//------------------------------//
// Reunions and Field Trips Part 2 
// Story: Knights of the Everfree 
// by Lightning Shaker 
//------------------------------//


 Knights
of the Everfree



Chapter Twelve, Part Two:






The day had worn on much more than the ponies had thought as the sun was slowly making its descent to make way for the moon.  Lightning Shaker couldn't keep himself from trembling as they walked down the hallways towards the main meeting hall; his mind kept showing him images of an angry princess taking away his position in the guard.  Alternatively he imagined many scenarios where the princess was smiling sweetly, but the things she said were still terrible.  His worry was so great it felt like a lead ball in his stomach weighing him down, his shoulders hunched and head drooped.  Lightning stared at the floor as he walked, his own dour expression staring back up at him.

"Chin up, Lightning.  This is probably going to be bad, I'm not going to lie, but The Princess is fair, so don't sulk.  You know you aren't in that much trouble."  Snow Star nudged the colt with a wing as they approached the doors to the hall where Princess Celestia waited.

"Captain Snow,” Little gear began, “I may need to adjust my leg, I think it's not going to handle the extra encumbrance of my armor for too much longer.  I don't have any spare parts with me though so I'm not sure what to do," she continued  as she walked with slightly jerky steps.

Snow Star nodded.  "I thought that might be an issue that would come up.  We'll see about getting that taken care of while we're here.  Do you think it will hold out 'till after the meeting is over?"

Little Gear grunted as she slipped a bit.  "It'll last, just don't ask me to do any jumping.  I'm sorry, Captain.  I don't mean to be trouble.  I should have thought to bring some extra supplies; not a whole lot in my spare compartment in the leg...  It's a bit small."

"We're here.  Remember to conduct yourself accordingly, Miss Charmer.  You will be before royalty.  Captain Snow, I hope your charges will be behaved as well?"  Hidden Script said as the guards prepared to open the doors.

"I wouldn't worry, they will be in line.  This actually isn't the first time they've met The Princess."  She stood up a little straighter as the doors opened revealing the grand hall and Princess Celestia sitting on her throne. 

Lightning had to brace himself to keep from shaking, though he was less worried now that the time was actually here.  They walked forward into the hall.  The light that came in through the tall stained glass windows reflected off of the highly polished marble floors, through the center ran a long red carpet which ended on the dais where the throne sat as pools of water flowed out the sides disappearing beneath the dais.

Princess Celestia smiled at the group as they entered.  "Welcome, it's good to see all of you.  In one piece, might I add," she finished with a slight chuckle.

Lightning gulped audibly.  'Oh no, she's going with the smiling but still being disappointed thing.'

They knelt before The Princess at the base of the dais as she stepped down to meet them.  Princess Celestia motioned for the ponies to rise as she stood before them.  "You all look like you've grown so much, I'm eager to hear how things have been going.  Captain Snow Star, would you like to begin with a progress report?"

Snow Star stood and cleared her throat, "Well, we are making quite a bit of progress on the base.  The construction crews have managed to fortify the walls where they were damaged and the overall structure is less leaky and has lighting now.  We have taken care of cleaning out all the dilapidated remains of furniture as well as the less pleasant things that were inside."  She thought for a moment as Mercury gently prodded her from the side.  She looked down at the dragon, confused, but then remembered what she was trying to think of.  "The ferry has been upgraded so that a single pony can operate it and carry themselves and several passengers across the lake, and I am happy to say that most of the living spaces are ready for use."  She sighed a bit as she finished her report, hoping she hadn't forgotten anything important.

Celestia nodded, looking pleased, "It seems things on that front are going well.  I'm glad to hear it.  Any other news of events I should know about?"

Lightning jerked, almost falling over.  It was as if she already knew what was going on.  He looked at the Mercury suspiciously, the dragon in turn ignored him.

"There have been some events, but I believe the younger ponies should tell you themselves.  High time they learned how to make reports," Snow Star said, motioning for one of them to begin. 

Lightning started to speak, but Dream Dasher cut him off.  "I think she wants me to tell you about the thing that lifted me off the ground.  I was stuck floating in the air for a few minutes like magic, but it felt different."  He shrugged the situation off.  "I don't  think I was in any danger.  Whatever it was seemed scared of me."

The Princess nodded.  "That still sounds like it could have been trouble.  I hope you are more careful in the future."  

Lightning jerked again.  'That smile... it's scary.'

She looked to Lightning.  "What about you?  Anything to tell me?"  She sat, folding her wings as she waited.  

Lightning sighed and resigned himself to his fate, "The nightmares that attacked us and hospitalized me were in my room.  They told me they needed my help.  I listened and didn't get anypony, including Captain Snow Star.  It was dangerous, possibly, but I don't think it was.  I think they really need my help.  They told me there would be no more attacks or even visits in my dreams."

Lightning realized he was cringing and looked up at the princess, but she wasn't even looking at him.  "They visit you in your dreams?  Nightmares that look into dreams... it can't be."  

She seemed visibly shaken, and was no longer smiling.  Lightning decided this was much worse.  "Princess, are you angry with me?  I am sorry for being so careless, in the future I will make sure I get help from someone any time something like that is going on."  He stepped forward and knelt before her.  "Princess, please don't be angry or worried.  I didn't mean to make you upset."

Princess Celestia looked down at Lightning as if she had forgotten he was there.  A slight smile returned to her as she lifted his face with a hoof under his chin.  "I'm not angry with you, I was just thinking of something.  I'm glad you will be more responsible in the future.  You have more than just me that would be upset if you were hurt again."  She gestured to the other ponies present.

"Of course.  I will do my best, Princess," he said, looking to his friends.

The Princess seemed in visibly better spirits as she looked back to the captain, "Any other news?"

Snow Star shook her head, "Other than needing some better materials for Little Gear's leg to handle the extra weight of the armor, I believe we covered everything."

Celestia stood.  "Well then we'll have to take care of that, won't we?  Meanwhile, why don't you all go unload your gear in the barracks and return here in a while to join me for dinner?  I need to see to the moon."  

Snow Star knelt and the others followed suit.  "We'd be honored, Your Highness.  I'll show them where the barracks are," Snow Star said as she stood and began ushering the colts, fillies, and one dragon out of the room, followed by Hidden Script.





After unloading their armor and a bit of cleaning up, the ponies were escorted to Princess Celestia's private dining room.  There was a desk cluttered with stacks of papers, and the bookshelves that lined the walls made it seem more like an office.  Lightning figured it must be more efficient for The Princess to take her meals here considering how much responsibility she had running the kingdom.  What really caught his eye was the covered bird cage in the corner, which seemed out of place with the rest of the room. 

"Have a seat wherever you like.  Dinner will be brought in shortly.  Your leg seems to be really giving you trouble, Little Gear.  Did you find the replacements you need?"  Celestia asked noticing the filly limping.

"We didn't really have time after getting their armor off and cleaning up, she informed me that it would take a number of parts and I was worried about keeping you waiting,"  Snow Star said.

Little Gear blushed.  "I'm fine for now, I just didn't count on the weight of the armor when I assembled this leg.  Going to have to replace some parts and up the quality a bit."

"I'm planning on taking her to get the parts she needs from our crafters before we head back," Snow Star said as she took a seat at the table.

"That's a wonderful idea.  Be sure to get whatever you need to fix that leg up.  It's a truly marvelous prosthetic, especially for one so young," Celestia said. 

There was a knock at the door, signalling that the food was ready and being brought in.  As the meal was brought in, Lightning and the other young ponies couldn't help but marvel at each dish, having never quite seen anything so fancy.  There were hot meals and cold sandwiches, soups and desserts.  Lightning's stomach growled and he blushed in embarrassment.

The Princess chuckled.  "No need to be embarrassed, it has been some time since you've all eaten.  I bid you to eat what you like."

Lightning and the others each grabbed a few items and started eating.  Dream Dasher had already eaten two sandwiches by the time Lightning sat down.  Snow Star and the others laughed as he gave a look that said, 'what, I'm hungry.'

Princess Celestia took a sip of tea as she set it down she looked at Lightning.  "I don't mean to belabor a point, Lightning, but I would like you to know just how much pain it would cause the ponies who love you if something bad happened to you.  Look at your friends here Dream Dasher and Rare Charmer, do you think they want to see you hospitalized again, or worse?  Captain Star here would be devastated.  This is her first command position, and she is responsible for you.  Should any of these points fail to help you realize how important your safety is, think of your mother.  You two are her family...  And family is the most precious thing in the world."  Her gaze drifted once again and Lightning saw she was looking out the window at the moon.

Lightning hung his head as he knew The Princess was right.  What he had done — or rather hadn't — was dangerous not only for himself, but for his friends as well.  A thought occurred to him, and he looked up at Princess Celestia.  "Princess? have you ever done anything you regret?"

She looked surprised by the question.  As she stared at the colt for a moment, silence filled the room.  Hidden Script gave Snow Star a disapproving look.

"Lightning Shaker, that's not an appropriate question to be asking the Princess.  Where are your manners?" Snow Star asked, rising from her seated position.

Princess Celestia motioned for her to take her seat again. "It's alright.  The question caught me off guard, but there is no reason to be upset.  Yes, Lightning, I have regrets in my life.  When you have lived as long as I have, it's something that's just going to happen, but the important thing is what you do with your mistakes; you can either run from them, or learn from them."

Lightning stood, his jaw set and a serious expression on his face.  "Princess, I will do better.  Not just for my own safety, but for those of my friends, and everyone I can protect.  You can count on me to be a better guard from now on."

Princess Celestia chuckled, her whole demeanor brightening.  She walked around the table and gave Lightning a hug.  "I know you will do wonderfully, my little pony.  Just remember what you've learned here today.  And that goes for the rest of you as well. Even you, Captains.  I care about all of you, and only want to know that my ponies are safe."

The guardsponies all saluted with a shout of, "Yes ma'am!" which got everypony laughing. With the general mood of the dinner lightened all the ponies present began chatting amicably.





After the dinner, everypony was getting ready to leave.  Hidden Script stopped to talk to one of the guards at the door, who was an old friend.  Lightning was going to stop to talk to Rare Charmer, but she was talking with the Princess.  

"Wow, Lightning,” Dream Dasher said, poking him in the ribs, “you looked like you were going to shake apart when The Princess was scolding you.  I thought your wings were going to pop right off." 

"Alright,” Snow Star interrupted, halting their conversation, “I'm going to take Little Gear to get the parts she needs.  I want you two to wait by the palace entrance, do you understand?"  

Lightning Shaker and Dream Dasher saluted as Snow Star and Little Gear moved on to the machine supply room.  Dream Dasher yawned.  "You ever feel like we spend most of our time waiting for stuff to happen?"

"Yeah, but I'm ok with that,” Lightning answered with a nod, “waiting for things to happen is better than trouble happening now."

"Yeah, but it sure is boring, I like it better when something is happening."  Dream Dasher said, as they reached the palace entrance.

"Seriously?" Lightning deadpanned. 

As they waiting outside in the palace courtyard, once again clad in their guards’ armor, Lightning looked uncomfortable as he scanned the area.  "Would you relax?” Dream Dasher said, “we're in Canterlot; there are guardsponies everywhere."

"I can't help it.  Something seems off."

"Psst, hey," a voice came from the distance.  Lightning looked around, but he didn't see the source.  He got up and searched nearby to try and find whoever had called out.  Some rustling, and another "psst! Hey, over here," came from a group of bushes.

Lightning started moving towards them as Dream Dasher called out, "hey where you going?"

Just as he was about to answer, a head popped out of one of the bushes.  "Hey, Lightning Shaker.  Long time no see."

It was one of the nightmares.  Lightning recognized it as the pegasus.  He looked around uncomfortably as he moved closer to the nightmare.  "I thought you guys weren't going to show up and bother me anymore.  You know this is Canterlot, right? There are guards all over the place."

The pegasus looked unconcerned as it grinned.  "Yeah, sorry.  I'm not going to stick around long.  We aren't allowed to help you, but we won't hurt you either.  I just came to warn you that you need to run.  An agent has been sent to stop you."

"An agent?  What do you mean?  And sent by whom?"  Lightning asked, confused.

The nightmare pegasus shrugged.  "Can't really explain; no time.  You need to get out of here before she finds you."

"Too late," said a voice as the nightmare was struck in the head by something, "the tortures I'm going to inflict upon you and your immortal body... wait for me on the other side."

The nightmare had a shard of something sticking out of her head, and she barely got out another "run" before she disappeared.

"You are not going anywhere," the voice said.  Lightning looked up and saw a pegasus grinning down at him as Dream Dasher came running up.  She had teal fur with a bushy red mane and tail.  Her wings looked strangely frazzled for some reason, and as her grin grew, she gave a powerful thrust with both wings.  Something dislodged from between her feathers and flew at the two colts.  Both ponies barely dodged out of the way in time to avoid being hit.  Lightning looked at what was thrown and realized they were shards of ice.  "Don't worry, little ones; I won't miss again," she said as she flew up high into the air.  

After a few wing beats while she was high up, the pegasus thrust her wings down again, throwing more shards. "She's gathering ice crystals from the water molecules in the air," Lightning said as he shoved Dream Dasher out of the way of another shard, the ice striking and bouncing off of his armor.

"Yeah, that's fascinating and all, but shouldn't you be doing that thing you promised you'd do!?"  Dream Dasher shouted, turning to run towards the guards by the entrance.  As they got close to the entrance, Little Gear and Snow Star were just coming out.  They saw Lightning Shaker and Dream Dasher and waved, but their expressions changed as they realized the two were running from something.

Lightning was panting from the exertion of running.  He hadn't realized how far from the entrance they had gone.  "I'm officially pointing out that there is trouble and requesting help!" he shouted as he fought for air.

"Oh no!"  Little Gear shouted as she ran towards them, but was cut off by Snow Star, who stepped in front of her. 

"I want you all to get out of here now.  I'll handle this," Snow Star said as she started flying towards the other pegasus.

Little Gear began to run in the opposite direction, looking with worry over her shoulder as Lightning Shaker and Dream Dasher caught up to her.  The three ran towards the palace entrance as more guards ran to join the fight.

Dodging an attack from Snow Star, the pegasus moved to the side.  "Oh you are not getting away, Lightning Shaker," she said as she launched another set of ice shards.

They were almost to the door when Little Gear suddenly collapsed, shouting in pain as her prosthetic broke beneath her.  As the shards of ice starting falling around her, Lightning shielded her with his wings outstretched and Dream Dasher began trying to help her up.  "I thought you were going to fix the leg," Dream Dasher grunted as he began pulling her towards the palace entrance.

She huffed as she struggled to get to a standing position.  "We're havin' da pahts delivahd, they're sendin alot of speah parts so I can work on more legs an' keep up wit' it on mah own."

Another volley of shards landed and Lightning cried out as one struck his wing and another hit him in the head.  Lightning's eyes crossed and everything started going black as the last thing he heard was his friends yelling his name.




Lightning woke up screaming.  As he looked around, he realized he was in the dark place again.  He looked to the pool and saw his reflection again, staring back up at him.

"What happened?" Lightning asked his reflection.

The other Lightning gave a cruel laugh.  "You died, Lightning.  You died and now I get to be free."

Lightning looked confused.  "Wait, I thought you said I needed to live so you could exist...  I died?"

The other Lightning just laughed as he began climbing out of the pool.  His face was cloaked in shadow and his eyes glowed red.  As he walked towards Lightning, his grin became wider and it was obvious his teeth were all more like sharp fangs.  Lightning backed up a bit, unsure what to do.  He wondered if he was really dead.  He didn't think he was, and he certainly didn't feel dead.  His heart was hammering in his chest; he was sure that was a sign that he was alive.

As he backed up, Lightning ran into something.  Looking behind himself he saw one of the nightmares.  He had bumped into the unicorn, who was looking down at him with an odd expression of almost helpless fury.  Lightning looked to the side and saw the other two nightmares on either side of the first.

"I don't need you three here, you can go.  I'm going to stretch my muscles a bit before I go out into the world," The Reflection said as it got closer.  Lightning was now standing between the nightmares and the reflection.

"I'm afraid there has been a change of plan,” The unicorn said as his horn began to glow, ”we've set up this moment so that we will no longer be bound to you.  Sorry about this."

The pendant around Lightning's neck began to glow along with the unicorn’s horn, a swirling light beginning to move around and surround the reflection.  "You would betray me after all I've done for you!?"  he growled in anger.  He tried moving away from the light, but it moved to block him.  

"You released us.  We are no longer trapped in that horrible place, but that does not mean you own us.  We will no longer serve you, or any master.”

The Reflection charged at Lightning and the unicorn, knocking Lightning to the ground.  "You will not ruin this for me! I will finally be rid of this place!"  

"You don't seem to understand; that pendant isn't ours," the unicorn said as he put a barrier over Lightning.

"We've been using you.  Our motives have always been our own," the pegasus added as she bucked the reflection in the head.

"I'm going to eat so much ice cream!"  The earth pony shouted in her own deranged way, laughing maniacally as she grabbed him from behind, pinning him with her weight.

"I will destroy all of you!" The Reflection shouted as he struggled to break free of the earth pony’s grip.

"I'm afraid you won't.  I don't know who you are, but I am going to put a stop to this,"  A familiar voice said as the area was bathed in a brilliant light.

Lightning looked up to see Princess Celestia standing above him, glaring at the reflection.
"Princess, how did you get here? You aren’t dead too, are you?"  Lightning asked with worry from beneath his barrier.

She looked down at him.  "You are not dead, Lightning Shaker.  You are hurt, and were drawn into this place by a spell he put on you some time ago.

Lightning gasped as a thought came to him.  "Princess, what about my friends!?  They were fighting that pegasus who was throwing those shards of ice!"

"They are fine, Lightning.  Your attacker has been subdued.  Now for this one."  Princess Celestia's horn flared as light began filling the area they were in.

It looked like a dark part of some forest.  Lightning thought maybe they were somewhere in the Everfree.  The strangest thing was that his reflection no longer looked anything like him, but now had matted black fur and cracks in its hooves. 

The creature hissed at the Princess and backed away.  "I won't go back!  I am never going back!"  The creature whimpered as it flinched down away from Celestia.

She looked with pity upon the creature.  "I am sorry for how you have suffered, but you were put here for a reason.  The things you did to ponies are unforgivable."  Her horn lit up even brighter as the light surrounded the creature.  He began shouting and struggling as he was pulled once again into the pool.  She looked down at the pool again, her horn shining like a supernova.  With a flourish of magical light, the scene in the pool was changed.  The creature stopped struggling and looked around, confused.  What was once an empty landscape was transformed into a small town in the middle of lush fields.  The creature seemed to forget entirely about where it was as the new scenery entranced him.

"He will be happy there for the rest of his days, which will be a very long time.  It's probably the best thing I can do for him now.  I don't think he will bother anypony again." The Princess sighed and looked to Lightning.  "Let's get you home," she said before looking to the nightmares.  "I will want to talk to you three soon."

"I understand, Princess,” the unicorn said as he finally released the barrier from Lightning, “we will wait for you here." 

"Princess, don’t you think this was all handled a bit too easily?"  Lightning asked as she began leading him away.

"Do you want it to be harder?  You think this was easy, but you must realize you are once again injured."  She indicated the damage to his wing and head.  "Come, your friends are waiting."  She lifted him onto her back with her magic and took to the air.  Lightning realized he was very sleepy as they began flying, and his eyes began to drift closed.  

For once, his dreams were happy. He dreamt of friends.