The Elements of Honor

by Flanagan

Chapter 10: Healing With Time

Princess Luna’s doors opened, the three were standing just outside, unaware of what was going on inside. “Princess Luna, my lady?” Battleaxe said as all three cautiously entered her quarters. “is there something-” Battleaxe and his brothers froze at the sight they were looking upon, a large shadowy alicorn was standing over the broken and bloody body of the Princess, it looked as if he were about to do one of the most unforgivable acts that anypony could think of.

Without hesitation they reacted, “GET OFF OF HER!” Greatsword roared charging head on into the shadowy alicorn, the initial attack caught the monster off guard knocking him away from Princess Luna’s body, “Get her out of here!” Greatsword yelled at his brothers who quickly did as he commanded, “I’ll hold him off, don’t worry about me, just RUN!”

“How very brave of you…” the shadow said as he stood, he was nearly twice the size of Greatsword, “but the line between bravery and getting yourself killed is a very thin one…” the shadow struck Greatsword, sending him flying across the room creating a hole in the wall, “and you crossed it a long time ago…”

Greatsword pulled himself out of his hole, coughing up a small bit of blood, “So long as the innocent live,” he said defiantly towards the shadow “I will stand against you and all those like you, even at the cost of my life.”

“A noble philosophy,” the shadow said to Greatsword, “but everypony I have faced with that logic is now nothing more than dust being spread by the wind.”

“Then spread me across the whole of Equestria!” Greatsword yelled as he charged the shadow again, only to be stopped by his magic.

“Oh I will,” the shadow said with a smile, “and you will feel EVERY bit of it…”

A bolt of silver magic hit the shadow directly, causing him to release Greatsword. He looked back. Battleaxe and Warhammer had returned and they were ready to fight. The three stood against the shadow, they were the only thing that kept him from Princess Luna. If they failed she would be dead and that was not about to happen, but just before they could engage their enemy, the shadow hit his knees screaming in agony.

“DAMNIT NOT NOW!” he yelled in pain, “I CAN KILL THEM!”

“What’s going on here?” Battleaxe said as the three watched in confusion while the shadow seethed in pain.

“NOT NOW! NOT NOW! NOT NOW!” the shadow roared in pain, “LET ME SHOW YOU THAT I-”

Just as quickly as he appeared the shadow was gone, like he was never there. The only evidence that anything even happened were the holes in the walls and the pools of blood on the floor. Greatsword was quickly led by his brothers to where they had hid Princess Luna, she was under a large, recently broken granite statue and freshly torn down curtains and banners. The three looked down at her, uncertain if she was even still alive.

“My lady…” Greatsword said placing his hoof on her broken body, “My lady, it is safe again, the one who attacked you is gone.”

Princess Luna just continued to lie there, unresponsive. Fear began to grip the three, could they have been too late to save the one they had been charged under. The thought continued to fester in their minds as they stood their looking at her, tears filling all their eyes. Warhammer walked towards the Princess and laid down in front of her, just looking at her with his deep silver eyes. He placed his hoof under her seemingly lifeless chin and rose her head to his.

“Luna,” he said in his deep gentle voice, “Luna, the monster that stole that part of your heart is gone, and we are here to help you mend it.”

His words seemed to revive the shattered alicorn, with a loud gasp for air, her eyes shot open. Still in terror she backed further into the corner she was hidden in. She realized that she was surrounded by the three who saved her, with a nervous and fearful voice she asked them, “I-is… is he gone?”

“Yes he is, my lady.” Battleaxe said, reassuring the Princess, “He’s gone.”

“D-did you, did you k-kill him?” the Princess asked them, fear still in her voice.

“No, my lady.” Greatsword said disappointedly, “He vanished before we could engage him.” Greatsword took a few steps towards the Princess, “He was mentioning something about his master. Do you know anything about that?”

Princess Luna looked toward the ground, then back to Greatsword, “No, I know nothing of this ‘master’ he spoke of…” she seemed regretful for not knowing, “so many years ago,” she said tearing up again, “that… that THING stole something that could never be replaced…” she bit her lower, now swollen and busted lip. “And tonight, he tried to do it again, we are truly grateful that you arrived when you did, we don’t think that we would have seen the sunrise if you hadn’t.”

“It is what we do, my lady.” Warhammer said still very close to her, “The sun is about to be risen. Shall we go to your sister and tell her of this event?”

Princess Luna looked back at him, like he did to her. “Yes…” she said “yes we shall. Come ponies we must inform Princess Celestia of the evil at hand.” she rose with Warhammer and the others. The four of them made their way to Princess Celestia’s quarters. They were still very shaken by the experience, but they needed to tell the Princess of the Sun before anything else was to be done.

The group had finally arrived at Princess Celestia’s quarters. Princess Luna knocked on the door, “Sister, it is us, Princess Luna,” she called inward to the room, “we request entry into your quarters, we have urgent matters we wish to discuss with you.”

“You don’t have to ask to come in, Luna,” a gentle voice from the other side of the door called, “you are always welcome in my room.”

The group, led by Princess Luna, opened the door to reveal an extravagantly decorated bed room, complete with a balcony outside and a personal bathroom, golden pillars held a massive ruby red spider silk sheet covered bed with an assortment of luxurious throw pillows of varying sizes. Rugs of all sorts covered the beautifully tiled floor. Massive clothing closets were side by side on the far side of the bed, ornately decorated with the finest jewels. However, with all the splendor that the room had, they could not find the one pony they were looking for.

It was then that they heard the gentle tone again. “In here, sister,” Princess Celestia said, her soft voice coming from her personal bath “I always bathe in the mornings before I raise the sun. It makes me feel even fresher as the new day starts.”

She made her way out of her bathroom, and to the shock of the three who had so fearlessly defended Princess Luna not ten minutes earlier, were thrown into an awkward and utterly embarrassing moment as they saw Princess Celestia, still wet from getting out of her bath. They quickly averted eye contact and ran about the room looking for places to shield their eyes.

“Thou does realize that we always walk around wearing little if no clothing ever, correct?” Princess Luna’s voice was one of embarrassment, not for her, but for her saviors.

Princess Celestia smiled as she saw the three come from out of their hiding places, all with awkward looks about them. She then began to turn to her sister, “Luna to what pleasure do I owe a visit from you and your-” Princess Celestia’s eyes finally met Princess Luna’s face, with shock and horror she saw her sister’s usual beauty thrashed and bloodied, “Luna, what happened to-”

Her gaze fell with rage upon the three that stood in the room as well, with her magic she lifted them off the ground and brought them to her, “DID YOU DO THIS!” she roared “DID YOU DO THIS TO MY SISTER!”

“IT WAS NOT THOSE YOU HOLD IN YOUR MAGICS GRASP, SISTER!” Princess Luna yelled at her sister, trying to make her let go before she could harm them, “IT WAS…” Princess Luna’s voice grew silent, almost as a whisper, “… it was… him…”

Princess Celestia, though still in her anger towards the three, heard her sister’s quiet confession. The rage left her as she placed the three down gently, then she walked towards her sister. “Him?” she asked fearful herself “are you sure it was him?” She lowered herself to her sister’s level, the look on her face was of love and concern, none like anypony had ever seen before.

“We can never forget him, sister…” Princess Luna said to Princess Celestia with misty eyes, “… not after… what he did…” tears began to run down Princess Luna’s face, remembering that horrible night over fifteen hundred years ago.

“My lady,” Greatsword began, “if it is too much pain to remember, then do not answer, but what exactly happened so long ago?”

Princess Luna looked down towards the floor a tear falling down her muzzle. “You don’t have to answer, sister,” Princess Celestia said in a soothing voice, “I can tell them at a later time when you are not present if you wish.”

“No, sister,” Princess Luna looked up to the three who had saved her, “they saved our life, they are at least owed the story of what happened by the one that it happened to.” Princess Luna walked towards the three, looking at all of them she took a deep breath, then she began.

“It was not long after we used the Elements of Harmony to defeat Discord, almost two thousand years ago, that he came to me.” her voice shuttered at the memory, but she continued, “He never told us his name, so we simply called him ‘the shadow’… at that time the ponies shunned the night that we worked so hard to make beautiful for them, he was the only one who loved the night as much as us.” Princess Luna laid down, so she would not tremble so much as she told them her story. “We became very close over five hundred years, we thought we were friends, close friends, but one night. He came to us, he asked us to do something we did not want to do, then… then…” It was hard for her to even think about that word, a word that could come so casually to some, but not Princess Luna, not after what happened to her. “He forced himself upon us…”

“Luna… you never told me that…” Princess Celestia’s face was met with a single tear as she lowered herself to her sister, “Why did you never tell me?”

“We were ashamed,” Princess Luna cried burring her head into her sister’s chest, “we felt awful and sick, we couldn’t tell you, we were afraid you would not understand…”

“I don’t know what to say or how to make you feel better Luna,” Princess Celestia laid down next to her sister, “but if you told me we could have worked together to protect you.”

“We know this now, but then we didn’t,” Princess Luna hung her head as she continued her tale. “We began to study very powerful dark magic to better protect ourselves from him if he were to return, but the magic drove us into the madness that was Nightmare Moon one thousand years ago, I am… sorry.”

“You need not be, my lady,” Warhammer said rising from the floor to approach Princess Luna, “if one keeps such painful memories to themselves, they will consume them before anypony can help them heal that pain. I am honored to aid you in your healing and I will do whatever it takes to help you recover as best you can.” He placed his hoof under Princess Luna’s chin, giving the same deep stare he had before. “Because what he did cannot be forgotten, nor can that spot in your heart be fully replaced, but with the help of those who love you, the scars of the past will not show.”

Princess Luna looked towards Warhammer, his soft but strong voice seemed to bring her back to a time long ago, though she could not recall exactly when. She smiled at Warhammer picking herself up off the floor and then she turned to her sister. “Celestia, we ask of you two things…” she said looking at her sister, with seemingly renewed vigor.

“Anything, Luna.” Princess Celestia responded, as her horn glowed its golden magic, healing her sister’s wounds.

“We ask that you help me in this emotional and physical recovery…” Princess Luna said walking to her sister’s side.

“I will be honored to.” Princess Celestia said, looking down to her sister.

“And,” Princess Luna said turning to the three, “We ask that you release these three from my service, we consider after the events of this night, that their debt is paid.”

“It shall be done.” Princess Celestia said also looking at the three, “My little ponies,” she began, “I hear by decree-”

“Endless pardons, my lady,” Battleaxe interrupted, slightly surprising the royal sisters, “But we still have recruits to train, it is our duty to see them trained to the end.” his brothers nodded in agreement.

The Princesses smiled at the three, then Princess Celestia spoke, “As you wish, if the three of you still desire to continue to train Luna’s forces until your six months is up, then so be it.” She looked to her sister, “Do you have any objection to this, Luna.”

“We do not,” Princess Luna said still looking at the three, in particular, Warhammer, “We do not object in the slightest.”

“Then it is settled,” Princess Celestia said as she looked at the clock on the wall, “it seems that I must be off to raise the sun now. You four need your rest. Luna, you may stay here and rest for the day. You three may return to your quarters now.”

“Yes, my lady” the three said simultaneously as they turned towards the door.

“Thank you…” Princess Luna said towards the three as they walked away. Warhammer looked back and simply nodded at her then he continued with his brothers to their quarters on the other side of the castle.
Warhammer looked back and simply nodded at her then he continued with his brothers to their quarters on the other side of the castle.

“It looks as if we are in good with at least ONE of the Princesses.” Battleaxe said as they continued down the corridor which led to their room.

“That it does brother,” Greatsword replied, smiling at Battleaxe, though he often did not approve of his brother’s humor, it seemed slightly reliving on this one occasion. “and we have Warhammer to thank for that, if he were not so connected with his emotions and those of others, Princess Luna may not have survived the night. Her life is still hers thanks to you.” Warhammer simply nodded at his older brother, smiling back at him.

“Only one thing bothers me though,” Battleaxe said changing the mood of the three, “That ‘shadow’ guy, he has a master, that means something or somepony is far stronger than him, what could possibly have such power to control one who can bring an alicorn like Princess Luna to her knees?”

“It is truly a troubling thought, Battleaxe,” Greatsword replied, “but we must focus on training our recruits, after all we are only training half of them now, in a few months, the other half will need training and we need to be prepared for them as well.”

Greatsword tried to calm the mind of his brother, but in reality he was more troubled than his brother by this fact. Such a powerful foe was only a pawn in something’s master plan. The fact that such a thing would not allow his agent to kill them meant that whatever was in control either believed or knew that they would kill his agent instead, as well as that whatever it was knew who they were in the past. There were those who knew who they were before, but looking deeper into the matter would have to wait, they still had to train their recruits later that night.

The events of that night continued to dwell on Greatsword and his brothers’ minds for some time. If any good had come of it, it came in the way their recruits were trained. Though every member of the 1025th pushed their trainees hard, the three pushed theirs even harder. Months passed and it was evident among all of them who were the best. Princess Luna was so impressed that she allowed the entire unit a small break from their training, but her reasoning behind it was something other than to give all of them a much needed break.

Comments

[Theater Critic]

2766161

Not...really....

[DemonicPinkieGamer]

What did the shadow do, exactly? Rape her or something?

[NoLongerSober]

2779176

It was hard for her to even think about that word, a word that could come so casually to some, but not Princess Luna, not after what happened to her. “He forced himself upon us…”

Ayup.