Luna Nos Custodit

by Vermilion and Sage

O Bloody Night

Things had gone from bad to worse faster than anyone could have anticipated. It started off quietly, with questioning, lurking informants, and anonymous tip offs. Now it had begun in full, and the Guard had begun rounding up known followers of the Lady Night, forcing those who paid homage to her to gather in secret around Equestria in order to keep from suffering a similar fate. Tales had begun spreading of persecution in prisons. Stories of Guards torturing captured 'cultists' for information regarding the locations, times, and dates of meetings so they could quell the 'uprising' as the propaganda had described it. It had forced those ponies who still followed the teachings of Luna to take even greater steps to avoid being taken away. Meetings were never discussed in public, or hardly anywhere else for that matter, save for at the chosen location. It had become common practice for those who stood firm in their religion to leave subtle signs for one another in various locations. The Children of the Night had gone completely underground.

At least that's what Steel Forge had thought, maybe a little cynically as a low hanging branch cut his cheek, and his hooves pounded the ground. Somepony had tipped off the Guard and the location of the meeting had been compromised. Everypony there was sure they hadn't been followed, going as far as doubling back three or four times just to make sure. Steel was in a full on panic, his heart beating so hard he thought he might just pass out. His entire body was tingly from adrenaline, but he knew better than to slow down. The thought was reinforced whenever he heard branches snap in the not-so-far-off distance, coupled with gruff voices and the clank of the Guards' armor. Ducking his head, Steel broke through the treeline into a clearing, Canterlot visible just on the other side.

The guards broke through the treeline, no more than a few minutes behind him and gaining fast. He made a beeline for a small farm at the edge of the clearing, pleading with his body to carry him just a little farther, promising it that it wouldn't appreciate the terrors of torture and the hooves of the Guards. The motivation seemed to kick in almost instantly and he shoved the discomfort to the back of his mind and kept barreling towards the farm, praying that he was far enough ahead of his pursuers to lose them.

He reached the farm with barely any time to spare. Cornering the barn, Steel looked back and saw the guards cresting the hill adjacent to the farm complex. Breathing heavily, but trying to wrangle it, Steel opened the side door of the barn as quietly as his shaking hooves could manage and slipped inside, closing it behind him and began looking for a decent place to hide. Suitable locations were everywhere in the darkened room, but none of them would've stood up to a lit inspection from unicorn light magic. The galloping hooves grew ever closer and Steel started to panic again as he frantically searched. He head muffled voices outside the barn and the door flew open with a thunderous sound as a guard kicked it in, moonlight streaming in with him.

Steel was about to try to sneak past them when when a leg was pressed sharply over his mouth. A falling sensation followed by rustling and a lot of itching overcame him as he was yanked back into a pile of un-baled hay. His savior, or potential captor held him down firmly, despite Steel’s struggling.

“Stay quiet and don't move if you want to stay free.”

Steel didn't dare nod in acknowledgment to the mare's voice, fearing that even the slightest rustle of hay would be the end of both of them hiding there. He heard the guards turning the place inside out, looking for the two stowaways. The sounds grew louder and closer until he heard hoof steps so close he wanted to groan in fear.

A gruff voice spoke out and pierced the sudden quiet that had descended over the barn. “Sergeant, post outside said they just saw somepony running down the road towards Canterlot!”

“After them, and be quick about it! That little cultist moon-lover won't see the light of the moon again for a long, long time!”

Steel almost let out a sigh of relief, but caught himself as the guards left the barn and galloped away from the farm. The hoof removed itself from his mouth and planted on his back, pushing him out of the stack of hay rather abruptly. Steel tried to maintain his bearing, but his overtaxed body failed him and left him laying spread eagle on the floor. He cocked his head to the side as the hay rustled again, a mare a little older than him stepped out.

“Just when I thought I'd given them the slip, here you come and almost get us both pinched. You're lucky I was here to save your flank, pretty boy.” She said, a little harshly.

“My undying gratitude.” Steel replied, still mostly trying to get his breathing under control.

The mare stepped into the moonlight streaming from the still open door. Her coat was dark crimson and her mane was a brilliant yellow-white color from what he could tell by the pair of locks poking out from under a black cap. She wore saddlebags and what looked to be a small dagger as well, nothing he'd seen anypony at the meeting carrying and certainly didn't recognize her from anywhere.

“You weren’t at the meeting, so why were you running from the guards?” Steel asked

“I'm a merchant.” She replied, a little enigmatically.

“You don't look the part, honestly.”

“I deal in more...illicitly obtained items.”

“So you're a thief then.”

“I prefer to call it 'alternative acquisition’, but for now the only thing you need to be concerned with is your debt.”

“Debt? Elaborate.” Steel said dryly.

“Well you're not rotting in a prison right now are you? The way I see it, you owe me. Don't worry about it pretty boy, I'll get my favor when I find use for you.”

With that the mare walked over to the door and peeked outside before exiting and disappearing into the night, leaving Steel on the floor. His body was sore and exhausted, but he had to get home. Struggling to get up, he eventually managed to get to his hooves and shake them out. It felt a little better, but better than 'death warmed over' wasn't hard to achieve at the moment. Walking over to the door he too peeked outside and listened for the sound of hooves and gruff voices before exiting and making for the road, taking care not to stumble on his already precarious balance.

The walk home was uneventful, which suited Steel just fine. He'd had enough excitement for one night and he was ready to get home and crawl into bed. He figured he looked like a complete mess; covered in hay and blood. Steel walked up the steps to his family’s extravagant home, much like many of the others gracing this part of Canterlot. Each step was an agonizing process and he felt like he'd just climbed a mountain with each one. When he finally reached the top and opened the door, the house was dark and quiet, leaving him to think he'd been able to get off clean with the night's adventures.

“And where have you been Steel?”

Steel's heart dropped. Mother. Of all the ponies to catch him coming in at this hour, it had to be his mother. Steel sighed and cringed as the light in the hallway was turned on, flooding his night-adjusted eyes. The sensation felt like having needles stuck into his retinas and he quickly shut his eyes tight to ward off the unpleasant experience.

“Went for a run, mother.” He lied, hoping to avoid too many questions.

“You're filthy! Hay in your mane, and is that a cut? What happened?”

“Just tripped and fell. I'm alright, honest.”

“Alright well get your flank bathed and to bed. Early day tomorrow.” She said before shutting the light off and walking away.

Well that went over well. Steel chided himself while walking down the hall and upstairs to his room. He grabbed a quick shower in the adjoining bathroom and fell into his soft bed directly afterward, cringing every time he moved a part of his body. The warm shower had helped soothe his aching body a little, but not much. He was just about to fall asleep when he rolled onto his side and noticed a faint movement on his desk. Moving his head to the side a little he was surprised to find a note on a string flapping in the night breeze. What surprised him more was that it was secured to his desk with a stiletto knife. He got up and walked over to the desk and pulled the note off and opened it for reading.

Nice place. I helped myself to some of your mother's trinkets. I doubt she'll miss them.
We'll be in touch.
-N.O.

Coughing in shock, he threw the letter down as if it were about to combust. How had that thief been able to find his home? He groaned at the thought of owing somepony a favor who could literally turn his life upside down if he didn't pay up. fear welled up inside him, worse than it had when he'd first seen a guard's blade that night. Steel took the note and knife and stashed them in a drawer before walking clumsily back, and falling into the warm depths of his bed. He had barely closed his eye before his higher functions went into a biological standby mode, sending him off to a much needed sleep.

***

Steel woke early the next morning to the smell of breakfast being cooked downstairs. Looking at the clock he was surprised to see it read just half past eight o'clock, which meant he'd actually gotten a decent night's sleep, despite the events of the previous night. Thinking back on it made Steel worry about the rest of his friends that had gathered in the forest to practice the teachings of Luna under the starlit canopy. He'd hoped that they were all safe and back to their day to day routines, not locked away in some cold and wet cell. The thought gave Steel one more thing to shudder about.

Rolling out of bed, he looked himself over in the mirror and found that the scratch he'd gotten last night was actually a bit worse than it had felt. The cut went from just past the ear under the jawline, to about an inch and a half away from the corner of his mouth. Steel reasoned that the adrenaline had kept him from really feeling it at the time, but it was now tender to the touch and puffy with the beginning stages of infection. Fortunately for him, his family had a personal medical assistant, provided by the very generous amounts of gold his father made, that could take care of the cut before it got worse. Even more fortunately for him, she was also a Child of the Night, which meant that no awkward questions would come of it.

Steel stared at himself for another moment before making his bed in the fashion that his father had taught him; crisp folds and a seemingly pointless triangle on either side. Finishing that, he placed a book over the mark left in the desk from the stiletto knife left by the thief that had saved his hide the night prior. Steel took another look around the room and made some small adjustments around the area to bring it back into his much loved nice and tidy state before walking downstairs, taking in the aroma of eggs, haybacon and toast.

Rounding the corner into the kitchen, Steel saw his father, Gauntlet Strike, reading the morning edition of Canterlot Times with a look of satisfaction. Something good must've happened for his father to be smiling this early in the morning. Steel went about making his plate, filling it with small portions to save some for the rest of the family.

“Good morning Steel. Have a good run last night?”

Steel almost asked 'what run?' but caught himself and nodded, remembering what he'd told his mother last night. Looking up from his breakfast, Steel found his father looking at him with the same critical gaze that a Lieutenant in the Royal Guard gave to his subordinates. Steel almost felt sick under the stare.

Gauntlet Strike had been an officer in the Guard for some time before being wounded in a battle with the Griffin Empire. He'd since taken up his original trade of blacksmithing, and was now the primary arms producer for the Guard. Steel was likewise studying at the University for metalworking, a trade his father had insisted upon instead of letting Steel take on his own path on the study of astrology. Gauntlet had told Steel once 'why not learn the trade of a real stallion instead of keeping your eyes on the stars?'

“It was alright. Took a fall and got a little cut up.” Steel replied evenly.

“I see that. Be sure to give Tender Leaf a visit to get it cleaned up.”

“Yes, father.” Steel said, again evenly between bites of his food.

“Did you read the good news?” Gauntlet asked.

“New orders?”

“Better than that! The Guard got a tip off last night, and raided a meeting of those moon-loving fools. Caught them all by surprise. Says here that four of them resisted arrest and were cut down on the spot for high treason.” Gauntlet said, looking accomplished.

“That's...great news father. I'm sure they deserved it for being sacrilegious.” Steel commented, his heart falling.

No longer hungry for the mash of eggs in his mouth, Steel forced himself to keep chewing slowly. His friends were dead, at the blades his own father had forged. It took every ounce of self control, that his father had quite literally on several occasions beaten into him while he was growing up, to not let it slip that his friends were peaceful and wouldn't have fought back. The leader of their chapter had made it clear that fighting back would only provoke those in power to take more drastic measures again the Children, whom were neither armed nor trained to handle such actions.

“You don't sound excited Steel. Is something wrong?”

Forcefully swallowing the food, Steel fought back the urge to vomit and answered. “No father. I'm just a little tired. I have to get going. Class in an hour.”

He didn't even bother finishing his breakfast, and cleared the uneaten bits into the garbage. He left the room feeling sick to his stomach and headed to the office of the family nurse. Relief tempered his sorrow upon seeing the seven pointed star subtly etched into the door frame, marking it as a safe place for Children to come, should they need medical assistance. Knocking on the door, Steel opened it and walked in, seeing Tender Leaf sitting at her desk looking worse for wear. She must've heard the news as well.

“Steel! I'm so glad to see you're alright! Did you hear?” She was nearly in tears as Steel shut the door behind him.

“I did...” Steel replied, equal sadness in his voice.

“Mist Weaver, Starry Skies, and the Quillnote brothers. All cut down. Valor Call is in anguish and Stone Drift is calling for blood. It took three stallions to hold Stone down long enough for him to settle down.” Tender Leaf said, tears rolling down her face.

The news was devastating enough without the names, but hearing that Mist had been killed was a blow to Steel. The two had started becoming rather close over the last few months. The Quillnote bothers being killed seemed to be an impossibility. They were perhaps the best at causing chaos of the good kind. Starry Skies was Stone Drift's little sister, so it was no wonder he was irate enough to want to charge into Canterlot single-hoofidly and fight the first guard he saw. He'd always been hot tempered and often clashed with Valor Call over the peaceful ways the Children demonstrated, arguing that no progress would ever be made by being sheep in a wolf's den.

Steel shook his head, still trying to take in the news. Mist had become a close friend, a very close friend. He knew her better than anypony in both a physical and mental capacity. He felt guilty, reasoning that her death was his fault for convincing her to come to the meeting last night and stay the night with him afterwards.

“Steel, I know what you're thinking and it's not true, okay sweetie? She knew the risks. We all did. It's not your fault.”

“I asked her to go. How is it not my fault?” Steel asked through a tightly clenched jaw, staring at the floor.

Tender Leaf sighed and stood up from her desk, walking around it to embrace Steel. His father had taught him that crying was for mares and colts, so Steel did not cry. His ragged breathing was enough for Tender Leaf to know he was in a great deal of pain.

“Just don't do anything rash Steel. Remember what Valor always says. 'Violence begets violence.' We don't need it getting worse than it already is.”

Steel breathed heavy for a moment, getting himself back together, nodding in response and wincing a little as he felt Tender Leaf touch his cheek where he'd been cut. He'd forgotten all about it momentarily, and now felt that it was a small price to pay for living, rather than being slain at the blade and sharing a similar fate with those who'd perished in the night.

“It looks like it's starting to get infected, Steel. I'll whip up a salve for it in just a moment.”

Tender Leaf released Steel and went over to a cabinet filled with different herbs and bottles of liquids with names he couldn't pronounce and pulled several off the shelves along with a small wooden bowl and a grinding stone. Tender Leaf, being an earth pony like Steel, couldn't use magic. However her knowledge of healing remedies could match even the best trained unicorn doctors, albeit with slower results.

Steel waited for a few minutes while Tender Leaf mixed up a concoction that she stowed into a small clear tube. She pushed a small amount of the slightly luminescent golden paste out into her hoof and rubbed it on his cheek. He winced again as the medicine stung for a moment before settling into a halfway itchy and numb feeling, almost like having sat cross legged for too long and having a hoof fall asleep.

“Apply that once every six hours and it'll heal up in a day or two.” Tender Leaf said, giving the tube to Steel.

“Yes ma'am, thank you. Pass my condolences onto Stone if you see him before I do.”

“I will, don't you worry. Valor is calling for an emergency meeting tonight at eleven. It's going to be at the base of the waterfall. There's a small cave there that Stone has been busy mining out with the help of a few others. It's secluded and not on any maps. So long as nopony follows, it should be completely safe.

“I'll be there. I'll just say I've got to stay late at campus to study or something.”

“That's right, now get your flank out of my office and to class.”

Steel nodded and gave Tender Leaf a quick hug before departing. He headed upstairs and grabbed his saddlebags, and was surprised to see the book he'd placed over the hole in the desk moved and yet another stiletto buried into the woodwork. There was no note this time, but it served it's purpose just fine. She knew where he lived, where he slept and could get in at anytime of the day. Steel frowned, concerned that, if given the proper motivation, the thief could be a useful ally, and an even more troublesome enemy. He pulled the knife from the desk and put it in a drawer with the other and replaced the book to cover the hole again before turning about and nearly yelped in surprise. Sitting on the headboard of his bed, casually playing with yet another stiletto, was the mare he'd actually hoped not to see again.

“How in the hell did you?” he stammered, voice raising to match his surprise.

“Shh! Come now, don't want to attract any attention do we?” she asked, a smile being shown through her eyes rather than her mouth, which was covered by a cloth of some sort.

“Right...how in the HELL did you get in here in broad daylight?” Steel asked again, in a voice just above a whisper.

“A good magician never reveals her secrets, Steel.”

“Great, so you know my name now. Fantastic.”

“I know a great deal more than just your name. I also know that you're having a meeting tonight in a secure location.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“Me? Oh I'd never do that. I'm just reminding you about that favor you owe me.” She said, tossing the knife into the air towards Steel.

Steel's eyes left her to track the blade as it spun through the air, and by the time he caught it and looked back she was gone, seemingly vanished into thin air. He felt drained all of the sudden and sighed, tossing the knife onto his bed and leaving it lay there while he left the room. He felt a little paranoid walking past the kitchen where his father was still sitting, sipping on a morning coffee and still reading the paper again with that grin of satisfaction on his face. Steel wanted to go over and knock his teeth in, but immediately suppressed the thought, knowing that Gauntlet could quite potentially kill him with a single well aimed kick.

Outside, the morning glow of the sun held warmth, but no comfort. Four of his friends were no longer alive to see it, no longer living to follow the teachings of the night. He kept a careful, if not slightly paranoid watch on his back to make sure he wasn't being followed while at the same time trying not to look suspicious to the passerby. With his luck, somepony would alert a guard who had just so happened to have seen him close enough last night to recognize him now, and he didn't want any part of that. He kept trotting down the streets of Canterlot towards the University, throwing everything into the back of his mind. The time would come where the Children would pay respects their the departed, but now is was time to play the part of a member of a well respected family that held Celestia in the highest regards.

Comments

[thereareonly2genders]

Hi mike......YOU OBAMA!!!

[Vermilion and Sage]

4194068
Now that's just plain insulting xD go suck start a shotgun.

[Midnight Spark]

Looking really good so far! You've got a like and fave from me, Vermilion. Definitely can't wait for more of this.

[Vermilion and Sage]

4194259

Thanks for the edits! I fixed the major stuff, but left periods where they stood for the most part. I've never heard nor seen commas being used at the end of a dialogue sentence, so I went ahead and left those be. If you would, I'd like to add you on skype so that I have someone alongside Sage to read through my works before I make a fool of myself with petty little mistakes. Also, I apologize for taking so long to get back to you. Work went late tonight and we didn't leave the shop until just after 0300.

[Midnight Spark]

4196950
Commas at the end of dialogue only apply when the dialogue tag comes afterwards.
"That would be correct," Sparky confirmed while nodding sagely. (Just as an example.)

I'd be more than happy to help out!
Don't worry about taking a while getting back to me. I throw newspapers, and edit things. So I just got back home a couple hours ago, anyway.

[Heavyhauler75622]

I usually don't read stories until they're complete, but as a favor, I did read this one...
It's needing some serious punctuation review, and checks of spacing and tabs. I've about given up in clean transfers between Word and the HTML here. I'm writing in Word, then I finish it, copy paste it, then do a straight translate into HTML format tags on the copy to decrease errors when I submit that copy. It's a pain, but it saves on editing.
The story seems to work, initially. I finish my work before submission to hold readers interest, rather than lose them between chapters. I watch other stories to see the drops from chapter to chapter as readers become distracted, and decided to go that way.

Crystalheart

[Spangle]

It's not bad and definitely interesting enough, but there's still quite a few lingering things that could use touching up. Add me on Skype (spangles44) if you want another editor.

FYI, I'm Sage's "boss" on FOBEQ.

[Vermilion and Sage]

4361846

I'm actually fairly certain I have you on skype already from when I first ended up on the FOB a while back.