whenever Silent Wing did manage to lock with them, her heart broke a little. Such beautiful, soft eyes, but they were holding so much pain in them, and so much loneliness. 
“We…apologize for our appearance,” Luna said, crossing her front hooves and letting her mane fall across her face. One of her eyes peeked out from the sky blue mane and Silent Wing couldn’t help but smile at the sight. “We lost a great deal of our power when we were freed from the influence of the Nightmare forces.”
“Your Highness, why would you think we hate you?” Silent Wing asked, her mind finally registering what Princess Luna had said to her earlier. 
“We…we betrayed thee,” Luna whispered. The lone eye peeking through the mane shifted away from Silent Wing and down to the floor. “We allowed ourselves to fall into darkness. We terrorized Equestria because we were too weak to resist the call of darkness. Ponies once again fear us, and fear our night. And…fear thee and batponies once again.”
Silent Wing wasn’t certain if what she was about to do was appropriate. She wasn’t even sure if it was allowed, but at the moment she decided it didn’t matter. She walked forward until she stood directly in front of Princess Luna. When Luna looked up, Silent Wing smiled and wrapped her front hooves around the Princess’ neck, then folded her wings around her as best as she could. She smiled to herself as she felt Luna go completely stiff in the embrace.
“Your Highness, I came here tonight to meet my hero,” Silent Wing said as she pulled out of the hug. “I grew up listening to tales about The Princess of the Night. How she formed the foundation of the Night Guard. How she befriended the batponies and brought them into Equestria’s society. About how my great grandmother’s grandmother would sit up every night and talk to the moon until the day she passed because she missed her beloved Princess. And friend.”
Luna’s teal eyes blinked and Silent Wing saw tears forming. “You…you are Shadow Echo’s descendent?”
“One of many,” Silent Wing said. “All batponies have grown up hearing about the kindness of Princess Luna, especially my family. But I think it’s about time I show you the gift I brought for you.”
“Gift? We could not possibly accept any—”
“You don’t want to hurt my feelings now, do you?” Silent Wing said as she walked toward Luna’s balcony. She turned around and threw her best sad face at the Princess, even though she was bursting with joy. Luna relented and followed her out onto the balcony. 
“What is thy purpose for leading us out here?” Luna asked.
“Just wait.” Silent Wing brought her hoof to her lips and then blew. Because of her fangs, the whistle came out in a very peculiar pitch, sounding also like a quiet, slow release of air instead of an actual whistle.
“Thou…thou knows how to do the signal?” Luna asked, baffled that the call she and Shadow Echo had come up with centuries ago was still being used.
“Every batpony in the Night Guard knows it,” Silent Wing said as she turned to look at Luna. She watched as the expression the Princess’ face changed from bafflement, to confusion, to disbelief, and finally to joy so strong that tears began to run down her face and she had to cover her mouth with her hoof. “Every. Single. One.”
Silent Wing did not need to look behind herself to know why Luna was so stunned. The whistle had been the signal to her fellow Night Guards to appear, and she knew that dozens of batponies, all wearing the same purple and blue armor that Luna had first designed so many years ago, were now hovering in the air behind Silent Wing.
Silent Wing smiled and bowed her head all the way to the tiled floor, just as her ancestors used to do. “Your Highness, long ago you formed Luna’s Royal Guard. Your sister disbanded that order, but established the Night Guard in its place, as well as in your honor so that we batponies would never forget what you did for us. We who have served have done so with immense pride and have done our best to honor your memory while you were away. I myself dreamed of serving in the Night Guard ever since I was a filly. But now that you’ve returned, I no longer wish to serve in that order. None of us do.”
“But…why?” Luna asked.
“Because the batponies have awaited your return for a thousand years,” Silent Wing said, raising her head and looking up at Princess Luna with a smile. “I did not think I would live to see the day, but the Princess of the Night has returned. As such, I feel that, as Captain of the Night Guard, the Princess needs her royal guard back. We ask that you knight all of us into Luna’s Royal Guard once again.”
“Of…of course,” Princess Luna said as tears continued to run down her cheeks. She wiped them away and did her best to smile, and then cleared her throat. “By the power vested in us, as one of the ruling Princesses of Equestria and Princess of the Night, I hereby bestow the title of Royal Guard on Silent Wing, who shall now, until she choses not to, serve as one of our own personal guards, and be bestowed with all the privileges that such a title grants.” Luna tapped both of Silent Wing’s shoulders with her horn and then pulled away. “Welcome to Luna’s Royal Guard, Captain Silent Wing. Though, we hope thou will reconsider disbanding the Night Guard. We rather like that name.”
“We’ll keep both of them, Your Highness,” Silent Wing said. She struggled to stay still, but she was failing miserably. She let out a squeal of delight as she hopped up and down on her hooves while her wings fluttered rapidly behind her. She couldn’t believe it. She was in Luna’s Royal Guard! The very first organization of batponies. Not only that, but she was the first captain of it in a thousand years. All of her fillyhood dreams were coming true, and to top it all off, she had met the Princess of the Night! Things could not have gone any better.
“Captain Silent Wing, we would ask thee for a favor,” Princess Luna said.
“Anything, Your Highness,” Silent Wing said, managing to control her excitement long enough to answer.
“After we have knighted all of these fine ponies into our Royal Guard, would thou…stay with us?”
“Er, um, well…” Silent Wing was suddenly blushing so hard that she was certain her face was on fire.
“It has been a thousand years since we have spoken with anypony,” Luna said, and Silent Wing felt relief flooding her body. Of course Luna just wanted to talk to somepony and not…that. Silent Wing cut the thought off before it went anywhere she was too embarrassed to follow. 
“Let alone a batpony,” Luna continued, snapping Silent Wing completely out of her embarrassment. “We would like to hear about what has transpired since our…banishment. And hear what became of thou’s ancestors. We could occasionally hear Shadow Echo’s words when the darkness threatened to consume us completely. They were a small glimmer of light that we would cling to, and their warmth would fight back the darkness and fill our heart with light for a brief time.”
“I was taught that Shadow Echo made sure all of her children, and their children, spoke to the moon every night so that you would know we missed you. I made sure I did.” Silent Wing smiled and made sure her fangs were showing as she did. “And I would love to stay and talk with you, Princess Luna. There’s some much I want to ask you, and I’d be thrilled to answer your questions too! This is going to be the best night ever! I know! While you’re knighting my kin, I’ll go find the biggest, softest, fluffiest cloud I can and we can lay on it and stare at your sky and sip pumpkin spice.”
“Just as we and Shadow Echo did,” Princess Luna said quietly, a small smile slipping across her face. 
“Of course,” Silent Wing said as another batpony landed on the balcony and bowed his head. “I’ll be back as quick as I can. You and I are going to have the best sleepover ever!” 
Silent Wing spread her wings and soared high into the night sky. She wasn’t sure if it was just the sheer bliss she was feeling, or if Princess Luna returning had anything to do with it, but she swore she felt a warmth to the night air that had never been there before. The moon seemed to glow a bit brighter and the stars twinkled with a tiny bit more energy.
The night was back in the hooves of its rightful owner, and Silent Wing and her kind had their beloved Princess back. Silent Wing couldn’t believe she had been lucky enough to see such a perfect night.