Twilight holding what looked like a stick about as tall as she was at me got me scared and sad all at once. That giant club in Dash’s hand pointed at Soarin’s head looked like it had the same effect on him. The rest of the girls surrounded them each with a weapon different based on what they were like characteristically.
Applejack’s weapon was obviously a shovel, but the head wasn’t curved like it would hold any dirt or sand or minerals in general. Fluttershy’s weapon was two spinning blades set on an axis that she held on the back of her hand. Rarity had some stabbing weapon that looked like a pitchfork, only a lot smaller. Pinkie had a baton.
“Three more uprisers,” Twilight said absently. “Kayen will be happy with us.” Whoever this Kayen was, I had a feeling he was the one behind the odd disruption of the balance. Meaning we had to deal with him. Soarin and Shining looked at me, wanting to know what I was going to do. I thought on it. How could we get to Kayen without hurting Twilight and the girls?
“Will you come with us peacefully? Or will we have to fight?” Rainbow Dash asked in an absent tone mirroring Twilight’s. That was way too easy.
“… Alright.” I said putting on my best defeated act. “We’ll go quietly.” Shining and Soarin looked shocked at this, but when I looked back I just winked at them assuring them I had a plan… or at least was forming a plan.
I saw a big man sitting in a chair reading a book. He looked up when he heard us come in, those blue eyes almost freezing me there. Then he looked back at the book and read a quote from it.
“’Tis true I profess myself a volitary of love. I acknowledge that a lady is in the case and further I confess that this lady is known to you.’” He looked up at me, clapped the book closed, stood up and smiled. “So… you’re The Flash Sentry? You’re The Guardian Tenebrae?” I didn’t answer. The look on his face changed to that of a recognition, he scratched his fingers through his red hair, and then laughed. “I never expected this out of you of all ponies.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“He never told even his son about me?” Kayen said. It was obvious at this point. He looked out the window, into the night sky, which was odd seeing as it was midday when Soarin, Shining and I came in. “That wounds me, Sun Splitter!” I was shocked. He knew my father… How did he know my father!?
“That’s a story I like telling to my Zombies. The day my brother died. It was a long time after we served in the guard, I was given an Honorable Discharge for reasons I still don’t understand, said I was ‘unstable.’ My brother, on the other hand, served for four more years, and he didn’t get any trouble for it. He served his country, enforcing Order in Equestria.”
Wait… Brother… Guard… “You’re… my uncle!” he smirked.
“That’s me, Knighted Nightmare,” he said. Kayen… KN! “Now where was I? Ah, yes. I was furious that my brother, who did not understand that those who cause disharmony in the kingdom must not be given the chance to do it again, was still in the Guard while I, the better soldier, was cast out of the Guard for being the best. I had to show them that this wasn’t worth the pain… and you remember the rest by now right?”
The Colt in the Coat. I remembered the week before my parents died that there was a pony in a black hood stalking us, popping up here and there wherever we went. I also remembered seeing him at the fire before rushing in and losing my wings. I started questioning why I ever thought Starlight needed to be forgiven.
“It was you,” I said. My fists clenched, my whole body trembled with rage. “You started the fire… you killed my father…”
“The way he looked as he died was most… Satisfying,” He smiled evilly. “Oh? It seems I struck a nerve.” Right there I reached out and grabbed his throat. Heaving him back behind me, I prepared to throw him. Twilight almost stopped me, but I shook her off and threw him out the window before jumping out to join him. Tenebrae seemed to get that I needed to fly for this next part, so he sprouted a pair of black wings on my back. I didn’t have time to get the feel for them, but I’m now surprised that I was able to use them as efficiently as I was. I pulled my sword out and followed Kayen, who was flying on a pair of white wings carrying a red sword. We clashed multiple times, it was hard to keep track of how many exactly, but I was always on the offense.
What scared me a little was the fact that Kayen didn’t look scared. Every time I attempted to do serious harm to him, he just laughed or smiled harder. It made me mad that I couldn’t scare him. He didn’t understand that what he had done would’ve scarred a normal pony, and that everyone he killed (because I realized that’s what he meant by he was a better guard) was scared when he killed them… he had to be stopped. I was ready to show him what he was doing. But somepony stopped me. Two spears, one holding my sword in place, one holding Kayen’s. It was Soarin.
“Boss,” He said. “That’s enough!”