PreCommon Era Chapter Nine/PreLunar Rebellion: Chapter Nine: The Break Down/Death Brought Home
To say Luna was upset with Masao was an understatement, however she was also glad that Masao had returned safe and sound.
“Ser Masao, I am glad that thou art back, but thou hath been silent in all of thy travels” said Luna causing Masao to stare at her.
“Did none of my letters make it through? I sent both of you missives weekly” said Masao surprise evident on his face, the same on hers while the young guard attempted to creep away, only for Masao to appear behind him. “You are going no where, you threatened my Evening Star, my constant light—” The guard didn’t have time to blink as a dark blue blade pierced the back of his neck and out the front the look on Luna’s face was one of grim determination. “Luna, he—”
“He disgraced my sister and myself when he threatened thy mare, my friend, and almost adoptive little sister” said Luna with a look, which said not to question her and he nodded. “Now, it is past time that we spend time together, all of us” said Luna as she gestured with her wings for both of them to follow her, which they did, right to the throne room where Celestia was waiting for her sister to show. Instead her eyes went wide and a smile grew on her face as she saw Masao enter the throne room.
“Masao! I welcome thee back! It is good to see thee art home once again” said the eldest of the two pony sisters as she walked up to the human and nuzzled him in a friendly manner.
“It is good to see all of you, but Luna, you killed that guard, you could have—”
“Masao, don’t these new recruits don’t seem to get the hint that I am not interested in them, I have had several incidents with them. and if it wasn’t for the old guard,..”
“Luna, round up these new guard, it is time they knew who’s mare they were messing with” said Masao as his eyes flashed angrily. Luna simply smiled, she knew that he was going to ask her to do that, he was always very protective of those he loves, and he had told that no matter a relationship, be it sexual or platonic, he always loves his friends.
“I think that would be a wonderful idea” said Celestia as she sat straighter on her throne a small smile on her lips. “Shall we gather the guards then?”
Masao looked at them in surprise…
- - -
As the guards were gathering in the the training yard of the castle, Masao spent some long overdue time with Evening Star, Luna deciding that the duo needed some time together before she snagged Masao to catch up with him, went to get the older members of the guard, the ones that knew Masao before he left. She informed them of his return, as some of them had been away from the castle when Masao made his… Less than savory return, which resulted in the death of one of the guardsponies…
- - -
Standing in the training rink Masao looked at the crowd of ponies gathering and sighed, he was going to make them fear him, and by extension Luna and Evening Star. Which did not sit all that well with him. questions the young guards asked…
“What is this creature?” Or
“Who is that? A minotaur?” Or even
“Argh! What’s that thing doing in the castle! I do hope that the princesses order it’s death” Some however, particularly the ones that had been on the wall on the evening of his return stayed quiet, and for that Masao was grateful. His eyes remained closed as he stayed knelt at the edge of the rink his sword in the ground blade first, his hands on the hilt. For all intents and purposes Masao looked as if he were praying, and perhaps he was, if not for himself than for the ponies he was about to go against.
“Greetings out little ponies, we know some of thee are wondering about the creature at the rink, well wonder no more, that creature is Ser Masao Darkheart—” started Celestia and several of the younger of the guard started to yelled in objection to which Masao ignored as best he could the helmet on his head keeping the look of hurt on his face hidden from the crowd.
“Now see here! Art thee the ones to give us permission on whom we halt knight?” asked Luna a look of anger crossing her face, “Art we all not ponies? How dare thee insult our knight just because he is different!” Celestia nodded in agreement to Luna’s outburst. “Ser Masao please stand, and ready thy weapon.” said Luna a bit of anger slipping into her voice, though Masao knew it was not towards him.
“Now who amongst thee feel that he is not worthy of his title of knight?” asked Celestia and several guardsponies raised their hooves none among them being the ones that saw his return, or served whilst he had resided within the castle, nor, as Luna and Masao noticed, did any of the bat pony guards, something which drew a smile to Luna’s face.
Evening Star sat in the royal box with the princesses and she frowned at the number of guard that did not trust Luna, or had any respect for a creature that was not a pony, she thought her species were beyond that horrible type of judgement.
“I see that all of you youngsters are full of passion, I can’t fault you for that, but I can not support this speciesism. Therefore I challenge you, come at me, see how foolish you are to discount my species without knowing anything about us. See how foolish you are to degrade my lover for her choice to be with me, and see how foolish you are for demeaning my princess for her choice to knight me” said Masao and several guardsponies sat back down realizing their foolishness, but many more stayed standing and sneering at Masao, which Masao noted how a great deal of the ones that still stood wore family crests on their armors, something that told him that… No that was… He frowned…
- - -
That evening Masao, Evening, and Luna were in the dining room eating a meal laughing at Masao’s tales of his travels when Luna asked how Equestria measured up to his home and the whole dining room fell silent.
“I apologize Masao I—” she started and Masao simply waved the apology away.
“There is no need to be sorry, it is just, I have not thought about where I came from as home for a while, this castle, this land, this is my home, I am in love with a mare with whom, my first meeting was less than pleasing, seriously, telling me you would sleep with me should I ask?”
“And who took me up on that offer Masao?” interrupted Evening with a coy smile and Masao just chuckled in response to her comment before continuing.
“Regardless, I am friends with two of the wisest rulers this land will ever know—”
“Speaking of which, Ser Masao, thou hath never explained how you know so much about me and my land” said Luna which caught Evening’s attention, she was as curious as the princess about that topic of discussion. Meanwhile Masao paused in his revelry and took a drink from his cup before responding.
“What I truly know about your lands, Princess, is not of this time. I know what will happen, what must happen, Do you truly want to know what you have to do in the future? What evils you must commit for the greater good of Equestria? Points in time that are forever fixed, that will always happen no matter what we try to do to change them? No, Luna, no matter what you say, I know you do not want to know them. the evils that you will have to commit will be atrocious crimes, but the good that comes out of it will make the evil you have committed seem minor by comparison” said Masao a particular look on his face, a few stray tears rolling down his face, his eyes closed. “Luna, I have to live with the guilt of knowing all of this, and be unable to tell you what will happen, I know of certain events that must happen, but I do not know everything. If I did, I would not fear the future so much, I know in my heart that I will outlive you, Evening, my love, but I also know that I can have it no other way.” he continued talking to both the mares in his life.
“Thou doest not need to fear that thou will be lonely, I shalt be there when you need me at the end of Evening’s life” said Luna
“No you won’t” said Masao, a small sad smile on his face, in a soft voice that the princess did not manage to hear, but Evening who sat beside him, did. However she did not point it out, she only kept quiet and continued to eat, only stopping to kiss the human softly on the cheek…
- - -
The next morning, Masao stood at the rink fully armored his shield bearing a coat of arms very much unique for the time
When he was asked he simply changed the subject, or stated that it’s purpose would be revealed in time. The helm on his head was plain as it could be for it not being on a pony’s head, and shaped for this creature’s head. or so thought the challenger
“I hope thou hath prepared thyself for defeat, creature, Ser Masao” said the young swordspony and Masao rolled his eyes behind his helm.
“If you intend to bore me into submission, you will not succeed, and I would know my challenger” challenged Masao keeping with what he knew about knighthood and honor from when he had done studies on it as a child back on Earth, not that it was much but he would use what he knew and learn the rest as he went along.
“I am Sharp Sword, and I am not your challenger, I am your end” At that Luna shot up about to stop the match from proceeding due to the threat on Masao’s life, when Masao nodded.
“Come then. My life is yours, if you can take it!”
The swords sang through the air, Masao held his own far better than Sharp Sword would have thought, the shield blocking blows that would have ended the human’s life, whilst Sharp Sword’s lack of shield proved detrimental and the green unicorn twirled his sword around and attempted to cleave Masao’s head off his shoulders only to find Masao’s sword at his throat before it ran through the unfortunate pony.
“Thus ends a fool’s life, and what a wasteful way to end a life it was…” said Masao bitterly as he withdrew the sword from the dying pony’s body, and looked away, and though none could see his face, anyone could tell from the shaking of his body he was either laughing or sobbing.
Many of the youthful guard stood, believing the human to be laughing at the death of their comrade, when Masao stabbed his bloody sword into the ground and removed his helm and knelt towards it.
“Lord, I don’t know if you would hear the words of a someone who turned his back on your words for so long, but if you still do, please guide this pony to his heaven, to his Elysium, he fought valiantly, and even if his cause was flawed, I don’t find him so” prayed Masao, his voice quaking as tears dropped from his face and hit the ground.
Confused the young guardsponies started to murmured amongst themselves, as Luna looked at Masao with sadness, as well a small amount of contempt. It should only be three ponies whose opinion should matter to him, and he still placed this… This ‘God’ so high on his priorities, everything she learned about it made her wonder how anyone would willingly follow such a creature.
Masao stood and turned towards the line of ponies who had been watching the match.
“Who else wishes to challenge Princess Luna’s decision to knight me? Who else do I have to beat? Or is it that one life was the cost to prove to you ponies that I was worthy? If so, you could have kept your opinions to yourselves! This was not supposed to be to the death!” snarled Masao his sword back in his hand, the blood on it streaming down the blade and pooling at the hilt. None stepped forward to accept the challenge and he flicked his blade once as to get the blood off of it, and then he walked off the field…
- - -
“I will handle this sister, thou should go to him” said Celestia and Luna glanced at her sister for a moment before taking off and flying after the human. When she found him, his blade was already cleaned and sheathed but she saw him scrubbing his hands raw as if to wash away blood that no longer existed upon his hands.
“My dearest friend, I—”
“Luna, please don’t, I killed a pony who as far as he was concerned was a loyal pony, and now I have his blood on my hands like that of many others. Do you know how many Changelings I had killed during this year?” he asked his voice sharp and biting, still Luna smiled silently. Evening showed up not long after, “I killed too many, how many of them would have yielded had they the chance? It was only after I realized I was killing them because they were Changelings did I stop. Do you know how that feels? To always stand against something your whole life and then to start doing that same thing yourself?” asked Masao still not turning to her, not seeing that Evening had entered the room. “And Evening… How can I face her? I just killed someone in front of her! I just brought what I did out there home! I…” Masao broke down sobbing clenching the bowl of water to keep himself upright. He didn’t hear the clopping of the two mares’ hooves as they walked up to him and wrapped their forehooves around him in a hug which made him jump slightly…