Night Reigns

by tursi

Chapter 28 - Yesterday's Storm

Sterling Honor watched while Sunset Shimmer and Princess Luna negotiated their upcoming travel to the north. His mind was already making the necessary plans to carry out the Princess' order. He would need reconnaissance, he would need to organize a guard prepared for the long march, he would need provisions...

All at once his ears perked to the Princess ending the discussion.

"But we shall have to see what it is. Go now."

Sterling saluted sharply and turned towards the door, glancing back only long enough to ensure that Sunset Shimmer was prepared to follow. When she moved he set off at a gallop, running down the stairs as rapidly as he dared.

He heard Sunset behind him, moving with a little more caution. She called out in frustration. "Slow down, just for once in your life!" she called. "The last thing I want to do is to break my neck falling down these stairs!"

He grimaced, but forced himself to slow his pace, allowing her to catch up. When they reached the bottom, he turned to her. "Level ground, no broken necks. All right? Now we gallop. We have very little time to get you ready."

He paused just long enough for her to see that he was serious, and then he set off towards the barracks. With a sigh audible over his own galloping hooves he heard Sunset start up after him. The two of them arrived at the barracks just a few seconds apart. Sterling smirked at her.

"You know, if you didn't complain so much, you'd actually make quite a good recruit. Not many civilians can keep up with me."

Sunset panted softly and shook her head. "And if you didn't..." she started, but she was interrupted when Sterling shouted into an open door.

"Sergeant Impulse! Front and center!"

Sunset snickered when the Sergeant appeared in his doorway. He cast only a quick glance at Sunset before coming to attention before the Captain and saluting sharply.

"Something funny, Ms. Shimmer?" asked Sterling Honor.

"Where's his mane?" smirked Sunset, giggling.

Sterling rolled his eyes, "Behave yourself," he replied, "or I'll team you up with Corporal Stratosphere."

Sunset stopped smirking.

"Sergeant Impulse," continued Sterling. "I need you to organize our ponies immediately for travel to the Frozen North. The Queen has demanded a mixed squad, and they will need to be outfitted to deal with the cold. We do not know what we will be facing, but reports are that the Sun Princess Celestia is our target."

Impulse's eyes widened, and his lips tightened. "Y..yes sir!" he responded.

"I will return to inspect the troops in thirty minutes. On your way, unlock the armory so that I may prepare Ms. Shimmer here to escort the Queen."

Impulse managed to look even more surprised, and he eyed Sunset suspiciously. "But sir," he began. "In the Queen's current state... is that wise?"

"Those are her wishes, Sergeant, are you questioning your orders?"

Impulse snapped back to attention and saluted again. "Sir! No Sir!"

"Then to your duties! Dismissed!"

Impulse snapped his hooves and then turned aside, galloping down the road. Sterling looked back to Sunset.

"I appreciate that you have won the trust of the Queen, but you'll forgive me if I ask that you continue to treat my guard with respect. We will support you as we have been ordered, but you are still a serious criminal in my eyes, and until you face those charges you will remain a pony of interest. Do I make myself clear?"

Sunset frowned, and then nodded. "Yes... I'm sorry. That was very rude of me."

"It was," replied Sterling, turning down the road Impulse had run down. "If you must know, it was by my order that he looks like that, and I have all the respect in the world for that soldier. Come now, the armory is around the corner here. I know exactly what you need."

Sunset followed him, letting some of her smirk return. "No gallop this time?"

Sterling chuckled. "Hm. Wait for it," he responded.

Sunset trotted a few steps to catch up and then walked alongside Sterling. "I don't get you, though. I mean... you seem so absolutely certain of yourself. How can you follow Nightmare Moon after all she's done?"

"Oh? And what has she done?" Sterling replied.

"Are you serious? She overthrew Celestia and cast Equestria into eternal night! She led by fear and shut down everything Celestia ever built! She took away our home!"

"Funny," replied Sterling, stopping before an open door and motioning Sunset to enter. "She gave me mine."

Ten years ago, I was a member of Celestia's Royal Guard. I was headstrong and an idealist. I worked directly underneath the Captain of the Guard – Captain Hardbottom. He was an angry stallion... always shouting, never satisfied. But he was also experienced and he had been with Princess Celestia for a long time, so I trusted him even when his orders seemed inefficient. When his guard was down, he had fascinating stories about when diplomatic missions went wrong. Equestria usually didn't learn about Celestia's failures... but did you never wonder what happened to trade with the Griffin Kingdom, or why the dragons refused to acknowledge our leadership?

Celestia was a powerful alicorn and she had Equestria's best interests at heart, but it seemed like she was always second-guessing herself. She would err on the side of caution even when the consequences of that error were worse than being forward would have been. She acted like a pony whose confidence had been shattered – in fact it's not unreasonable to believe that it had been.

Hardbottom was there in Ponyville when Nightmare Moon returned from her exile, although I was not. Instead I was charged with defense of Canterlot Castle while he went on ahead to prepare things for the Princess. I suppose I was one of the first ponies to see Nightmare Moon... although at the time I did not connect her with the old mare's tale. At first, I did not know who I was seeing.

I was on guard in the hallway leading to Princess Celestia's study. She was preparing for her flight to Ponyville when a cloud of purple smoke whisked right past me. I was startled, but I gave chase. I felt a terrible chill when it turned into the study and I drew my weapon, shouting to warn the Princess.

"Princess! Take caution!!"

Before I could reach the study itself, the doors slammed shut and a glow surrounded them. I slammed my shoulder against them with the full force of my charge, but they would not move. I struck the door repeatedly and I even tried several spells to no effect. Concerned, I paused to listen, and I heard voices.

Sterling levitated a set of chain-mail armor towards Sunset. "Put this on," he ordered. "A light mail, just in case."

Sunset took the mail into her own levitation spell, and her eyes widened. "You call this light?" she asked.

"You'll be glad for it if you need it," replied Sterling, speaking more authoritatively. "Put it on." He paused a moment, then resumed his story. "I heard voices, as I said..."

"You cannot win," Celestia was saying. "The Elements of Harmony will always protect this land."

"Hah!" sneered the second voice, whom I now know was Nightmare Moon. "I know just as well as you that you cannot wield the Elements. I have already been to secure them and I found them worthless. You have destroyed them, no doubt by attacking ME!"

"Others will rise," insisted Celestia. "Please..."

"Silence! All you have proven is that Harmony is just another lie! That every bond may be broken! And now I will repay the favors you've done for me."

"Luna, please! I do not want to fight you."

"I told you last time, dear sister. I am NIGHTMARE MOON. And now it is time for you to take a leave of absence."

A brilliant light began to seep around the edges of the door and I charged it again, battering it to try and make it move. I should have called for the guard, but my only thought was to get into that room before it was too late.

And then suddenly, it was. The doors swung open and I fell forward, my weapon spinning across the floor as I lost control of it. She was standing right in front of me, looking down at my awkward pose with such an expression of confidence and power. I'd seen Princess Celestia up close, of course, but she had never been focused on me. She was usually more focused on whatever decision was troubling her. Nightmare Moon carried herself with a confidence that enveloped me. She just stood there, looking at me.

I didn't move, save to look up, and I didn't speak. I lost myself as my eyes met hers – even my fear evaporated. It only lasted an instant, but it felt like forever. Then she turned, walked around me, and left the room. She wasn't in a hurry and she didn't say anything. I later learned that her next stop was Ponyville.

"So you're in love with Nightmare Moon?" asked Sunset incredulously. "I guess that explains a lot, but..."

"It's not like that," replied Sterling, levitating over the first saddlebag, which was packed near bursting. "She just commanded so much respect in that instant... I felt like for the first time in my career that somepony KNEW what to do next. She had so much power around her that she was a natural leader. But that wasn't all."

I snapped out of it and immediately searched the room for Princess Celestia. Finding no trace, I sounded the alarm and briefed the guards. We were too late to find anything, of course, and we didn't learn what happened in Ponyville until many hours later.

We learned after Nightmare Moon returned to the castle and announced that she herself was the new ruler of Equestria – a Queen to replace the failed Princesses. Some of the guard challenged her immediately – they were merely swatted aside. Her power was beyond anything that any of us were prepared to deal with.

I was torn... but my pledge was to Equestria. Plunging the country into civil war would not be in anypony's best interests, so until such time as we knew better, I aligned myself with the guard who chose to accept her rule – which included my mentor. But many guards did leave. They were permitted to leave with a warning against open dissent. Even so, some did attempt to form groups aimed at unseating Nightmare Moon's rule. I know, because I personally shut many of them down. But I am getting ahead of myself.

The guard changed a great deal in those first months. The night encouraged darker ponies to crawl out of the woodwork, from every nook and cranny of Equestria. Dark of soul, I mean, and they came to join the guard based on a vision of serving the 'dark' Queen. Hardbottom accepted them just to bolster our numbers in the face of resistance, but the quality of the guard suffered and many of the new guard were cruel beyond their rightful limits.

Nightmare Moon was strict, yes, and she was a dictator, yes. But I did not see her as evil. Celestia had been just as firm on certain policies, after all. And so these new ponies bothered me greatly. I began to lose faith that I had made the right choice. I had heard that the Wonderbolts had set up a resistance camp and I began to wonder whether a unicorn could join them. But I never forgot her eyes... that memory would come to me in moments of doubt.

All at once, I was summoned for an audience. Guilt over my thoughts of treason and stories of ponies vanishing all flooded to my mind at once and I began to doubt my belief of her good side. But I steeled my will and presented myself before her throne. I was so nervous that I just buried my muzzle in the carpet when I bowed, and waited for the end.

She was quiet for a moment before speaking.

"You were the guard on duty in the tower on the night that I returned to Canterlot. Is this correct?"

It was the first time she had ever spoken to me, and her voice sent chills down my spine. Every word was spoken with strength and conviction.

"Yes, Your Majesty," I replied. My words must have been a bit muffled, because she sounded a little annoyed when she replied.

"Remove your muzzle from the carpet and address me directly!"

I snapped to attention. "Yes, Your Majesty!" I repeated.

"You did not attack me," she commented.

"N.. No, Your Majesty."

"You did not call for backup."

"No, Your Majesty." I have to admit that by this point I felt very small.

"You fell on your face and did not move." I swear she smirked as she said this one, but I was trying not to look into her eyes.

"Y... yes, Your Majesty."

"Why?" This question was direct and very pointed, and she watched me carefully.

"I... I could not, Your Highness."

"Frightened?" she demanded.

"I... no, Your Majesty."

She leaned forward a little bit. "Then what?" she insisted.

I was not sure how to reply... I barely knew myself what had come over me on that day. Finally I spoke the only truth I could think of. "In... awe, Your Majesty."

She snarled. "You dare to patronize me? I would not hesitate to destroy you!"

Then I said the stupidest thing I've ever said in my life. "But you didn't, Your Highness."

Sunset smirked. "You did not," she replied. "How are you still standing here if you did?"

"Most ponies would say you were right about that, but that triggered something in her..."

She stared at me for a long time, long enough that even though I've been trained to hold at attention in the face of an inspection, I started to get very nervous. When at last she spoke again, her words left me speechless.

"Why is the Royal Guard so lacking in discipline?" she demanded.

I don't mind confessing that those words chilled me to the core. I did my best to save myself. "If I have offended your Majesty, I can only apologize. I meant only to speak honestly!"

But she only waved a hoof and finally broke off the piercing gaze. She turned back towards her throne as she spoke. "Not you, Captain. But I speak of everypony else."

Again I was caught off guard, but I felt it important to stay honest. "I... my apologies, ma'am. I'm only second in command. I can fetch Captain Hardbottom for you...?"

She smirked back at me, turning around again. "Mister Hardbottom," she emphasized, "will be on vacation for quite some time. In the meantime, Captain, you will bring up discipline in the Guard to a level worthy of Canterlot. Do I make myself clear?"

Stunned though I was, I fought to keep my composure. I snapped back to attention and saluted. "Yes, ma'am! Thank you ma'am!"

She waved a hoof again as she settled down onto her throne. "Good," she commented, starting to sound bored. "Away with you, then. I will call for you when I desire a report."

Sterling levitated the second saddlebag over to Sunset, who accepted it with her magic and a grimace. "So that was that, then?" she asked. "You took over the guard and it was 'evilly ever after'?"

Sterling frowned. "Given the liberties being granted to you, you could offer a little more in the way of respect, if not outright manners."

Sunset sighed softly, adjusting the saddlebags across her back. "I guess you're right. You could have just tossed me in prison, and you didn't. Nightmare Moon could have banished me to the moon, and she didn't. But I can't help but think it's only because you both expect me to betray Princess Celestia."

Sterling fixed her with a stern look. "If the powers have unbalanced her and created a monster, would you choose Celestia or Equestria?"

Sunset winced at the question and for a moment had no response. Before she started to speak, Sterling continued.

"Pray that you do not have to choose," he advised. "But if you do, make sure that you have thought about what the right choice is. Are you ready?"

"Yes, almost... but wait. I still don't understand WHY you follow her orders with such passion."

"It is my duty," replied Sterling simply. But after a pause, he added, "But, after I tightened up the guard, she came to call on me for other issues. She would ask me questions about the citizens, about business, and she would weigh my answers even if I didn't know. Even when she didn't take my advice, I felt like she honestly considered it. I came to deeply appreciate those times that we would talk about Equestria."

"So I was right! You DO love her!" Sunset crowed.

Sterling grimaced. "You're being rude again. No... I do not consider myself on her level at all. It's a professional respect... and a feeling that she was judged unfairly and deserved somepony who would be honest with her. I had even begun to consider her some form of friend, until that wolf showed up."

Sunset blinked. "You mean Ulfrid? What's his story?"

Sterling frowned and shook his head. "We have delayed long enough. Back to the tower now: double-time!"

Comments

[wlam]

“It's not like that,” replied Sterling, levitating over the first saddlebag, which was packed near bursting. “She just commanded so much respect in that instant... I felt like for the first time in my career that somepony KNEW what to do next. She had so much power around her and she was a natural leader. But that wasn't all.”

I really like this bit. It just explains the situation so well, probably better even than you thought it did. Nightmare Moon does not rule by competence or skillful decisions. Her position is maintained by not revealing the kind of honest flaws and doubts that better governments would and by not admitting that she has the weaknesses she must have, because everyone does. She rules by charisma and making people believe in her infallibility... which is how the vast majority of the last century's popular dictators rose to power. She's certainly not as bad as some of ours, but for all intents and purposes, Nightmare Moon is ponyland's Mussolini.

[Xzrea]

7651151
Actually, charisma was a must in Middle ages. In that times, people weren't following their leader because he/she is "chosen by election" or "is a general of Army". There weren't normal armies, with clear ranks and tacticians and etc. There were mostly knights and a bunch of people a knight takes with him, and mercenaries. Both were following a strong leader, cause he's strong. He wouldn't admit his wrongs, as this is a show of weakness.
Not to mention, that most "better governments would" only reveal their flaws if somebody inside benefits from it, like by blaming previous President. Well, Celestia could, maybe, but her regime was an utopia to some extent.

[wlam]

7651293
Yeah, let's not make this into a politics debate, especially if your opinion on it comes from half-remembered factoids about what the middle ages were "supposedly" like.

[Xzrea]

7651299
Well, my reason is not politics, it is that a value of a single personality was far greater than novadays, at least because there was less people. So as Nightmare Moon comes from Equestria 1000 years ago, there's a reason to think she has a powerful personality.

[Empty Shelf]

Wow. I really hope I'm supposed to find Sterling's justification shallow and awful, because that's certainly how it comes off to me.

By all accounts, Nightmare Moon was a terrible ruler who cared nothing for the lives or welfare of her subjects. What little description there is of her foreign policy makes Sterling's criticism of Celestia seem laughably hypocritical.

[wlam]

7651743
It's amazingly realistic for all the wrong reasons, though, isn't it? This is what military/fascist coups are powered by: people who feel ineffectual and disillusioned by their government having human weaknesses.

[Empty Shelf]

7651859 In a way, though I'm not sure it entirely works here. Nightmare Moon's coup wasn't driven by moral or ideological reasoning. It was pure vanity and spite, and she was up-front about that. One has to be particularly vapid to believe in the cause of "Because I said so."

[wlam]

7651993
And yet, people have historically done so over and over. The idea of a strong leader for its own sake is basically one of the cornerstones of fascism. A strong country, a strong military, a strong leader. It's basically a cult of personality - it doesn't function without someone to worship. Sterling would have made a great Nazi, the kind you can write a historical novel about. I'm entirely aware that this may not be remotely what Tursi had in mind there, but the parallels are just far too strong to not acknowledge how really, really well that works, in my eyes.

And yes, it's massively stupid. That's what makes it such a great imitation of life - the 20th century ran on that particular kind of stupidity.

[Empty Shelf]

7652000

The idea of a strong leader for its own sake is basically one of the cornerstones of fascism. A strong country, a strong military, a strong leader.

Except, that's not what she stands for. Her platform wasn't "Only I can keep you safe," or "Only I can make you great," or any of the usual suspects. It was "I'm taking away the sun, assuming the throne, and you all get to live." Even totalitarian regimes claim to be "for the people," but she doesn't even claim that much.

One might be compelled to serve under a regime like that, but one would be hard-pressed to find it inspiring.

[wlam]

7652077
You're completely right there... but that isn't why Sterling serves her, is it? He does serve her on that "strong leader who will bring us respect in foreign politics and make America Equestria GREAT AGAIN!" policy. It's stated very outright in this chapter. It may not be what Nightmare Moon actually stands for, but it resoundingly what he sees in her.

[Empty Shelf]

7652086 I can see that. It reflects rather poorly on him that he's spent ten years in denial, but that's his character I guess.

It does serve to make him less interesting, though. Now we know the reason he serves this self-destructive, totalitarian regime without question for a decade is...he's an idiot. I hope he gets called out on it, because him trying to maintain the high-ground in this chapter was painful to read.

[wlam]

7652107
I guess I may have had different expectations. He's an army thug working for Little Miss "Eternal Night Will Make Everyone Love Me!" I was completely expecting it to be either a massively stupid or massively self-centered reason for why he's willing to sell out everyone and everything else over some personal hang-up, because that's what it would actually take to work for someone that idiotic. I'm just personally impressed by how well this reflects a real-world personality type who would actually go for that.

I'll have to say that this isn't a bad thing - not every character needs to be sympathetic. Sometimes, having someone who's a complete bone-headed ass is exactly what works for a story. It's understandable that you'd be disappointed in the character as a person... but this is no reason to blame the story for providing a character who actually fits into that niche.

[Empty Shelf]

7652120 Frankly, I was simply hoping for a compelling character.

So much text has been spent following Sunset and Sterling, and there's no substance to either one of them. Luna has some depth, but she's pretty pathetic. And then there's Celestia, who is being puppeteered by dark powers.

I still kind of want to see how this ends, but I don't have anyone to root for...

[wlam]

7652181
I can get where you're coming from... but still, it would be a shame to blame the story for what's technically a great and very fitting characterization, just not a very likable one. That it actually has the balls to make Sterling everything that is bad about people in this kind of situation is honestly more interesting and does more to endear this story to me than any sympathetic Freudian backstory could have been. It really stands out, if nothing else.

[Empty Shelf]

7652199 You make a good point.

[wlam]

7652219
You know, it's a shame I never see you commenting on any other stories. You seem like a very sensible person. I haven't had discussions as civil as in this story's comments here in ages.

[Empty Shelf]

7652261 Thank you, and the feeling is mutual.

[tursi]

muhahaha. I might have a couple surprises left. Appreciate the polite discussion, thanks guys! I don't have much to add... my real problem is that /I/ love Nightmare Moon too much (I'm not in the story, though ;) ).

[Night Spark]

Been a member of the site for a while and boy let me tell you it's refreshing reading something like this. Interesting characters with good development and nothing over the top. I can't wait for updates!

[princessmercury]

yeaaaaah! Imwish i could type up a detail comment but im just happy. get tomlearn more about the gaurds backstory.

[tursi]

So having spent the last hour and a bit reviewing the last part of the story, I decided to investigate the outright removal of Stratosphere from the story. Comments about the others aside, Stratosphere's got nothing but his crush on Sunset, which amused me at first, but doesn't give him anything to strive for (because he's not going to win her.) I went through everything he's done, and at best he's been a single cog on a gear, and I think I can rework those sections.

I know there's one vote below for disliking him, anyone who actually DOES like him? Or can I erase him? ;)

[CommanderBigMac]

7854128
If nothing else, I find stratosphere amusing. His constant struggle between army protocal and 'dude' is hilarious. His back-story is also very unique. I can't recall a similar pegasus from any other story that I've read before.

[DivinePanzer]

Sterling grimaced. "You're being rude again. No... I do not consider

Chapter ends, not sure how much should be there. A sentence? Whole speech?

[tursi]

9812019
Two sentences, a response, and a retort. ;) Strange that it cuts off, but thanks for letting me know! Fixing that now.