Chapter 6 - Family Ties
"Follow," I commanded.
"Yes, Your Highness," the Night Guard soldier replied.
Three months. Three long months of sitting on the throne, of basking in the glorious night, and of watching while the ponies lived their lives. One and a half months since I had seen that creature in the dungeons. One month since the last of the foreign dignitaries managed to get a message through to me enquiring about the absence of the sun.
One week since the last riot.
Having left the highly-guarded entrance of the castle behind me, I began to trot slowly across the city square of Canterlot. The full moon was proudly on display in the night sky above, but there were few souls out in the streets. Those that were there now stood frozen on the spot, their eyes locked unblinking upon me.
I walked forward with a stern, unreadable expression, as the single member of the Night Guard followed behind. Only those foolish enough to actually be in my way were able to move themselves. I directly regarded none of them as I continued on, but I was watching them all nonetheless.
I almost wanted one of them to try and attack me, just to see what would happen.
Something had been bothering me as of late. Well, that was an honest lie. Something had been bothering me for a long while. I couldn't seem to put my hoof upon it, which was utterly vexing me. The only thing I knew for certain was that something wasn't quite right, even amongst the glory of my victory and the reign of the night.
Without warning, I shot my gaze to the left and locked eyes with a random mare. She twitched as if an arrow had been driven right through her heart and backed up against the wall of the building behind her, pushing herself up onto her hind legs as if trying to move straight through it. I could see her chest heaving.
I narrowed my gaze at her. Furthermore, what was bothering me was not these ponies who refused to bow before me.
Silence filled the air as I continued forward, keeping my gaze locked on that one pony until my neck hurt too much. I walked down this street as if with purpose, though I wasn't sure I had one. The faithful Night Guard was behind me every step, keeping his gaze forward and only looking at me when it seemed as if I needed his attention.
I stopped at an intersection of roads and turned to the left, idly noticing as the guardspony posted there swiftly bowed to me. Members of the Night Guard littered every major city, posted at key intersections and points of interest. It was their job to maintain order. Each and every one of them would bow swiftly, so as not to distract themselves from their duties, but this was little to celebrate. Bats, after all, had always been reverent of the night.
As I continued, I noticed a well-built stallion pulling a cart of apples along who had stopped in his tracks when he had caught sight of me. The impression I got from this stallion's physique was that he could take down a bear with his hooves tied, and yet he regarded me with the same fear as his fellow citizens. My mouth twisted slightly into what was almost a grin.
I took notice of the apples, each one perfectly ripe and looking juicy and delicious. There was not a sour-looking apple in the whole bunch, and his cart was nearly overflowing. And ponies begged for the sun so their crops would grow. Foolish.
The stallion did not continue on his way until I myself continued in the opposite direction. For a few quiet moments, I slowly made my way down this road through a different district. The road continued on to the city limits, where I could see rolling fields beyond. The light of the moon from above bathed the green fields in a silvery glow.
There were less ponies on this street. I only passed three of them before I reached the middle of this particular block. My eyes roamed the surrounding structures. There were a few storefronts as well as a blacksmith. My attention, however, was drawn to one particular establishment.
The wooden sign hanging above the door with its two complimentary masks identified the building as a theatre. The reason I was focused on it was that I could hear muffled sounds coming from inside, and saw plenty of movement through the small windows.
I altered my course and walked towards the side of one of the windows and gazed inside. At my silent command, my guard followed and looked inside as well.
None inside had noticed me, because they were all focused on the wooden stage before them. There, to my surprise, stood a rather tall unicorn mare who had dressed herself in black clothing, given herself fake wings and a fake cutie mark, and attached silky strands of blue to her mane. This actress was portraying me.
My eyebrows raised slightly, but I stood still and continued to watch. The ponies in the audience were all staring up at her, but they did not seem off-put by her appearance as many of the locals were with the real me. They were all smiling. The mare moved her hooves and her head with regal flourish in her best attempt to mimic me, and she said something that I could not hear.
Any small elation that I had felt fell away within seconds as the audience erupted into laughter. The mare on stage then continued to speak and gesture, but she was now doing it in an over-the-top and rather ridiculous fashion.
She was mocking me. And the audience was loving it.
I stood still and continued to watch. I heard my guard shift beside me, but he said nothing. As the mare continued to do heavens knows what in her portrayal as me, other actors appeared on the stage. They were all unicorn and earth pony stallions dressed in costume as soldiers. More specifically, members of the Solaris Guard. The actress looked as if she were about to shout something intimidating to the soldiers, but instead she simply tripped and took a practised fall, whimpering in a pathetic heap.
I took a couple of steps back from the window, now looking up at the establishment as a whole. In the corner of my eye, I could see my guard looking up to me in concern. I turned my gaze towards him. In his eyes, I could see questions being asked. He was most certainly looking at my calm, collected expression and asking 'Why aren't we burning the place down yet?'
I shifted my head, a silent command for him to fall back in line. He did and I began to pace away from the theatre. When I was a building's length away, I coursed magic through my horn and cast a simple spell. In a muted flash, five more identical-looking members of the Night Guard appeared. They all bowed before me and then lifted only their gaze up towards me, awaiting my command.
As I continued down the road, I could hear the sounds of those inside the theatre, panicking as the Night Guard raided the place and arrested every single pony inside. I merely trotted on as if nothing had happened.
My walk had taken me to the end of this road, as well as to the edge of the city. At this particular point, there was a wonderful flat field that was perfect for simply relaxing under the moonlight. I stood at the corner for a moment. There was not a soul to be seen on the fields, but I could hear music.
Music had been such a rarity lately. The minstrels and troubadours of this land seemed to have disappeared, and the streets were sadly lacking of those beautiful melodies that made them seem more alive. I trotted forward and rounded the corner to my left. A small gazebo on the edge of the open fields came into view, presently containing a trio of young stallions. One was playing a lute and another was playing a panflute, both with matching cutie marks, while the third pony was singing. They all had their eyes closed with calm expressions as they performed their song.
From the snowswept mountain tops
To the emerald-green fields
Across the sea and sky, that wondrous light
Has touched us all…
The one on the lute played a jarring chord as his eyes slipped open and he noticed me. The others were startled by this and also noticed my approach, stopping the song altogether. They all froze on the spot, staring at me in the same way the mare and the apple seller had before.
I merely crossed the road and stood before the gazebo, looking down at the three of them. They were so frightened that it looked like they weren't even breathing. We all remained still for a minute or so, the silence of the night as our only companion. Neither one of them moved or even responded in any way. They all simply stared at me as if I was a ferocious predator.
Finally, I opened my mouth to speak. "I enjoyed your music," I said evenly. The three of them finally moved, if only slightly, turning to give each other quick looks of confusion. I then leaned forward slightly, bringing my head down a little closer to them.
"Why have you stopped?"
There was an uncomfortable pause that followed. None of the three seemed willing or able to speak, but they continued to give each other uneasy glances. I took a step back from them and remained standing there, awaiting the return of their music.
They gave each other a few nonverbal signals. All three of them were clearly terrified, feeling quite small and insecure beneath my power and position. But, to their credit, they raised their instruments and began playing again.
It was a different song than before, but I didn't really mind. For this piece, the singer did not sing any lyrics but instead made harmonic vocalisations. It was a rather serene song, almost sounding like a lullaby. They played with their eyes open and without smiles on their faces, but they scarcely made an error. I remained standing there, with my guard at my side, for the entire duration of the song.
"Impressive," I stated simply once it had ended.
Now that they had stopped playing, the three were once again looking up at me without moving or saying anything. They seemed just as afraid as before, almost as if they had not heard my generous compliment. A gentle breeze drifted past, and a minute passed by in silence.
When nothing had changed by that point, my expression soured and I turned my back on them, continuing on my way down the road. When I was about a block away, I paused again and turned to look down at the guard.
He bowed and replied, "Yes, Your Highness?"
"Remember the lyrics of that first song," I commanded him, "I shall require them later."
"I will, Your Highness."
My walk through Canterlot continued through the waning of the cycle. The journey passed mostly in silence with nothing much else noteworthy happening. My mood continued to grow sour the more petrified citizens we passed, not one of them dropping to their knees. With my position as ruler of this land, I could have had every single one of them arrested or even put to death if I so wished. Instead I merely trotted on, my mind coursing with more and more storm clouds.
After a while, I wasn't even looking at anything as I walked. My eyes were set straight ahead and my jaw locked in a scowl as I stormed past these irritating ponies. If some fool had been in my way, they would have been trampled over with nary a second thought. I was fuming by the time I reached the last road that led back to the castle grounds.
"Your Highness!"
My eye twitched slightly as I shot my gaze back towards the guard who had the nerve and audacity to speak out of line like that and shouted, "WHAT?!"
He did not shy away or cringe, but he did bow in respectful apology. Then, when he had risen, he merely pointed his spear towards the side of the road. I turned my head and followed where he was pointing.
In an instant, my anger and rage dissipated as I saw something truly rare; something I hadn't expected to come across tonight. There, in the middle of a small, open-air fruit store was an average-looking earth pony stallion. Pastel blue coat, light orange mane, on his knees and bowing.
I stood there and stared for a moment, regarding this one pony out of nearly a hundred that I had seen tonight that was bowing before me. There were two patrons in his shop, and they weren't bowing. Amongst a sea of disrespectful, sun-loving fools, this pony stood out by not standing.
I slowly stepped towards his store. The two other patrons quickly fled, but he did not move a muscle. I stood at the entrance, my guard faithfully at my side, and watched him for at least two silent minutes. The most he did was breathe.
"Rise."
He first turned his head to look up at me, as if to make sure I had actually said it and not somepony who merely sounded like me, and then he slowly got to his hooves. Now, he carefully trotted over to his place at the counter, where he turned and regarded me with a neutral expression.
I stood there in silence for a moment, my head held high but my gaze curious. I could see fear, if not uneasiness, behind his eyes, but he hid it behind a façade of professionalism. He simply stood there at the counter of his simple fruit store, waiting for something to happen patiently.
"I will take two of your finest peaches," I said, breaking the silence.
His eyes briefly glanced over to the stand where the peaches were, and then he simply nodded at me. Without speaking a word, the stallion retrieved a flat woven basket from behind the counter and trotted over to the stand. He spent a moment studying them, gently moving the ones on top to look at the ones on the bottom, and then carefully picked out a pair of superb-looking peaches by the stem and placed them in the basket. He grabbed the basket by the handle and returned to where I was standing, sticking his neck out and offering the peaches to me with his gaze held low.
I grabbed the two peaches with my magic, seeing that they looked even better up close. They had a potent aroma and vibrant colours. I picked out one of the peaches and levitated it down to my side, offering it to the guard.
He hesitantly grasped it, and gazed up at me with an unsure, questioning look. I gave him a small nod of approval and his face lit up with a grateful smile. He then sat down and held the peach close to his chest with his two hooves, nibbling away at it with a look of content. I regarded him for a moment as he ate the juicy fruit. You can turn a bat into a pony, but some things would never change it seemed.
I stored the other peach magically within a pocket dimension for later. Returning my attention to the storekeeper, I saw that he had returned to the counter and was standing there in much the same way as before with that same neutral expression on his face.
From the pocket dimension, I retrieved five silver coins and deposited them on the counter next to the stallion. He turned to regard them and then looked back at me, although his expression was now just the slightest perplexed.
"Why did you bow before me?" I spoke.
He seemed rather caught off guard by that question. He stammered for a brief moment before he respectfully replied, "You are our Princess. You rule over us."
I stared at him for a moment, and he stared right back.
"You have my permission to speak freely," I said, "If you had been bowing to me from the very beginning, I would have noticed a lot sooner. What has changed?"
His eyes shifted to the side for a moment, and he seemed to carefully consider what he said next. Finally, he held his head down and stared at the floor beneath my hooves, whereupon he said, "My sister lives in Stirrupling. She refused to bow before you, and so her apothecary was seized and she was forced out." He paused for a moment before continuing. "That apothecary has been in our family for three generations."
I watched him carefully as he spoke, observing his body language and listening to the tone of his voice.
"I realize now that there is nothing to be gained from going against you," he continued, "Regardless of whatever else, you are our sovereign ruler and there is a clear price to be paid for disobedience and disrespect. I bow before your power." He ended his statement with another low bow before me.
A stillness passed between us. He did not move from his position, but neither did I. As I watched him and studied him, I mulled over what he had said to me in my head.
"Rise and tell me your name," I said, breaking the silence once more.
He did so and replied with, "Harvest."
"What is your sister's name?"
He hesitated slightly before answering. "H-her name is Jasmine."
I turned to my guard and instructed him to remember that name. He was just finishing the last bite of his peach, and promptly stood up to salute me.
"Your Highness…?" I could detect worry in Harvest's voice and returned my gaze to him.
"Do not concern yourself," I informed him, "I do not intend to harm your sister. I do encourage you to write her a letter, however. Mayhaps advise her that if she disrespects me again, I shall do much worse than seize her shop."
There was a sparkle in the stallion's eye, but he managed to keep his emotions in check.
I gazed at him for a moment. "Enjoy the night, fair citizen," I said to him, "Others could learn from you…" And with that, I turned and began to walk away from his shop. My guard promptly fell into line beside me.
"Ah…Y-Your Highness?"
Harvest's call filled the air and I heard hooves stepping out onto the street. I smiled to myself for a brief moment without letting him see, and then turned around to regard him with the chilly gaze that I was so fond of using.
The blue stallion was standing there holding three of the coins in one of his hooves, eyes shifting with uncertainty. Again, I could see him choosing his words carefully. "The…price for my peaches is…one silver coin each."
I simply replied with, "I am aware."
"You have given me too much, Your Highness. I must…insist that you take these back…"
More silence drifted between us. At the edge of my vision, I could see ponies standing stock still, watching the exchange between us with terror and disbelief. Harvest simply stood there, holding out his hoof and offering the excess coins back to me. I had half expected him to attempt to return all five coins to me, but I could appreciate his intent to at least hold on to what I rightfully owed him. He was running a business after all.
"You have caught me in an unusually generous mood," I replied to him, "Keep them."
"But-"
"Are you questioning me?" I said sternly with a scrutinizing eye pointed in his direction.
"No, of course not Your Highness," he replied unflinchingly, "If you are absolutely certain this is what you want, then I will take them and…" He paused and glanced away. "I offer my gratitude…"
I kept my gaze trained on him. Throughout this exchange I had been staring at him silently quite often. Though I was studying him, I also wanted to keep him guessing. My stern, cold expression held no emotions; I refused to provide him a window into my mind. Weaker, foolish ponies would break under this gaze, if not soon then eventually. This pony certainly did not exude confidence; perhaps it was a psychological trouble just to get such words out of his mouth. I could not deny one true fact, however. He had bowed before me and shown respect.
"Harvest?"
"Yes? …Yes, Your Highness?"
"You have made wise choices tonight." In the blink of an eye I unfurled my wings, startling him slightly. "Keep it that way."
With nary another word, I took to the skies and flew directly back to the castle without casting even a glance behind me. I could hear the sound of a bat's wings as my guard dutifully followed behind.
…
Weeks passed.
I continued to make semi-regular visits to Harvest's fruit shop. Each time I appeared before him, the first thing he would do was drop to the ground and bow. I would make a simple purchase, perhaps ask him some simple question about his family or his life, and then depart. With each and every encounter, I was met with the same level of reverence.
I was keeping my eye on him. Ponies everywhere in this damn city would flee or freeze up before me, but this one stallion seemed to have learned his place. He did not speak until spoken to, unless there was something he truly felt deserved my attention. Above all else, he would always bow.
This young stallion was certainly very interesting. He was not some truly devoted worshipper who would toss himself off of a bridge at my command, but still I could see that he was properly honouring his sovereign, all-powerful leader like all ponies should. I got the feeling that he was afraid of me, but brave enough to keep his composure and understand what was requested and required of him.
Did he respect myself or the night? I wasn't entirely convinced of that. What grew more certain with every subsequent visit was that he respected my power and knew what consequences would befall him if he crossed my path. Something intelligent had clicked in this pony's head that was somehow remaining elusive to everypony else.
During one visit to his shop, I brought along a large stack of very important-looking scrolls. I entered his shop rather distracted by them, relaying confidential commands to the two guards I had with me.
Of course, there wasn't actually anything important written on the scrolls. They were all blank except for the one on top, actually. I would never be so foolish as to walk around in the open with all of my closest secrets there for somepony to swoop in and steal. Instead, I had other plans.
As I purchased my fruit and continued discussing important nonsense with the guards, I walked away without saying anything to him and the three of us disappeared in a bright flash. What had looked like a teleportation spell was actually an invisibility spell. Furthermore, I had 'absent-mindedly' left the stack of scrolls on his counter.
I watched him like a stealthy predator as he eventually noticed that I had left them behind. To most of these other sun-loving ponies, this would be a golden opportunity and they wouldn't hesitate to grab them and try to use them to find some weakness of mine. I'm sure if there had been other patrons in his shop, they would have done so or tried to convince him to commit the crime.
Instead, a satisfied grin slowly appeared on my hidden face. He had noticed the scrolls and gazed at them for a few moments, and seconds later he was out on the street and searching for me. When I was nowhere to be found, he ran back into the shop and ducked behind the counter, retrieving a burlap sack that would probably be used for hauling fruit. Without even peeking at the top page, he tossed every scroll into the sack and tied it up. He then hoisted it onto his back and immediately began to gallop towards the gates of the castle.
My test for him ended in his success when he presented himself to the Night Guard members standing at the front gates, told them I had left some documents behind, and gave them the sack. Important documents that could have theoretically been very useful to anypony that wanted me off the throne, and he had hoofed them back without any hesitation.
Another cycle began. Hours before the full moon would grace the sky, I left the castle. Unlike previous outings, I had a single destination and a single task in mind. Ponies parted before me in fear as I traveled directly for that fruit shop that had become so familiar to me. When I arrived, I stood tall and proud outside of the entrance and spoke forth in a commanding voice.
"Harvest."
He turned around from whatever he had been doing and took notice of me. His eyes widened slightly before he fell into his bow, no doubt noticing that I was unaccompanied.
"Yes, Your Highness?" he replied. Like it often was when he spoke to me, his tone was rather emotionless.
"Come with me."
He tilted his head up and gave me a perplexed look. "Y-Your Highness…?"
"I said 'Come with me'. Do not keep me waiting."
Hearing my displeased tone of voice, he quickly scrambled to his hooves. "Ah, y-yes…Right away."
I turned back the way I had come and trotted down the road. I heard the clopping of his hooves telling me that he was right behind me at a respectful distance.
I continued through the city until I reached the outer gates of the castle. The guards there gave me a swift salute before they turned and opened the gate. I heard Harvest's hoofsteps slow as I approached the entryway. I turned back to look at him, at which point he quickly trotted forward and closed the distance.
I returned my gaze to the gate. Beyond it was another guarded gate and the actual entrance to the castle, also guarded. The gates closed behind me, and I turned back to see Harvest standing awkwardly there. Besides confusion, I could clearly see that he was very anxious about what was going on. Ponies on the street knew that if one was sent into the castle itself, it usually wasn't good.
He was getting more uneasy with every step we took. After verifying that the gate was securely closed, I directed him towards the next one. At my beckoning, he nervously stepped through after me. A mix of conflicting emotions could be seen as he glanced around apprehensively.
We stepped through the front door of the castle as I led him into the grand entryway. That is where we stopped. I turned and saw him marvelling at the large room that he had probably never seen before in his life, even before my rule. The room was lined with marble columns, covered with a beautiful deep blue carpet, and adorned with blue banners that depicted the moon.
I sat down in front of him, returning his attention to me. I could see that even he knew something unusual was happening if his princess was sitting down before him. I set my eyes on him and gave him one last scrutinizing look; some have told me that my stare is paralyzing, and it wasn't hard to see why.
"Harvest, citizen of Canterlot…" I spoke.
He once more gazed around at the room we were in, gulping and no doubt feeling very small and insignificant. "Yes…Your Majesty?"
"You have shown dedication towards your Princess and reverence toward the majesty of the night. I am very pleased by what I have seen."
He gulped again, still looking around at the room as if he were feeling like he wasn't supposed to be there. My castle was a highly-guarded sanctuary that very few were permitted to enter. I could see in his eyes that he felt like he was committing a terrible crime with his presence alone.
"You have proven your devotion and shown me that, perhaps, I may be able to trust you." I paused and leaned in a little closer, lowering my voice. "Can I trust you?"
He jumped. "Ah! Of course, Your Highness. You are my ruler and I submit to you," he said, bowing quickly once more.
My lips curled upwards as I brought my head back up. "Good," I spoke, "Because I intend to extend to you a very prestigious and gracious honour. For your devotion towards the era of the night, as a valued citizen of my empire…I invite you to become a part…of my family."
His ears perked up and his eyes shot open. "Wh-what…?" he mumbled, "Your Highness, are you…are you offering me a position within the castle?"
I chuckled. "Perhaps not within the castle per say, but under my direct employ yes. I have not yet decided where to station you."
The look on his face could only be described accurately as 'conflicted'. His eyes drifted away from mine, shifting from the floor to the banners to the many guards stationed at every doorway. His front hooves fiddled together nervously. "I…I…" he stammered, "I am not quite sure what to say…Are you sure you want me?"
"Yes."
"But I'm just…a fruit salespony…"
I chuckled again, narrowing my gaze at him. "It matters not."
He gulped, still not meeting my eyes. "I'm just not sure I can-"
He yelped as I gently used my magic to turn his head back so that he was looking at me. "You sell yourself short, Harvest. I have learned that you are a very dedicated pony, not only to myself but to your sister as well. You respect the night, you abide by the law, and I feel I could wager that you would not dare set your hoof against mine."
He merely stared at me, his ears splayed back and quivering anxiously.
"Who am I?" I asked him.
He took in a breath and then said, "Y-you are Nightmare Moon. You are my leader, my Princess…my liege."
A subtle grin graced my lips as my horn's aura increased in intensity, spreading the glow from under his chin across his entire body. "You will make a fine subject of the night."
At first he twisted his head around in a mild panic as he felt my magic envelop his whole body, but a moment later he fell into a relaxed state. I coursed a powerful surge of magic through my horn, casting the wonderful spell that I had so recently perfected.
He let out a low moan as my alicorn magic began to flow through him, but he simply gave me a half-lidded stare and ceased all movement of his body. His hooves left the ground as he was slowly lifted up into the air, held aloft like a unicorn foal's doll. His face screwed up in pain slightly as my spell began to take effect. His hooves twitched every so often and he let out a few garbled sounds from his throat. The intense blue-coloured glow only continued to increase, wrapping his entire body in a brilliant show of pure magical energy. Finally, I began to see results.
The blue colour from his coat began to fade to grey, while the orange in his mane darkened and shifted until it was a very deep navy blue. His eyes slipped closed as parts of his body began to change. His ears enlarged and some of his teeth grew into sharp fangs. When he opened his eyes again, they rather resembled mine. Though he still twitched and moaned, his relaxed state began to wear off and some of his cognitive functions returned.
Such was not a blessing as the changed pony suddenly cried out in pain. I sympathised with him as two completely new appendages formed and emerged from his earth pony body, a necessary evil for a pony of his type. My spell finally complete, the aura around him faded and deposited the pony on the ground in a quivering heap, his fresh new bat wings hanging limply at his sides.
I stared at the new addition to the Night Guard as he lay panting, giving him a chance to recover from the agonising transformation. Besides the lack of armour, he now looked identical to the other members of the Night Guard standing nearby in the room. His cutie mark remained, though little else did when it came to his outward appearance.
As the excruciating pain began to fade away, he slowly opened his eyes and tried to get his bearings. I used my magic to carefully help him up. When he was in a sitting position, he gazed around the room in a daze for a moment before his eyes focused on me.
"Can you hear me?"
He blinked and held a hoof to his head, looking as if he had consumed far too much alcohol the previous night. "Y…Your Highness?"
"Who are you?" I asked.
"H-Harvest…"
"Do you feel any injuries or maladies aside from dizziness and aches?"
He clenched his eyes shut for a moment. "What…happened?" he murmured.
I grinned and proclaimed, "You now belong to a greater good and you answer to a higher call. You are part of the best and the greatest, and there is no room for failure. You will leave behind all weakness, for you are no longer a mere mortal."
Focus seemed to be returning to him as he looked up at me with worried eyes, hearing what I told to him.
"You are now an indestructible Soldier of the Night, and as you and your brothers and sisters move as one, none shall stand in your way." I pointed to his body and said, "Feel free to examine your glorious transformation."
I watched him as he slowly turned and regarded his new fur coat and stunning set of bat wings with wide eyes. "I…" he muttered as he gave the wings a fumbling, experimental flap. His jaw dropped slightly when it was confirmed to him that he did indeed have control of them. "I…" His eyes roamed the room a bit, no doubt experiencing his new heightened vision. "I-I…"
"Face me young Night Guard," I told him, "Speak."
He turned to look up at me again. I could see him struggling to focus on me completely, his eyes glazing over just slightly. His head tilted to the side for a moment before he blinked again and spoke. "I…thank you…my liege." He dipped his head in a simple bow. "Thank you for this…wondrous gift of the night."
Yes, the spell had worked perfectly. At this moment I knew that his mind was being influenced, though not controlled or replaced, by the wonderful spirit of the bat. Nothing about his likes, dislikes, hobbies, beliefs or memories would change, but they would be infused by an undying adoration for the night and, by extension, myself. The transformation was complete; he was exactly like the others.
"Do you accept my offer for a position as member of the Night Guard?"
"I would be honoured…" he replied, still with his head bowed.
"Your fruit shop will have to be closed down or sold."
"Of course. I have some friends in the city who would be interested."
"Good. At a later date, tell me their names and I shall perform the transfer for you. Your position will come with lodgings in the castle. Is there anything you wish to retrieve from your home?"
"Yes, Your Highness. If you would allow it, I would like to keep all of the letters from my sister."
"They shall be retrieved. Rise."
At this point, it seemed that his strength had returned in full and he got to his hooves. He stole a glance back at his wings again, this time managing to flap them correctly though not very much in sync.
"Worry not, you shall learn quickly," I informed him, "You shall be tested and trained by our highest ranking officials. Until such a time, you will treat them as if they are me; the same respect and the same obedience." I then signalled for one of the guards standing at the door to our right. He trotted over and, like clockwork, was swiftly replaced by another from the shadows. "Take him to the training grounds."
The other guard saluted, bowed his head, then turned and led the new member into the heart of the castle.
"Harvest."
Both ponies stopped and turned back to look at me. "Yes, my liege?" he replied.
I gave him an enigmatic smile. "Welcome."
He grinned gratefully at me before the two continued through a side door and out of sight.
I chuckled to myself as I turned in the opposite direction and slowly trotted towards the door there, the guards bowing and offering me passage. Another addition to the Night Guard who was sure to be up to the tasks required of him. With his new form he was now the same as all of the others, with the same skills, fortitude and devotion as those that had once been bats.
This new spell was proving to be infinitely useful. Over the months, I had cast it on many ponies and without any sort of issue. True, there were five or so failed cases at the very beginning, but with my near-limitless magical power it was hardly any time at all before the spell was perfected. Since then, none had been transformed incorrectly and, more importantly, not a single one had shown any signs of rebellion, insubordination or secrecy. With a bat's devotion, they truly had become part of our grand collective.
I was trotting up the brilliant marble staircase that led to the second floor, smiling to myself. With so many wonderfully dedicated members of the Night Guard at my side, I had come so far. The castle was now an indomitable fortress, surrounded by further fortifications to the walls, parapets and all otherwise vulnerable areas. Even some hypothetic creature that was immune to magic could not hope to cause more than a few hardy chips at the stone walls.
On the outside it was a barricaded fortress of war, but on the inside it was a beautiful love letter to the glory of the night. All of the hideous statues had been destroyed and the egotistical banners removed. I could have replaced them with stunning and inspiring depictions of myself, but that went against the whole point, didn't it? My ascension to the throne was for the magnificence of the night sky and the unmatched power of the moon. Banners and tapestries around the castle only depicted these two things. Windows and lighting were designed to cast dancing shadows across every room. Every doorway and balcony was decorated with flourishing stars and moons, and one could not go anywhere within the castle walls without seeing dedicated soldiers of the night.
They were all like a family to me. At first they had been my comrades and fellow admirers of the night, but now I was coming to appreciate them. Most of these ponies had once been simple, yet wonderful, bats but they were taking to their new forms and responsibilities with undying loyalty. While their reverence and respect was not what I desired, as bats' respect for the night was nothing new, I still greatly appreciated it and knew that I could not have done it nearly as smoothly without their help.
Magic is a strange thing that even the smartest and most powerful pony cannot possibly understand entirely. I knew this because as time continued to pass, I had begun to feel a connection with each and every member of the Night Guard that went beyond this simple earthly realm. It could only be described as something magical, and from it I knew that I could count on each and every guard here to follow me until the very end. As I trotted past the carefully designed windows that looked out upon the city, I felt a calm sensation wash over me and I felt the spirit and energy of every single-
But then I stopped suddenly. My eyes opened and I focused, frowning. Something was wrong. Something was not right, and it had something to do with the Night Guard. It was something so faint that I had barely felt it, and at that moment I hadn't even been sure I had felt anything at all. I had learned long ago that life was full of unexpected surprises, so I focused on this faint feeling and performed a teleport.
In a flash, I was gone.