The sun had been in the sky for a few hours. Its rays entered a room of the castle, casting lines of lights on the floor and furniture. Some of the light fell on the closed eyelids of the room's occupant, who was cocooned in the bedsheets. She frowned, the light waking her up even through her closed eyes. With a moan, she turned around, hoping to sleep some more. However, a small songbird landed on the frame of the open window. It chirped silently, tilting its tiny head as it looked at the sleeping form of Sky with curiosity. As if responding to a silent command, the bird began to sing its morning song loudly, preventing Sky from sleeping any furher.
She turned again, her eyes barely open, and she glared death at the songbird. It kept singing, ignoring her completely. Sky sighed then got up, her bo staff in its retracted mode in hand. The bird stopped singing to look at Sky. She slowly crept to the bird, and with a single, fluid motion, she hit the bird with her bo staff like a baseball batter hitting a homerun. Nearby birds flew away when Sky had hit the songbird that had woken her up.
Sky sighed as she returned her bo staff to its retracted mode. She walked to the bed and gently threw her weapon on it. She undressed, unceremoniously throwing the nightgown the castle's staff had given her on the bed, and she made her way to the connected bathroom.
She stopped briefly in front of a full body miror, examining her lithe body. She had small breasts like most pegasus and pegasus hybrids, but that didn't really bother her. Her stomach was toned with the continuous training she usually did. Her hips might have seemed narrow, but it was how she was naturally. Her long legs were smooth and hairless.
She turned around to examine her back. Her long hair stopped short of her butt, and seemed to be longer thanks to her tail seamlessly melding with it. Her butt itself was small and firm.
Satisfied with her body, she carried onwards to the bathroom. She poured herself a hot bath, and while the water filled the huge tub, she grabbed a towel from the rack and placed it near the bath.
She closed the faucet when the bath was full and then got in, her body relaxing instantly. She let out a sigh, sinking slightly in the warm water. "This... is... goooood..."
Then, the doorknob on Sky's room's door shook, as if someone was trying to get in. After a few seconds, the shaking stopped and the door was opened and closed.
Sky straightened in the bath.
She looked towards the door as someone approached it.
She knob turned and the door slowly opened.
"Miss, you should hurry--"
"GYAAAAAAAAAH!" Sky covered her breasts as she got up and punched the guard in the face, sending him flying across the bedroom into the opposite wall. Her scream was heard throughout the entire castle.
. . . . .
Sky sat down on a bench in the armory's smithy, where the blacksmith and a tailor, both mares at Sky's request, would work on Sky's Knight armor.
Her measurements had been written down two hours ago, and she was waiting for the finished product to be presented to her since then.
The tailor approached Sky with clothes in her arms. "If you would follow me." The tailor indicated a seperate room.
Sky nodded and got up, following the tailor. She changed into the new clothes and the tailor began the final adjustments just as the blacksmith came in with the completed armor.
"Once the tailor is done, put the armor on and come see me," the blacksmith said before leaving.
"All done," the tailor said. She gathered her stuff and left.
Now alone, Sky looked around. She found a pair of light grey military boots by the bench on which the blacksmith had put her armor. With a sigh, she put the armor and boots on and went to see the blacksmith.
. . . . .
Sky stood in front of the blacksmith in her armor. The blacksmith looked all over the armor with a critical eye.
"Good," she said once she was satisfied.
"What is the armor made of?" Sky asked.
The blacksmith smiled. "I'm glad you asked. The armor is made of Plastal."
"What's Plastal?"
The blacksmith chuckled. "Plastal is a composite material that is as strong as steel, but as light as plastic." She turned around and grabbed something before facing Sky again. "Here's your weapon. It's based on your extending staff you used, with a few modifications and upgrades."
Sky took the bo staff and swung it, causing it to extend to full lenght. It was moderate violet just like the armor. She swung a few more times before retracting it, satisfied.
"There are also special enchantments on the armor," the blacksmith continued. "The main enchantment is a shield." She handed something that looked like a one-lens pair of glasses. "This is your Vizor. It will show you the current state of the shield enchantment and other important information."
Sky looked at her Vizor. "Why only one lens?"
The blacksmith shrugged.
"I see you are ready," someone said as they came closer. "I am Plentiful Harvest, the Captain of the Royal Knights' Corp."
Harvest was an earth pony mare with dark orange fur, short, blood red hair, a tail of the same color, and mesmerizing golden eyes. She wearing the same armor as Sky, with the exception of a single golden line on the pauldron. She was also wearing her Vizor.
Harvest looked at Sky and sighed. "Turn around."
Sky complied. "If you intend to keep your hair as long as this, at least braid it," Harvest said as she braided Sky's loose hair. "There. Now we have somewhere to be."
"Yes, ma'am!" Sky saluted before following Harvest out of the smithy.
. . . . .
Eclipse stood straight as several ponies busied themselves around him, making him proper for the upcoming ceremony. He was wearing, after a huge struggle with the castle's servants, a dark blue tunic with silver trimmings, loose-fitting black linen pants and black shoes. Upon his head sat a thin silver circlet.
"It wasn't so bad after all, right?" the head maid asked Eclipse with closed eyes and a smile.
"Yeah..." Eclipse muttered.
The head maid clapped her hands. "Good!"
There was a knock at the door. The head maid turned to face the door and her horn lit up, a matching aura appearing around the doorknob.
The door opened and revealed both Harvest and Sky. The head maid smiled at the two Knights.
"Captain Harvest, Miss Sky. What can I do for you?"
Harvest smirked and walked staright to the head maid. She grabbed her by the waist. "First, you can kiss me."
Harvest then kissed the head maid on the lips. The kiss lasted a full minute before the maid broke it, flustered.
"H-Harvest!" the head maid said, a heavy blush visible through her dark grey coat. "N-Not here..." she added in a whisper.
Harvest smirked again and released her hold on the mare, dropping her to the ground. "Sorry, Feather. You know I love you a lot, and I can't help but kiss you to show it."
Feather rose from the floor, dusting her maid uniform. "For the umpteenth time, when at work, call me Miss Duster... or Feather Duster if you really can't."
Harvest nodded. "Okay. As for the second thing, we--" Harvest gestured towards Sky who waved meekly "--are here to perform a loyalty swearing for the new Knight."
Feather's face lit up in realisation. "Right! I almost forgot!" She turned towards Eclipse and the servants. "Alright! We'll take a short break while the new Knight performs her loyalty swear."
All the servants stopped doing whatever they were doing and filed out of the room. Eclipse turned around and saw Sky. A light blush appeared on his face. Why do I feel like this? Why do I find Sky so... attractive? he thought.
Harvest looked at Eclipse. "If you are ready, sir, we'll begin."
Eclipse snapped back to reality with a start. "R-Right." He opened and closed his mouth a few times. "What do I do again?"
Harvest let out a small chuckle. "I haven't even explained yet." She went to stand near Eclipse. "Come closer, Sky, then I'll explain to ritual."
Sky nodded and joined Eclipse and Harvest, stopping in front of Eclipse.
"Good," Harvest said. "Now listen closely, because I'll only say it once." She looked at Sky. "First, you'll say 'I, Endless Sky, wish to swear my undying loyalty and faith to Prince Eclipse. I will be his bodyguard and loyal Knight from this moment forth until I draw my last breath' while kneeling down in front of him. Look at the floor and put your hands over your heart."
Harvest then looked at Eclipse. "And you, once she is done, will say 'I, Prince Eclipse, accept Endless Sky as my loyal Knight and bodyguard, from this moment forth until she draws her last breath.' After that, you will extend you right hand towards her."
"And?" Eclipse asked.
Harvest's ever-present smirk turned dark. "And then, you'll test her loyalty and faith."
Both Eclipse and Sky gulped. With a long sigh, Sky knelt in front of Eclipse, head down, one hand clasped in a fist over her heart as if holding it and the other over it. She closed her eyes as she took a deep breath.
The room darkened, obscuring everything but Sky, Eclipse, Harvest and Feather as Sky began the ritual. "I, Endless Sky, wish to swear my undying loyalty and faith to Prince Eclipse." A magic circle appeared on the ground around Sky and Eclipse, casting an eerie glow over the four beings in the room. "I will be his bodyguard and loyal Knight, from this moment forth until I draw my last breath."
As Sky finished her part of the ritual, the glow from the magic circle intensified. "I, Prince Eclipse, accept Endless Sky as my loyal Knight and bodyguard, from this moment forth until she draws her last breath."
Eclipse then extended his hand towards Sky. As soon as he stopped moving his hand, a sword of magic appeared in it. Comprehension dawned on Eclipse's face as he grasped the handle of the sword. I need to test her loyalty... by beheading her, he thought. But this sword is not any sword, it's made of magic. If I guessed right, and I hope so, if Sky is loyal and has faith in me, she will be fine.
Meanwhile, Sky came to a similar conclusion. Eclipse will have to test my loyalty and faith by trying to kill me, she thought. If I move even one millimetre, I die. She took a deep breath, steeling herself. A small, soft smile spread across her face. But I have faith in Eclipse. I know he'll never hurt me willingly. He might not love me, but my love is as strong as steel, and my resolve to serve him, even stronger.
With a gulp, Eclipse swung the sword at Sky's neck. The sword phased through the neck, leaving it and Sky unscathed.
Suddenly, the magical sword broke into a million tiny fragments as a pink, magical sword appeared in front of Sky. It disappeared as quickly as it appeared, though, and the light emitted by the circle became even stronger. A gust picked up as the light reached a near-blinding level.
"You can open your eyes and stand up, Sky," Harvest said once the ritual was over.
Sky opened her eyes and stood up. She looked at her hands, feeling the lingering energy of the ritual on them, particularly on the back of her right hand, where a seal composed of a five-pointed star inscribed in a heart, itself inscribed inside a magic circle. The whole thing was a light pink color. An identical seal, except for its teal color, shone on the back of Eclipse's right hand. After a few seconds, though, both seals vanished, leaving only unblemished skin behind.
"And that, fillies and gentlecolts, was the loyalty swearing ritual," Harvest said dramatically.
"Now, let's hurry!" Feather said as she pushed Eclipse out of the room. "We have to make sure everthing is perfect for your ceremony!"
Sky giggled at her friend's predicament. Harvest then put her hand on Sky's shoulder.
"Go ahead and protect him from my marefriend's clutch," Harvest said half-jokingly.
Sky nodded and went after the head maid and the helpless Prince, leaving the Knights' Captain alone. That pink sword... she thought, frowning. The sign that a Knight truly has faith, but also love... Could it be that those two hybrids will bring back Harmony to ponydom? Could it be that she's the one that will... No. She seems too weak for that... But still... Harvest sighed, then left the room to go prepare her troops for the upcoming ceremony.
. . . . .
As the sun reached its peak in the cloudless sky, the large crowd that had gathered for Eclipse's introduction as the newest Prince cheered loudly. Amongst the ponies were four cloaked figures, each with their own mission.
"FILLIES AND GENTLECOLTS! PLEASE WELCOME THE ROYAL FAMILY!" an announcer exclaimed in a microphone hooked to speakers located around the perimetre of the plaza in front of the castle.
Twilight, Luna, Celestia, Cadance and Soleira walked out onto the balcony overlooking the plaza under thunderous applause. All of them wore their royal garment and regalia.
Celestia took a step forward, the crowd becoming quiet. "Ponies of the Solar Republic," Celestia said as camera-bots hovered around her, "today is a great day in our glorious history."
"Today is a day to be remembered by all for generations," Cadance added as she took a step, stopping beside Celestia.
"For today is the day a new Prince walks into the royal family," Twilight said as she mimicked Cadance, stopping beside Celestia on the side opposite Cadance.
"A Prince from the royal family, one to become the symbol of hope," Luna added as she stepped beside her sister. "Please welcome my son, Prince Eclipse!"
As the four ruling Princesses parted to allow Eclipse to step forward, the crowd erupted into loud cheers once more. Eclipse reached the edge of the balcony and cleared his throat, causing the crowd to go silent once again.
As Eclipse opened his mouth to speak, a knife embedded itself in the balcony beside Eclipse's foot. Everyone looked up to see several pegasi dressed in crimson red.
"DIE, FAKE PRINCE!" one of the cloaked figure in the crowd said as they pulled the hood down, revealing pony ears and a horn.
The pony aimed their horn at Eclipse, it lighting up as a spell charged itself.
There was the clicking sound characteristic of a disengaging safety and loading gun sounding in the pony's left ear.
"I would think twice before doing that, if I were you." The owner of the gun had a young-sounding, feminine voice.
"Let me eradicate the fake Prince, you scum!" The pony tried to punch the figure holding the gun, but they only managed to pull the hood down, revealing pony ears and a horn. "Y-You're a pony! You should back us up, not fight us!"
The female unicorn shed her cloak. She looked to be about fourteen years old, and had a light magenta coat, blue eyes, long, two-toned teal and white hair and a matching tail. She was wearing extremely light, pink-colored Plastal armor. "I vowed to protect all beings, including humans and hybrids." She looked around. "Unlike most ponies, I know humans are capable of compassion, and I believe the same goes for hybrids." Her expression turned sad for just an instant as she struck the other pony on the head with her gun's handle.
"Come help us, Nova!"
Nova smiled and turned to face who had spoken to her. "Coming!"
The two remaining cloaked figure shed their cloaks as well. One was a pegasus mare. She looked to be twenty-five years old, and had a burnt orange coat, vivid green eyes, short burgundy hair and a matching tail. She was wearing blood red Plastal armor and had a heavy energy rifle held in a single hand. The other was a man. He looked to be twenty years old, and had pale skin, steel blue eyes and short auburn hair. He was wearing white Plastal armor and held an assault rifle.
The man raised his rifle and aimed at one of the pegasi's wing and fired a volley of bullets. They hit and the pegasus fell to the ground while the crowd dispersed quickly due to the assault rifle's sound.
One of the guards present got out of his daze at last. "P-PROTECT THE ROYAL FAMILY!" he barked, causing the other guards to snap back to reality.
"Oy! About time you got your act together!" the pegasus mare told the retreating guards.
"Cut it out, Gale. We've got a job to do," the man told the pegasus mare as he shot another volley of bullets at another of the flying pegasi.
"It's not her fault if she's so acidic, JP-kun!" Nova replied to the man as she reached her two companions.
"Nova, please stop calling me that!" JP nearly shouted. He instead vented by emptying his rifle's clip into several wings of pegasi.
Five minutes later, all the red-garbed ponies had been defeated and gathered. Quickly, the Royal Knights' Corp surrounded the three beings that had accomplished the feat.
"In the name of the Crown, you are all under arrest!" Harvest said as every Knight pointed their weapons at JP, Gale and Nova.
Gale raised her heavy energy rifle and aimed at the Knights in front of her.
JP raised his hand in a gesture meaning 'hold it'. "Don't, Gale."
Gale gritted her teeth but lowered her weapon.
Harvest took a step forward. "Now come with--"
A figure dropped from the sky in front of Harvest. "Now, now, that isn't the way to treat allies, is it?"
The figure straightened, revealing a tall man with black hair and dark skin.
"Sensei!" "Commander!"
"Hey kids!" the man said to JP, Gale and Nova. "Glad to see you all alive."
Harvest gritted her teeth. "Out of my way, human."
"Stand down, Captain Harvest," Celestia said as she, Twilight, Cadance, Luna, Soleira, Eclipse and Sky approached the circle of Knights.
"Yes, your highness," Harvest growled. "All Knights, lower your weapons!"
"Thank you for protecting my nephew," Celestia said.
"Nephew?" Nova asked, a finger tapping her chin thoughtfully.
"Yes, my nephew," Celestia explained as she gestured at Eclipse.
"Ooooh, the cute Prince," Nova stated, causing Sky to grip her bo staff tightly and glare.
Celestia chuckled. "Yes, him. Once again, thank you." Celestia bowed her head slightly at the four beings in front of her.
The man rubbed the back of his head. "It was nothing, really. We just did our job."
The man's voice made Luna's heart bounce in her chest. She looked intently at him. "Sh-Shinichi?"
The man looked at Luna with a loving care in his dark blue eyes. "Yes, my lovely Princess. It is I, Shinichi, and I have returned to serve you once more." He knelt down in front of Luna and kissed her hand.
Gale and JP groaned at their Commander's antics.
"This is so romantic!" Nova exclaimed, hands clasped together and stars in her eyes.
"Shut up," Gale said as she pushed down on Nova's head.
"I think you owe Eclipse apologies, sir," Sky said to Shinichi.
"I believe you are right, Sky," Shinichi said as he got up. He turned to face his son, who was looking down, his hands curled up into fists."Listen, Eclipse, I--"
"Where were you?" Eclipse interrupted his father.
Shinichi tried to explain but Eclipse cut him once again.
"Where were you during all those years?" Tears fell from Eclipse's face to the ground.
Shinichi tried to reach Eclipse with his hand but it was slapped away by Eclipse, who glared daggers at Shinichi. Green energy began gathering around Eclipse's fists.
"You left me alone for thirteen years..." Eclipse's sobs were gaining in intensity, his whole body shaking.
"Listen Eclipse. I'm sorry I left you!" Shinichi explained. "I didn't want to, but I had no choice!"
"I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!" Eclipse yelled as he lunged at his father, his glowing, green fist pulled back.
Eclipse's punch hit Shinichi square on the nose. For a moment, everything seemed to stop as the energy gathered in Eclipse's fist was freed and channeled through the punch. Shinichi's head rolled back and he was sent flying several meters back. His body hit the ground like a ragdoll.
"SENSEI!" "COMMANDER!" "SHINICHI!"
Gale, JP, Nova and Luna rushed to Shinichi's side as the roar of engines suddenly began overhead. A moderatly sized ship landed nearby and a young human girl came out of it. She looked to be fourteen years old and was wearing a red jumpsuit and flight googles rested on her forehead. She had short, pale blue hair done in twin pigtails and red eyes. She ran straight to Shinichi.
"Are you alright, sir?!" she asked with her juvenile voice.
Shinichi raised his head and looked at the worried expressions over him. "I'm fine." He coughed a bit. "Thanks for asking, Suna. Damn, that packed quite a punch."
JP straightened up quickly and walked away. "Yup, he's fine," he said.
Luna and Suna helped Shinichi up. "Thanks." He turned his head towards Eclipse. "During after that raid thirteen years ago, I left the group to go see your mother." Shinichi sighed. "After our meeting, I left and was on my way back when--"
"I don't care," Eclipse said. "Right now, I can't care. I can't forgive you. Someday, I might, but not now."
Eclipse turned around and went back in the castle. "I'll go talk to him," Sky said before going after Eclipse.
Silence reigned over the gathered beings for a while after Sky had left. Eventually, it was broken by Shinichi.
"I should have seen that coming," Shinichi said with a sigh. "What a great father I am. Never was there for him."
Luna put a hand on his shoulder. "You can still make up for it. Both of our children."
Shinichi looked quizzically at Luna. "'Both of our children'? As in, two kids?"
Luna smiled warmly at Shinichi but said nothing as Soleira approached them. She looked at Shinichi with a quizzical expression similar to his.
"Daddy?" she asked.
Shinichi's eyes began to tear up, but he would deny it was because of the emotion, instead saying he had dust in his eyes. "I think so," he said.
"Daddy!" Soleira leapt at Shinichi's neck to hug him.
. . . . .
The star shone brightly in the moonless sky. A figure stood atop one of the tallest skyscraper of Sun City, their cloak flapping in the strong, cold breeze the altitude brought. They glanced over the sleeping city-state that housed the head of the Solar Republic's government, a wicked smile spread acoss their concealed face. A crow landed on the edge of the roof, cawing ominously.
"Soon, their heads will roll and their blood will drip, my friend," the figure said, apparently talking to the crow.
The crow cawed in an almost affirmative way.
"We will soon be the victors and they will be dead."
Another affirmative caw from the crow. It flapped its wings, taking off. It landed on the figure's shoulder, cawing once more, this time apparently saying more than just 'yes'.
"Indeed, my friend. The gears of our scheme are finally turning. It is only a matter of waiting patiently until the fruit of our labor is ripe and ready for the taking."
The figure looked out over the city once more. The crow cawed again.
"Yes, they might be a slight hindrance, but nothing we cannot handle." Another caw from the crow. "Have faith, my friend. Have faith." The figure then laugh manically as the crow took off, just as a murder of crows passed by.
Once the murder of crows had passed, the figure was nowhere in sight, but their laugh still echoed in the cold night air.