//------------------------------// // PreCommon Era Chapter Four/PreLunar Rebellion: Chapter Four: Consequences of Our Actions // Story: Rise of The Lunar Knight // by Moonlit Novel //------------------------------// PreCommon Era Chapter Four/PreLunar Rebellion: Chapter Four: Consequences of Our Actions Blades sang through the air, only stopping with a clang as they met half way to their intended targets, Masao was barely keeping up with the Lunar Princess, his mind was clear, he couldn’t let himself become distracted by petty things at the moment, even ignoring the occasional gasp and sighs of relief from Evening Star when he managed to block or dodge one of Luna’s attacks. “Why doest thou keep fighting when thou knowest that thee wilt not win?” asked Luna as she pressed the attack. She Slashed, and he blocked; she stabbed, he barely dodged; she parried his lunge. Again and again they danced her attacks always closer to the mark showing far more skill than Masao's, however she was impressed that he had managed to last these three minutes against her. “Because, I refuse to lose, Luna, even to you!” he answered in reply as he daftly knocked her sword into the air, and charged at her, while she regained control of her blade she leaped to the side, and attacked at what she thought was Masao’s open back, only for him to twirl around and parry the blade away. Again the two martial artists danced, Luna's blade never seemed to catch Masao off guard, or rather, not off guard long enough for it to matter, but soon Masao started to tire. “Just give it up, Masao, Thou art tired, and cannot win against me, I am the better swordspony” she said and Masao frowned before charging at her once more, and her instincts caused her to react before her mind did and she slashed at his neck and he again knocked the blade in the air in a desperate attempt to get to her and before she could react a second time, his blade was at her throat. Breathing heavily Masao smiled grimly. “I win” he said and Luna frowned heavily. “Yes, I suppose thou did, Masao, please kneel” she said and at her odd request both Evening Star and Masao looked at her confused. “What?” he asked and the frown on Luna’s face grew. “Kneel, art thou hard of hearing?” Masao bit his tongue in an effort to keep from uttering a retort, and obeyed as he kneeled he heard Luna grab another sword from the rack and almost flinched, but he knew she was not that petty and waited. While he waited his eyes closed as he attempted to slow his breathing back down, as he was doing so he suddenly jumped at the feeling of a blade touch his shoulder, lift and touch his opposite shoulder. “I hereby dub thee, Ser Masao, Knight of Equestria, and now, art there anything thou wantest from the crown on this wonderful of nights?” she asked even if she already knew the answer. Masao’s eyes were wide in surprise, he had not suspected her to do this, hell he didn’t even expect Equestria to have knights, and for a moment he was stunned into silence. “Well, Ser Masao? Is there anything thou wishes from the crown?” she asked again and Masao cleared his throat, worried that even after that exhausting match that she would refuse. “I wish for you to push the power of darkness into me, so that I may have the chance to live forever” he said and Luna frowned as tears started to well in her eyes, he expected her to refuse, to beg him to choose something else but in the end she nodded. “Then raise, and hence forth be known as Ser Masao Darkheart, for as of this moment thou hath chosen to take the darkness of night into thy soul and will forever be changed by it” she said with finality and Masao did as asked, but as soon as he did he felt a sharp pain in the middle of his chest, right above his heart, looking down he saw that Luna had quite literally stabbed him, not so deeply as to kill him, but deep enough that he feared moving, and soon a dark green colored aura covered her horn as she channeled dark magic into him. Not moments later Celestia appeared in a brilliant flash of light and was about to stop them when Evening Star stopped her with tears in her eyes, she knew on an instinctual level that if they were stopped now, yes Masao’s soul would be saved, but his life would be over. “Why? Why couldn’t he be happy just living his life with me?” she asked herself aloud and Celestia having barely heard her put a hoof over the bat pony’s back and pulled her into a hug as she watched Masao start to look as if he was in pain. After a bit Luna pulled away and refused to look towards Masao, as he fell to the ground gasping for air as if he had just come up after being submerged underwater for a lengthy amount of time. “Ser Masao… I-If thou manage to survive the night I would have need for thou, and I expect thee to answer that need” she said as she walked off still refusing to look at the fallen human. Hearing Masao fall Evening Star struggled against Celestia for a moment who seemed slightly intent on preventing her from approaching her friend, and occasional lover. “Let me go!” she said and she pulled away from Celestia and rushed to Masao’s side. Rolling him onto his back she noticed the place where Luna had stabbed him was completely healed, not even a scar showed, in fact the only proof that something had been protruding from her friend’s chest was the hole in his tunic. “I’m sorry, Evening, I saw a chance and I took it” he said weakly and winced as he felt the corruption flow through him. Evening gave a hollow laugh before leaning down from a sitting position and giving him a small kiss. “Thou art a fool, but thee art my fool” she said softly and Masao blushed lightly before nodding in agreement before wincing once more. - - - Throughout the night Masao was in pain, and was unable to move from that sparing ring, and Evening Star sat with him, and when the weather started to cool down she left him but for a moment and came back with several blankets and soon they were both laying underneath the stars the intermittent shots of pain coming from the darkness and corruption within him preventing him from getting any meaningful sleep, but with Evening Star there he did manage to get some shut eye. The next morning Masao was awoken by a few guardsponies who were prodding him with the butt of their spears and he sat up, surprised that nothing hurt anymore he roused Evening Star who grumbled about being woken up at an ungodly hour before noticing that Masao wasn’t laying beside her and was about to panic when she caught sight of him standing over her, the next thing Masao knew was that he was on the ground, the bat pony mare kissing him with tears of happiness pouring down her face. Soon she pulled away and just as he was about to speak he was smacked across the face as Evening’s happy expression changed into a scowl. “Don’t thee ever do this again! I was scared that I was going to lose thee!” she said and Masao wisely kept his mouth shut and nodded, and was rewarded for his wisdom with another kiss, this time the guards, who had been surprised by everything that had been going on, started to whistle hoot and holler as the kiss grew more heated, which caused the pair to break their kiss. “Really now! Art thou nothing but immature foals?!” she asked indignantly and the guards had the decency to look embarrassed at her scolding them. All the while Masao just chuckled as he held the mare close. “Thou art not allowed to start either, I am still mad at thee” and Masao nodded before pressing his lips to the mare’s cheek. “I need to get up, Evening, I don’t thing laying on the ground is the best idea, not—” he started when he grabbed his head as a shot of pain ran through it. “Art thou alright?” she asked him her attention back on him and he shook his head smiling, trying to allay her fears. “I am fine, I promise, but we should get back to our room, should we not?” he whispered into her ear and the mare nodded in agreement as she tried to keep the blush off of her face from the suggestiveness in the sentence. - - - While the pair walked to Masao’s room, the guard resumed their rounds and the solar princess walked out onto the field so sure that she would find Evening Star weeping over the body of Masao, the amount of darkness that Luna had poured into him was far more than any pony would have been able to handle. However when she stepped out onto the sparring field she found the area was clear except for a few guardsponies. “Guard, there was a mare and our guest here, doest thou-?” she started and the guard smiled “Oh? Masao? He and the lass went back to his room, and I have to say, he has a fine eye, the lass is very-” the guard never finished as Celestia rushed off urgently completely worried about the mare, not knowing if the creature that had gone with her was the same one as the night before. - - - Evening was laughing at a joke Masao had said, causing the latter to grin at her antics, when Celestia appeared in front of them a look of fear on her face. “Evening, step away from him” she said, the fear evident in her voice which made Masao and Evening frown in confusion. The human took as step forwards to say something when the eldest of the two alicorn sisters lowered her horn threateningly, “Thou stay back! There is no way that thee art Masao!” at that the frown on Masao’s face changed to one of anger with confusion still evident on his face. “And how pray tell is that true? I am still me!” he exclaimed before a new twinge of pain shot through him as he gripped at his heart, and fell to his knees, “No. I will not lose myself, not to darkness, not to light and certainly not to death!” he growled, black smoke seemed to spew from his eyes as the whites of his eyes changed to green. For a moment it looked as if he was losing the battle, but shortly after the moment of weakness, Masao stood up, his eyes returning to normal, teeth gritted. “How? Thou had more darkness pushing to thee than anypony could survive!” said Celestia her stance still guarded, but she was slowly lowering her guard. “Princess, what is wrong? Masao is—” said Evening Star as she tried to step between the two, but froze as she felt an unbearable pressure on her being, as if fear itself had become palpable. Masao was glaring at the princess who’s stance had changed from a guarded one to a stance that made her look just about ready to attack, Evening was looking between the two, and knew on an instinctual level that if they started to fight, she probably would not survive. “Stand aside princess, all I want to do is get back to my room and get some sleep, I do not think either of us want this to come to blows, and as is I do not think I will have full control of this darkness pulsing through me. I do not believe the stress from a fight would do me any favors” said Masao as one of his eyes started to fade green once more before changing back. Celestia ground her teeth for a moment before nodding—she knew without a doubt she would beat him, but when a being first loses themselves to darkness they are significantly stronger than later on—and moved out of the way. “Thank you, Celestia. You’ll see, I’ll be back to a hundred percent soon” Masao said with a smiled and she just nodded as Masao walked past her, Evening Star was still frozen in place, which Masao noticed after a few steps. Turning around he glanced at Evening Star worriedly, care evident in his voice, “Are you alright?” he asked her, the tone surprising Celestia, she had not realized that he still cared, something was different… - - - Masao and Evening Star made it to his room and were soon not seen by the princesses for several days, but from the reports of the other servants, Evening Star came out every day and got food and drink for them, she also had gotten one of the cleaners to come in every few hours to clean up mess that they had made in the corner. In every report Evening Star seemed just as cheerful as ever, not hiding any part of her, save her marehood, which was to be expected from any mare, particularly ones being courted, and when she was asked about how Masao was doing, she responded that he was getting stronger. Which at first worried Celestia, but soon realized that she had been talking about Masao’s health. After a month Luna started pounding on the door to Masao’s room, which for several moments seemed to have no effect, when the door finally opened revealed Masao, his eyes, while still white and rich green, the whites of his eyes and the color of his eyes respectively, were leaking the tail tell sign of the darkness pulsing through him. “Masao, I am glad thou art still alive” she said honestly, and Masao could hear that, but he could also hear some annoyment and anger in her voice. “But thou still should have sent along a messenger to inform me and my sister, we were worried” “I apologize, Luna, I was trying to get stronger, so that I could attempt to control the darkness” he said and Luna glared at him. “And thou thought thou knowest better then I? The one who hath lived with this her whole life?” she asked angrily her eyes starting to shine white, and Masao bit his lip, but said nothing. “Thou shalt come to the sparing field, tonight, and I shalt not take no for an answer!” she said as she turned around and stormed off. “Was that Princess Luna?” asked Evening Star from the bed, the sheets wrapped around her from the act of sleeping. , but her forelegs pushing her up still, her wings enclosed against her body, and surprisingly he just smiled. “What? Did I drool again?” she asked and Masao shook his head before closing the door and stalking over to her before leaping at her kissing her hard… - - - It took years, but soon he was proficient enough in his control that Luna would allow him to continue to practice his swordsmanship once again. After that one victory against her a years ago, he was unable to beat her, almost as if that one time he beat her, she had been out of practice. Through training with her, his own skill grew, and it took longer and longer for her to beat him. However he still could not beat her. Throughout the training, Luna remained distant from him, the old friendship they used to have seemed to dissolve into mere acquaintance no longer were they as close as they once were… Soon he was ordered to join the princesses at dinner, and that they were not taking no for an answer, and they would provide clothing for it, which surprised Evening Star as well as Masao. Although the dinner went well, which it turned out to be a dinner with a very influential member of the Gryphon Kingdom, and Masao’s presence was very fortunate as the gryphon was very prejudiced against herbivores. Masao was all but left alone to argue a trade agreement with that particular gryphon’s clan, but Evening Star never left his side and was also a boon when she revealed she could eat meat as well although it was not her race’s first choice of food. Months later he was approached by a Minotaur, who challenged him to a spar, seemingly intent on winning the favor of the princesses, in hopes to be taught by them, the minotaur was superior in strength, but agility was in Masao’s favor, and he knew from fighting Luna, that there were going to be opponents that you did not block their attacks, you deflected them. He won barely as he was just about hit several times by the minotaur. He was as surprised by the outcome as the minotaur was and still Luna seemed to be giving him the cold shoulder, only speaking to him when she was training him or when issuing orders. Having enough of the frigid attention, Masao walked to the lunar princess’s room and knocked at the door, and waited, sure it was early for her, barely even four in the evening, but he was going to talk to her without her running away, or blowing him off as if he didn’t exist. “Who wouldst be calling on me at this hour?” Luna said from behind the door and the door opened to reveal an angry Masao. “Why? Why do you treat me as if we are less than friends, Luna! We were close once! Ever since that duel you have been pushing me away, and I want to know why!” he said coldly and Luna stared at him with her large eyes and regarded his question before she started to just close the door, and with a snarl, he shoved it open. “No! You don’t get to hide anymore, I want my friend back damn it! I want the Luna that I care for, the Luna that I used to know back, and I want this fake Luna GONE!” he snarled at her and for a moment Luna could see why his race was omnivores, they had the ability to eat just plants, just as Masao had been for the most part, with the occasional shipment of meat that came from the gryphon kingdom ever since that meeting; but now she could see the blood thirst. However, that did not do anything to persuade her to talk to him. “I do not believe that is thy choice, knight, thou chose your reward, now thou must live with the consequences of it.” She said coolly surprising Masao before she slammed the door in his face. - - - The next day, Masao was not seen by the Lunar princess, and her summons for him were flat out rejected, when Celestia volunteered to check on him, she was surprised when a furious Evening Star demanded that she leave, that her and her sister had caused enough trouble. For the next few weeks it remained like that until Masao cam to the door and answered it. “Greetings princess” he said in a hollow voice, his eyes were vacant, much to the surprise of the solar diarch…