"Quit hiding and face me like a stallion!" Night Shadow growled as he turned his head to look all around the dark hallway he stood in. The noises that caught his attention twice had stopped, that was until a low chuckle came from behind.
"Oh, Night Shadow. You really do think you're some big tough guy, don't you?"
Night whipped around to face the stalking pony. His bright golden irises shrunk to pinpricks when he realized who it was.
A taller and more muscular dark grey unicorn stepped out of the shadows with a widened, sinister grin, his horn was lit in a light blue magical aura that gave him light to see the pegasus opposite of him.
"Boo," the unicorn smirked.
"Why do you continue to follow me? You're dead, you belong where the dead belong."
"And where would that be, hm?" The unicorn took a step closer. Night froze for a bit. "You do not believe in ghosts. I can assure you, I am no ghost," his bright red eyes narrowed onto Night Shadow.
"What happened to you, Sharp?! I killed you!" Night bared his fangs and did his best to hide his inside emotions.
"It appears you've never heard of a revival potion. The ingredients to make it are very ... rare, so to speak. I am very lucky that my master chose me," Sharpblade smirked more and stood where he was.
"Your master? Tell me who he is!" Night growled.
"And why for the love of Celestia would I do that? So you could do what you did to me all of that time ago?" Sharp raised his voice and glared. "You are a poor excuse of a guard, Night Shadow. Why Luna chose you to be her prized second-in-command is beyond me and most likely forever will be. But, I am pleased to say that won't be the case for much longer."
"Just what do you plan to do?" Night narrowed his eyes onto the unicorn and growled more.
"For one, I plan to get rid of you," Sharp chuckled, just as a sword made of pure blue magical energy popped up in a flash levitating beside him. "With you gone, the guard won't know what to do. They won't see us coming."
"It'll take more than that to extinguish my fire," Night whipped out his knife, it being the only weapon he had on him. "I've killed you before, I'll kill you again!"
"Steel Locks was right, you are arrogant. And besides, you had the venom removed months ago. Don't think we haven't been watching you all of this time."
"I don't need the damned venom to put you down," Night hissed and lunged towards the unicorn, who grinned bigger and in an instant, he was over five feet from where he was standing.
Night buried his hooves into the red wool carpet with a muffled clop, he turned to face the laughing unicorn with even more anger in his soul.
"I forgot to mention. My master did some tinkering, now I am faster than the fastest flyer in Equestria. You will be lucky to catch me."
"I'm fast too," Night growled and prepared to tackle again.
Sharp chuckled again, then grinned towards Night. "Then bring it. Two of us go at it, one of us comes out."
"So be it," Night waited a moment, then galloped towards Sharp and slid down, slashing the unicorn's hoof with his knife.
Sharp yelped a bit and stomped his hoof down, catching Night's tail underneath it and swinging the sword towards the pegasus. Night flipped onto his back and managed to block the sword with his small knife. He reached a hoof down and yanked his tail free from under Sharp's hoof and stood up straight where he prepared for another attack, but was quickly knocked back down with a hard punch to the chest.
Night wheezed and fell back with a thump, his knife sliding out of his hoof. He coughed once and reached to grab it, before Sharp forced Night onto his back and stomped on both of his wings with a terrifying crack. He yelped loudly and squirmed under his opponents weight and was unable to get free.
Sharp let out a soft, quiet but sinister laugh as he lowered the sword's tip to Night's neck. He breathed heavily and watched the magically forged sword move closer, and in a last attempt to get away, Night kicked his hind hoof up as quickly and as hard as he could between Sharp's hinds.
Sharp's eyes opened wide when his groin was kicked and jumped back, holding his hooves between his legs and winced in pain. The sword dispersed into bits of energy and faded away in a faint flash. Night got on all fours and cracked his wings back into place and folded them to his side. He growled and stood just behind the downed unicorn who still held his hooves over where Night kicked.
Night picked his knife up off of the floor and stepped up to Sharp, his wings throbbed with pain after they were stomped on. He panted as his heart raced and held the knife up, preparing to end the unicorn's misery for good.
Staring down at Sharp groan in pain, he froze and his glare faded. He repeatedly told himself mentally that Sharp was his enemy, but in his heart, he knew he was his friend and was in trouble. Hesitantly, Night dropped the knife and instead raised his hoof and after a moment slammed it down onto his head, managing to knock the downed unicorn unconscious.
Night stared down, his forehead hot and sweating from what had just happened. With a sigh, he leaned down and picked Sharp's heavier than expected body up and began carrying him back to his quarters further down the hallway.
He pulled out his room key and unlocked the door, trotting inside and laying Sharp on his bed. Instantly after, he ran to his armor dresser and went to one of the bottom drawers. Night pulled out a piece of rope and began tying Sharp's forehooves behind his back. When he finished, he wasted no time picking him back up before running back out of his quarters.
***
Sitting in her room sipping a cup of tea and levitating an inked quill and writing on a piece of paper, Princess Luna put careful thought into her writing that was addressed to the leader of another recently discovered bat pony colony in the northeastern parts of Equestria, closer to the Crystal Empire.
For a moment, everything seemed just peaceful, until a loud knock that was more like banging startled her and provoked the Princess to slide her quill to the right and left a long black line that started from the last word she was writing. Startled, she stood up and angrily stared towards the door. She then raised her voice.
"WHO DARES STARTLE THE PRINCESS OF THE NIGHT IN HER BUSIEST TIME?!"
Coming from outside the door following her Royal Canterlot voice came loud panting, then a familiar voice.
"Princess Luna, its me, Night Shadow! Please, open up!"
Embarrassed that she used the Royal Canterlot voice on Night, she opened the door with her magic and stood where she was in the middle of her room, beside a dark blue cushion and a stand designed for writing anywhere other than a desk with a candle stick beside it for lighting.
"Captain, what is the matter?" Princess Luna came closer.
Night panted with widened eyes. "Its...him..."
"...Who?"
Night quickly trotted up to the Princess' bed and dropped an unconscious Sharpblade onto it. With a gasp, Princess Luna turned to Night Shadow with a shocked expression.
"What happened to him?"
"I knocked him unconscious," Night stopped to catch his breath. "Princess, its Sharp."
Princess Luna stared with more shock, then cocked an eyebrow. "Impossible, he has been dead for months!"
Night shook his head. "Princess, he followed me to my quarters and attacked me. He said that ... his master revived him."
"A revival potion?" Princess Luna gasped softly. "That's...even more impossible. How?"
"I don't know...I don't know. But, he isn't in his right mind. Princess Luna, please, you have to help me get him back."
Stuttering a bit, Princess Luna looked between the two. "I...can try. But, forgive me if it goes wrong. Please, stand back."
Night nodded and took a few steps back. Princess Luna lit her horn in a light blue aura and began to envelop the unconscious unicorn with it. The Princess squeaked out a grunt as she put careful thought and strength into her magic, then after a moment, the aura dropped and she dropped to her haunches. Night quickly moved to her side.
"Are you okay?"
Princess Luna nodded and panted weakly. "S-such a spell drains me...but I think I have done it," she turned to Sharp who was beginning to wake up.
Watching with anticipation, Night Shadow stayed by the Princess' side and gulped. Sharpblade suddenly coughed and gasped for air, then his eyes shot open with shrunk pupils, his eyes a darker shade of gold. He sat up and glanced around.
"W-where..." He stopped and realized his hooves were bonded. He struggled against the rope holding his hooves together behind his back, then stopped and panted. He turned to Princess Luna and Night Shadow. "Princess Luna...Night Shadow...?" His eyes widened.
"Sharp...?" Night stared at him with hopeful eyes.
"Its...its you," Sharp sat up against the rear of the Princess' bed.
Night stared as his eyes begun to turn glassy, he turned to Princess Luna and nodded once to her. "Take the rope off."
Princess Luna lit her horn and enveloped the rope, snapping it off of Sharp's hooves. He sat up and rubbed his fetlock where the fur was rubbed down from the tightness of the bonds, he stood up off of the bed with a clop of his hooves on the wooden floor. He then smiled to the both of them.
In a spark of joy, Night jumped up and grabbed the unicorn in a tight hug. Sharp's eyes widened in surprise, he moved his eyes down to Night and smiled warmly. He then wrapped his own hooves around the pegasus.
"Y-you're back..." Night choked up and shed a tear. "I-I'm so sorry...I'm...so...sorry..."
"Hey...hey, don't you get watery-eyed over me," Sharp chuckled softly and patted Night's armored back. "I forgive you."