Knightmares

by NerfedFalcon


The Secrets We Keep

Three years ago

The roar of the crowd was deafening. That was only to be expected; it was the largest crowd that Chikatetsu had seen in all the time it had run for. An unforgettable clash between two champions: Hakumen and Mitsuyoshi. All the ponies who fought at Chikatetsu had been given arena names, to detach them from themselves. Cloud Skipper, he thought to himself, a small act of defiance against those who had forced him to become a warrior. My name is Cloud Skipper.

Are you certain of that? a voice asked, feminine and sultry. Skipper turned, seeing nopony else around. The mare, if she truly was, only laughed. It is not that simple, child. Tell me, what do you truly fear?

Skipper ignored her, walking out towards the blinding light of the arena as the large gate rumbled open. Immediately, he could tell that something was wrong. The sand below his hooves was gone, replaced by a hard stone, and the cheers of the crowd were much louder than before. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he saw that he was standing in the middle of the crowd, unarmed and unarmoured. Surprised, he started looking around, and heard the laugh again.

This place... It holds the truth about you. But you don’t want that truth to be known, do you? Skipper started to force his way through the crowd, trying to get a look down through the glass ceiling he knew covered the arena. The ponies cheered loudly, with a climax they knew could only mean that somepony had died. Fearing the worst, he shoved an Earth Pony out of his way and looked down through the glass.

He couldn’t make out who the corpse was, but pulling her hoof out of his throat was Midnight Blossom. The child of mine... So young and innocent, as you once were. But will she stay that way forever? Midnight looked up through the glass, and made eye contact with Skipper. She took off, charging towards the glass. He was rooted in place as he watched her break through it like it wasn’t there.

And your own code of honour, to protect her from the worst of you... can that last forever?

The claw plunged straight through his throat—
~
Skipper screamed loudly as he woke up, flailing around as if it would push the nightmare away from him. He reached for his spearhead and extended the polearm to its full length, stabbing at an enemy that wasn’t there. It took him a few seconds to realise and calm down, though he was still sweating and hyperventilating. Midnight burst into the room not long after, and he pointed his spear at her for a second before dropping it in relief.

Before she could ask what he was doing or explain her own presence, he charged at her and pulled her into a hug, mumbling incoherently about her still all being there. She tried to pull out of the hug to no avail, and resigned herself to trying to calm him down as quickly as possible. “It was just a nightmare,” she said, “and it’s over now. Everything’s going to be fine.”

At length, Skipper finally calmed down and noticed that she shouldn’t have been there. “Why did you come here?” he asked. “Aren’t you supposed to still be on duty?”

“I felt... something from you,” Midnight replied at length. “It must have been that nightmare. But... why?” Both of them looked up at once, suddenly realising: Nightmare Moon’s crystal. Since both of them pulled it out, they were both affected by Nightmare Moon’s magic. “We have to tell Luna,” she said quickly.

“And what are you telling Luna before you tell me why you left your post, Midnight Blossom?” Shining Armor asked from the doorway. He looked at how they were embraced and added, “Did you get lonely in there?”

“Laugh it up while you can, boss,” Skipper replied, “because I think I’ve figured out what that crystal did to us. That’s why we need to talk to Luna.”

“What about the prisoner? Somepony needs to keep an eye on her.” He looked out the window and saw that the stars were still shining against the darkness. “Go back to the cells until further notice. We’ll report to the Princess.” Midnight didn’t take it well, but after a hard look from Skipper, sighed and started cantering back to the dungeons.

The walk to the throne room passed almost entirely in silence. Shining attempted a few times to get details on what had happened, but Skipper stayed tight-lipped. Every question was deflected by absolute silence, and after the third time, the Unicorn gave up, simply leading the way.

Nopony was waiting outside the throne room when they arrived, nor was anypony actually inside petitioning Princess Luna for anything. That was to be expected; most of the nobles didn’t even know that the Night Court had been reinstated. Luna didn’t mind, since she was still recovering and trying to learn about the current political and cultural climate. She almost dreaded seeing the two ponies walking inside until she realised that they were guards.

“Ah, Shining Armor, it pleases us to see you,” she intoned, her archaic language forcing Skipper to hold himself steady in order not to cringe. “What news do you have for us?”

“It’s not what I have, but what Cloud Skipper has,” the Unicorn replied. “And you may no longer be pleased once you hear it.” Skipper detailed the nightmare that had woken him up, and the voice that had told him about what had happened. Luna frowned openly, and the frown only deepened when Shining added his own analysis: “We can only assume that whoever used that crystal knew exactly what it was for and who created it, and that they intend to bring back Nightmare Moon.”

“But who would want to do such a thing?” Luna asked. “Most ponies know not of the Nightmare in the first place, let alone what she did so many years ago. And for somepony to want to recreate that terror... I know not of a single pony, now or then, who would wish for such a thing.”

“I think our guests might know something we don’t about that,” Midnight suddenly called out from the entrance, Gilda standing behind her and holding Rainbow Dash steady. Skipper immediately jumped into a battle-ready position, even without any of his equipment, but a raised hoof from Midnight and a look at Gilda’s expression told him to stand down even before Shining said it outright. “This is Gilda. She had a few visitors while I was away, and one of them left the Pegasus behind in the cell.”

“He was grey, two different kinds of grey, with a big white cloud on his butt,” Gilda supplied. Luna flinched at the informal language, but Shining and Skipper were surprised at something else. “Do you know this guy?” the griffon asked.

“Know him?” Skipper echoed. “I used to work for the crazy son of a...” The expletive that followed wasn’t in Common Equis, and only Luna understood its true meaning. It was probably better off that way, as the others all caught the gist of it well enough. “Cumulus, the only other pony who was as comfortable around the subject of death as I am. He’s always had a grudge of some kind against the boss,” he pointed a wing at Shining Armor, “but it’s never been bad enough to summon an ancient evil unto the world. There’s gotta be something else that drives him.”

“Strong...” Rainbow Dash breathed, and everyone turned to listen. “He wants... me to be... strong... everypony... strong...” She collapsed with the exertion, and Gilda pushed the ponies away to give her friend some space to breathe.

“What did she mean by that?” Skipper asked, tilting his head. “And how does she know so much about Cumulus? There’s hardly anypony outside the Day Guard who knows he exists.”

“She was his father,” Gilda replied, almost spitting the word ‘father’. “And he was responsible for how she looks right now. As for ‘strength’, that’s something we’d better leave Dash to say, but only once she’s ready to. Right now, she needs attention, and I... I want to join the Guard.”

Everypony there was surprised and made no attempt to hide it. Shining was the first to recover. “The Guard is an organisation to keep criminals out of Equestria. You’re a criminal. There’s no way that you’d ever qualify.”

“Maybe ‘join’ was the wrong word,” Gilda admitted. “And believe me, I know I’ve done some bad things, and I don’t really care about that. But I want to wring that Cumulus guy’s neck, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes, even staying on the straight and narrow. I have my reasons, as I’m sure you do. But you don’t need to know, only that I’m the enemy of your enemy.”

“You’d never pass basic training, either,” Skipper added. “I beat you without even trying. You’d never stand up to the commander, and you definitely don’t look like the disciplined type.”

“Even so, you can probably use all the help you can get. Only having one guard on me at a time means you’re short on numbers,” Gilda replied. Skipper just looked at her like he’d been placed in the path of a raging train. “I learned a lot in the Griffhala Reserve. And yes, that includes discipline. I can handle myself in an outfit like this.”

Skipper, Shining and Midnight pulled together for a moment, arguing about whether it was worth allowing a griffon, a criminal, to work with them. “She’ll listen to me, don’t worry,” Skipper finally said, interrupting the others. “Griffons respect ability; doers, not speakers. And she knows that I can lay her out if she has any relapses. I can keep her in line, and I reckon that we definitely need more units active than we have. If I’m wrong, you can court-martial me when we get there.”

Shining considered it for a moment, then finally said, “I’m holding you to that.”

“Hey, griffon,” Midnight called out, and Gilda flinched at the use of her race as a label. “Looks like you’re in. The boys want you around, so you can stay for a bit.”

“I have a name, you know. It’s Gilda.”

“And why should I care? You’re going to be working under Skipper, mostly.”

“Don’t start,” Skipper sighed, putting a hoof on his forehead. “For now, Gilda, I’ll help your friend get to the infirmary. There should be somepony awake at this hour, anyway.”

“Allow me,” Midnight interjected. “I’m the one who left the cell, and let this happen. Besides, it’s still night-time, and that means the Night Guard are in charge.”

“And when did you learn such a sense of duty?”

“When I saw a young pony get hurt because of my negligence.” Midnight forced herself into Skipper’s face, gold only an inch from blue. “Maybe I can’t kill as easily as you can, and maybe I’m still new at this Night Guard thing, but that doesn’t mean you can just write me off like that!”

“Simmer down,” Shining cut in, pushing them apart with his magic. “You can both go. I’ll keep watch over Luna’s court.” The argument settled, the two guards filed out of the room, Skipper in front of Gilda and Rainbow Dash, and Midnight behind. Skipper was more easily able to deal with a back attack if it came to that, he reasoned.

Luna called Shining over as the doors closed. “I recognise the mare that was menaced by the commander of your Day Guard,” she said, glossing over the fact that he’d long since quit. “She was one of the six bearers of the Elements of Harmony, one of the six that exorcised Nightmare Moon. Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty. I do not like the omen... If she can be caught by this monster of a pony, then the others aren’t safe either. And with his plans for Nightmare Moon...”

Shining thought for a while. “The outlying pockets of the Day Guard are still in their cities, though they’ve refused my requests to fall back. The Ponyville group could help, but Cumulus probably knows them all too well. But it’s something, and as short as we are, we have to do whatever we can to keep Equestria safe.”

“But will it be enough?” Luna asked.

“Who can say?” a voice said from behind the throne, laughing slightly. Luna flinched at the invasion of her privacy, and Shining Armor raised defensively, knowing that the voice belonged to the Unicorn known only as Number Eight. “You know, you really do need to hire more guards. Escaping your cell was a pitifully easy task.”

“What do you want?” Shining asked as the baby-blue Unicorn stepped around the throne. “And why are you still here?”

“I came to give you a message, from my benefactor. He’s not pleased with you, but he finds you amusing enough to keep around, for now. But this is not the end of the fun and games he has planned for you. All of you, even our absent friends.”

“What do you mean?” Luna asked. “And who is your ‘benefactor’?”

He raised a hoof and waggled it in the air, smirking. “Not so easy, Princess of the Night. But, if you must know something, then I have a riddle for you. Solving it will make your lives much easier, but I doubt even Celestia herself knows the truth...” He cleared his throat as the other two ponies silently readied a spell in case of an attack.

“Nine forged iron underground, five escaped when they were found, soon the world will know the sound of four’s lament and one black hound.” He laughed loudly and suddenly teleported away as Shining tried to cast a spell. The laughter echoed around the wide hall, but they could only hear the riddle, repeating itself over and over.

“Forged iron underground...” he said, trying to figure out its meaning. “Five escaped... four’s lament...” He suddenly looked up, having realised exactly what happened. “And he knew Cloud Skipper from before they met. Chikatetsu. How could I have forgotten about that?”

Luna turned her head sideways. “I’m sorry, but why did you say ‘Chikatetsu’?”

“It’s a long story, and one I’m not very proud of,” the Unicorn admitted. “But you ought to know what happened. I know that Cloud Skipper will probably hate me for telling the story behind his back, but you have a right to know. I’ll bring him around, don’t worry.”
~
As Shining Armor told his tale to Luna, Gilda was waiting in the infirmary, waiting to hear just how badly Rainbow Dash had been hurt. She was starting to realise just how much she appreciated the company of her friend, even after the betrayal that she’d gone through. Was it really? Or was she as bad as Midnight had made out to her? Even if those words were spoken in an unnatural anger, she was still thinking about them, their truth echoing in her mind.

Staying in Canterlot would probably help. She’d be able to stay close enough to keep an eye on her friend, but far enough away that none of the others would be able to continue chasing her down. And Skipper definitely understood her; the way he carried himself, both in a fight and out of it, was a lot like the best of the griffons.

She wondered for a moment if he understood what it was like to kill someone. He’d spared her in the fight, but considering how he treated his boss, it probably wasn’t out of a sense of justice. He could easily have killed her, but avoided it. Had he blooded his hooves before, like she had her talons? If he’d fought enough to be able to read her and try to advise her, then it seemed likely that at least one of those fights was to the death, but she couldn’t be sure.

As for Midnight, they were still on strained terms even after whatever Cumulus had done had probably long since worn off. She clearly lacked her colleague’s experience, and seemed completely immature to boot. She was surprised to see anyone like her as full-fledged military personnel, but stranger things had happened at sea, she supposed. Besides, Midnight was nocturnal and she wasn’t, so their paths wouldn’t be likely to cross more than she could bear.

A nurse stepped out of the closed-off room, and Gilda didn’t have to fake the worry in her expression, or the relief as the nurse nodded. “She’ll be fine, with a few days’ rest. A few lacerations, but mostly still intact, and no major injuries.” Gilda stepped down and hugged her, only pulling away when she noticed how uncomfortable the pony was around a griffon.

Seeing her gleeful expression, Skipper and Midnight decided that enough was enough, and that they should probably get back to what they were meant to be doing. The night was nearly over, and Midnight would be going to sleep pretty soon. Skipper, on the other hand, had to be awake despite lacking a lot of sleep.

“I’ll be fine,” he’d told Midnight. “I have the all-powerful, awe-inspiring magic of caffeine on my side. Or I will with a quick stop at Donut Joe’s before sunrise. Seriously, I don’t think that guy ever sleeps, and coffee might as well be his other Cutie Mark for how well he...” He cut himself off, noticing how much he’d said at once. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have rambled.”

“Hearing you say more than three words at a time is a rare treat,” Midnight replied honestly. “I like hearing your voice. I can’t really say why, but there’s something about your voice that I just want to hear more of it.”

Skipper chuckled slightly. “I don’t know. It’s just that I don’t look out!” He saw a blue burst of magic coming from the top of a tree and dived out of the way. Midnight wasn’t so lucky, taking the hit head-on. Landing on all four hooves, Skipper immediately charged at the branch where the shot had come from, passing through a patch of burning-hot air and a bright flash that indicated a teleport. Instinctively, he threw himself further into the air, knowing that the teleport could have been anywhere except above him.

Midnight saw the blue flash directly, and another like it out of the corner of her eye. Having barely felt the magic bolt, she charged at the second flash, colliding with a pony-shaped body until he suddenly teleported again, leaving her legs wrapped around nothing as she crashed into the ground. Skipper landed next to her as she flipped her claws out. “How the hell are you still standing up?” he asked. “That bolt could’ve knocked out a manticore!”

“Nightmare Moon gave the Thestrals an immunity to Unicorn magic and Ican’ttalkrightnow!” She charged off into the darkness, leaving Skipper wondering what she meant. However, as long as she was still busy fighting that Unicorn, he had to help her out. He didn’t have a weapon, but the Pegasi of the Day Guard were taught to build a static charge in even the calmest cloud, and if he could find one, then he wouldn’t have to leave Midnight fighting alone.

Midnight didn’t know about her companion’s technique for countering teleportation, so she decided to go for another tactic. As Number Eight disappeared, she flew into the air, looking down at the ground to where he’d gone. As silently as the night wind, she dived on his location, bringing him down with her claws in his side. He barely seemed to notice the pain at all, besides falling down and not teleporting away that time.

“Can you do it, child?” he hissed, and Midnight backed off slightly. “Can you kill me? Even knowing what I’ve done, and what I will do, can you kill me?” She hesitated for a few seconds. He’d tried to kill her and Skipper, true, but she still remembered the last pony she killed, and didn’t want to see the life drain out of another pony’s eyes... She pulled back, getting her claws free, but didn’t bring them down on her target. Number Eight simply laughed as he stood up, teleporting away.

Skipper arrived too late to see the flash, only knowing that he’d teleported from Midnight’s description. “Probably another secret passage,” he fumed. “You can’t teleport in or out of the castle directly, so he went into a passage and left that way. And since we don’t know where they are, we’ll never find him. Damn it all!” He fired off the charged-up lightning bolt at nothing in particular, trying to vent some of his frustration with it.

Midnight put a hoof over his shoulder, flying up to the cloud as well. “It’s my fault. I should have killed him while I could.” She looked down slightly, ashamed of her weakness.

Seeing her shame had a calming effect on Skipper, dispelling the red haze that had come down over him. “Don’t feel bad,” he said quietly. “Not everypony’s cut out to be a killer, no matter how justified you are. You can’t suspend your morality, and that’s not a bad thing.” He sighed to get rid of the last of his anger and helped her back down to the ground. “We’d better report back to Shining Armor. Coffee can wait; the adrenaline’s enough.”

He was still in the throne room, telling Luna about something or other. “I don’t know what that means. All I know is that if Chikatetsu is coming back, then we’re all in for a hell of a time.”

Skipper flew up to his captain and said, “Boss, are you telling Luna about Chikatetsu?” Shining nodded, and the Pegasus groaned. “Damn it, I thought that we were never going to talk about it. What brought this on?”

“Number Eight said something about it, and Luna wanted to know,” Shining replied. “Don’t worry; I’ve only told her what I know. I can’t imagine your side of the story.”

Skipper sighed. “Alright. How much have you already told her?”