//------------------------------// // The New Plan // Story: The Veins Run Deep // by Thunderblast //------------------------------// Many weeks following Princess Luna's grand return to her throne in the Canterlot Palace, her older sister Princess Celestia, as well as a few of the castle guards and other workers had overcome their fears of her and did their best to introduce themselves and the new world she came back to. Of course, it would take time to see all that had changed over the millennium when she was stuck on the moon. Across Equestria, many ponies were ecstatic to hear the Lunar princess had finally returned to her old self, even though the fear of the monster that made the first day of summer almost an everlasting night remained tied in ponies' minds. Soon after, the fear seemed to have gone completely. One warm afternoon, Night Shadow was next assigned to show Princess Luna around the castle. The two hadn't exactly become friends, but were becoming closer to each other as time went by. "Hmm...we are not familiar with any of these halls. Would thou care to explain?" "Well, your highness," Night Shadow started. "Each of these halls have mixed rooms, whether they be storage rooms, housing for royalty, offices for castle staff, restrooms, even halls of nothing but art or old relics," he smiled to the princess as they walked side by side. "I see...would thou be generous to show me a few of these rooms? We...I mean, I...am not used to this palace. You see, me and my older sister once ruled in a palace near where the town of Ponyville now exists," Princess Luna sighed a little. "It was abandoned after I destroyed a good portion of it when I became my own worst enemy...when I became the monster that I am." Night Shadow stared curiously but also felt her feelings. "I don't think you're a monster." "You don't?" Luna turned, glancing down at the Lunar guard. "Of course not," Night smiled once more. "Everypony has their demons, we all must learn to overcome them. Sometimes it takes friends to help you defeat your fears." Luna recoiled some at his words, putting a hoof to her chin to think about what he said, then she smiled down at him. "I guess that is true. But, I have little, probably no friends." "Well, you're my friend, are you not?" "Thou thinks I am your friend?" Luna blushed very faintly. "I accept." "I mean, if you want to be. I'm really nopony special," Night looked down a little. "You are if you were assigned to show us around this new palace," Luna smiled again. Night stopped, looking up at the princess beside him. "Do you think so?" "Definitely," Luna smiled still. Night smiled back, then nodded once. "Thank you, your highness." "In time, you will see just how powerful your soul is, your leadership is greater than mine. You will excel in your job of a Lunar guard." Night playfully rolled his eyes as his cheeks warmed. "Oh, stop it! You're making me blush!" Princess Luna let out a slight chuckle. "Isn't that what thou wants?" "Hmm, perhaps," he grinned a little. "Alright, fair enough. You win, I lose." Luna chuckled again, and soon so did Night Shadow as he led the Lunar princess around the palace, taking her through the rooms that weren't locked. After some time, he and Luna made their way down one of the longer halls of the palace, and then through some tall doors and into a much more colorful hallway, with the glass windows being replaced with pane art of what appeared to be major historical events, starting with the founding of Equestria, which had what appeared to be a blue pegasus guard wearing grey armor, a unicorn prince, and an earth pony farmer. Night peered around in awe, having never coming through that hall before. Princess Luna also looked around, but then stopped at one pane which painted the floor in front of it in dark blue and white. Night noticed her stop, trotting up beside her and looking up at her with worry on his face. "Princess Luna?" He asked. She didn't respond, and soon her ears pinned back and she sighed. Night slowly turned his head and stared at the pane art she was also looking at. Gasping, he took a step back. "This...oh my gosh..." Night's ears pinned back. "No...why would they have this?" "I do not know, Night Shadow," Princess Luna said in a sadder tone. "I may have been banished when this happened, but that does not mean I didn't watch it happen." Night glanced over to the next window art, and gasped softly again. He slowly walked over, staring at it like it just stabbed him in the chest with a knife in fear. "The Bat pony war...why would they have this too?" "I guess...it signifies as memories...for those who remember. Although, I must question how you know about this?" "Because..." Night stared at the glass with his ears still pinned back. "It's about where I come from." "Would thou remind me where you come from?" Night slowly looked down at the red carpet. "I...I can't...say." Luna sighed a bit. "I see...we will not pressure you about it. For now, we shall leave this room." Later that day, Night Shadow sat in the mess hall, sipping at a cup of water and playing with his food with a fork while holding his head up with a hoof. He stared down at his tray, which was mostly full of diced carrots, apple slices, green beans, and a bowl of tomato soup. He was still in a deep thought about the room he and Luna entered regretfully earlier. "Hey Night," a voice broke his trance. He glanced up, his eyes meeting those of another guard in full golden armor, his helmet mane piece being black rather than the average blue or white. "Oh, hey Thunder." "Mind if I sit with you?" Thunderblast asked, holding a tray of a similar selection of food, minus the bowl of tomato soup. "Sure thing," Night smiled faintly, then started eating for the first time. Thunder sat down across from Night, picking up his fork and putting a couple of diced carrots in his mouth. "Mmm," he started. "I gotta say, I didn't expect food to be this good in the Royal Guard." "Heh, yeah," Night replied, eating slowly. Thunder glanced up to Night. "Something wrong buddy?" "Oh, no," Night smiled again, but didn't think of perking his ears back up. Thunderblast raised an eyebrow. "You know, it isn't hard to tell when somepony is depressed. What happened?" "I swear, it's nothing." "Night, no offense, but sometimes it's easy to compare you to a mare," he lifted more carrots into his mouth with the fork. Night Shadow's face turned into a slight glare and he sat up completely. "What's that supposed to mean?!" Thunder swallowed his food and stared back. "It means, you like to hide your feelings even when it's evident you're not happy." "Well, no, I am not happy today, and for the record, I am not a mare!" "Sure, sure. Whatever you say," Thunder grinned slightly and continued eating. "Do we have to take this outside?!" Night said angrily. "Of course not, unless that's what you want." "I'm not afraid to kick your little filly flank in front of all of these guards!" Night hissed. "You, take me down?" Thunder chuckled. "That's a good one, you're getting better at humor Night." Night growled and stood up, grabbing his tray and angrily walking out of the mess hall to eat outside. Sitting on a picnic table outside of the mess hall, he continued to eat slowly, but had lost the thought of the window art he saw with Luna. Less than five minutes later, Thunderblast walked out, instantly spotting Night Shadow and walked over. "Hey, I'm sorry. I just want to know what's got you down," he said, sitting in front of Night. "Forget about it, if you're going to call me a mare because I don't want to speak my mind all the time, then get lost," Night replied in anger. "Sheesh, fine. I'll leave," Thunder stood back up and walked off slowly. Almost immediately after, the thought hit Night again, and he facehoofed himself hard. "Ow..." He groaned, rubbing at where he bruised himself. Suddenly, another thought hit his mind. "Thunder, wait!" He stood up, staring at Thunder from a distance. Thunderblast stopped and looked behind him. "What?" "Come back, I have a favor to ask you," Night replied. Thunder turned back around and trotted back, sitting in front of Night. "What is it?" "Long story, but I can't tell you out here. Let's go to my barrack and talk there, alright?" "Er...sure," Thunder stared with a raised eyebrow. "Now, are you ready?" "Sure?" "Alright," Night sat down in front of Thunderblast, then opened his mouth and showed his fangs. "Your fangs, what about them?" Night closed his mouth. "You see, I'm part bat pony." Thunder then smiled in amusement. "Part bat pony, you're joking right?" He then burst into laughter. "It's true. I come from a colony east of Vanhoover." Thunder soon stopped. "Bat ponies have been wiped out for less than a millennium. There are no more." "You want to bet? We weren't all wiped out, although we almost were. Look, I need your help. It just now hit me that one of these days, my colony will lead the others to war with Equestria. If we can get our colony leaders and the princesses to talk about peace, we can stop another war. I'm not saying one will happen soon, but I would suggest we're better safe than sorry," Night explained. "Bat ponies don't like Equestrians at all after what happened." "But wait, if they hate Equestrians, how will I be able to help, and what do you need help with exactly?" "Well, first, we could disguise you as a bat pony, and secondly, we could talk to the governor of my colony about it." "Okay, but how will I be disguised as a bat pony? It's impossible unless I were a unicorn, which I'm not." "Ever heard of vampire bats?" "Yeah, but aren't those in storybooks?" "Nope, they're a hundred percent real. All we gotta do is find one, let it bite you, then boom, you're a bat pony." "Wait, let it bite me? Are you insane?!" Thunder flailed his hooves. "Perhaps," Night grinned. "It won't be permanent, I'm sure there are potions that you could drink to turn you back." "Well, if you say so..." Thunder sighed. "Look, if this is some trick, I don't want in." "I swear on my life that it isn't, Thunder. I really need your help. If this works, there won't be any more hate between races. Isn't that something you would rather have, than war?" Thunderblast nodded some. "Peace is always good. Alright, I'm in."