54. Brought Home
Our train was pulling into the Canterlot station by lunch time. The whole area was in a state of controlled chaos. Royal guards wearing armor of every color and style were swarming the kingdom’s transportation hub, getting their various VIPs unloaded and up to the palace.
Shining Armor looked out of the window. “I’ve only seen this a few times in my career, but it never fails to impress.”
Russet Rook nodded. “I don’t even recognize all of the heraldry. It amazes me at how much Royal Guard armor can vary by region.”
“That is a good tradition in my mind,” Shining Armor replied. “Show a little hometown pride. I mean, look at Silent Knight. There is no question where he is from.”
I briefly looked his way before turning my attention back to the packet a local palace guard had delivered. Exiled or not, I wasn’t giving up my PLHG armor.
“Governor, we’re ready to disembark when you are,” I said to the pink unicorn nestled against the brigadier’s side.
She looked up. “Truly? With as big as a mess as it is out there, I thought we’d be sitting here a while.”
“We? No, ma’am. Other governors with less prepared security chiefs, yes. All of your belongings were preloaded onto a wagon that was brought onto the train. Your personal chariot is already off and ready to go. I’ve also deployed Alpha Squad to secure your route in advance. We’re ready, ma’am.”
Shining Armor chuckled. “No surprise there. What about me and my staff?”
I grinned at him. “How did you phrase it, sir? You ordered your staff on my train? Well, order them off, sir. I got them here; my part is done.” Then I offered a foreleg to his wife. “Madam Governor?”
As Lady Cadence took my foreleg, she giggled and winked at Shining Armor. He just gawked at me.
“Come along, Lieutenant Knight, I don’t want to be late. I’m sure the Crystal Empire’s Provincial Commander and his staff can figure out their own way.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I replied before leading her off.
It didn’t take long to get the governor sorted. After all, I’d planned everything in advance, and it all went exactly according to schedule. She was safely settled in her quarters before some ponies had gotten their chariots unloaded, which gave me time to relax.
Of course, relaxing wasn’t actually on my agenda, but that was what Lady Cadence told me to do. So I put on a good show of looking relaxed while I went over everything in my head. The packet instructed all chief security officers convene for a meeting with the commanders of the House Guards.
I wasn’t ready to face Sunny and Iridescence so soon. They would have questions, and I didn’t have enough emotional distance to give them answers. If I was lucky, there would be so much going on that they wouldn’t have time to interrogate me.
I waited until the very last minute to shuffle into the back of the designated room. The space was packed full of officers all doing their best to one-up each other with their posturing, noses tipped up and medals glinting in the light. Listening to the nearest few officers brag about their VIPs was grating my nerves, but thankfully, the door opened and Sunny and Iridescence trotted in.
“Okay, listen up!” Sunny called over the noise. She took position behind a podium and, despite the sheer amount of headache this would bring to her, she looked in top form. Iridescence stood off to her right and looked equally determined.
“For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Lieutenant Sunny Day. While you are here, I am the liaison of all VIP security, and you are all their security chiefs. That means we’re all going to be friends. The Canterlot Palace Guard and both House Guards will be assuming all security other than personal guards. Each VIP is permitted two guards inside the palace at all times. Everypony else can go take in the local color.”
Only two guards? That made sense. The palace didn’t need tons of disparate security teams running around doing redundant work.
“It should go without saying that if your VIP leaves the palace, you are to conduct your normal security operations. You should have all received your briefings by now. That will dictate where your VIP needs to be and when. There are no off-site meetings. Any questions?”
It was all standard. You’d have to be a fool to be confused. When nopony spoke up, Sunny tapped her hoof on the podium. “Dismissed.”
All of the security chiefs started to file out of the room while I made my way to the front. Somewhat nervously, I said, “Hi, ladies.”
Iridescence clearly tried not to smile too much. “Hello, sir.”
Sunny nodded. “Nice to see you.”
“It is good to see you both, too. How are things?”
“About the same. Just less stuff,” Sunny replied with a lopsided grin. “Iridescence is more fun.”
“I am,” the unicorn mare put in.
I rolled my eyes. “Of course you are. We all know mares prefer mares. Especially you two.”
Sunny pushed her hoof against my face. “Hey now, don’t speak for us all. I like stallions just fine when they keep their mouths shut and do what they’re told.”
With a grunt, I pushed her hoof aside, looked past her, and said, “Oh, hey, Soarin!”
“What! Where?” Sunny quickly turned and then slapped a hoof to her face. “Oh, Celestia… that is what I do to Azurite. Okay, yep, I’m done with you now.”
Iridescence chuckled and looped a hoof around my neck. “It is so good to see you. I haven’t accepted that you’ve moved yet.”
“Yeah… me either. I didn’t expect to come back so soon.” I glanced between them. “What is this all about, anyway?”
Sunny shook her head. “Nopony knows. The princesses have been in a lot of closed-door meetings. We’ve had several messengers in and out. The princesses haven’t said much. They’ve actually been pretty… well… distant since you left.”
Iridescence nodded. “Yeah. Are either of you going to clue me in on what happened that day? I’m feeling a bit left out.”
I nosed her cheek and sighed. “We can’t. You’ll just have to trust us on that. Suffice to say, I said some stupid things and it got weird. It was better for me to go.”
She shook her head. “I can’t imagine you making things weird. Did you profess your undying love for Princess Luna?”
What? No! That would have been super awkward. I shook my head. “No. Anyway, I need to get back to the governor. I’ll see you both in the meetings, okay?”
Iridescence didn’t look certain, but she just nodded. “Yeah, okay.”
“See you later, Silent Knight,” Sunny replied.
☾
The throne room was filled with the quiet murmurs of the territorial governors as they chatted amongst themselves. By contrast, all of their security ponies stood quietly by them with stoic looks on their faces. Most of them, anyway. Some of them were also conversing. That was inappropriate.
Governor Cadence sat quietly between Quartz and me while she read through her morning briefing. A pegasus had flown it down before sunup. I guess that was what it meant to be a political leader: the job never stopped even if you weren’t there.
She flipped past the last page and then looked up at me. “Don’t scowl so much, Silent Knight. You’re scaring all of the other guards.”
“Madam Governor?” I replied softly, my eyes shifting down.
The unicorn grinned. “Don’t you see them all stealing glances at you?”
In truth, I hadn’t. My gaze was focused on the dais and on keeping a lookout for anything out of the ordinary. Royal guards were never out of the ordinary. “No, ma’am. How did you see them? You were reading.”
She chuckled softly. “A mare can see all around her. Especially when it comes to subtle looks from other ponies.”
“They’re probably looking at you, ma’am. Your beauty is renowned throughout the kingdom.”
“Well, thank you, but no, today they’re looking at you. Most of them have never seen one of Princess Luna’s House Guards, much less the highly decorated former commander. I don’t see too many chiefs standing guard.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Former. I didn’t like that word. She was right about the chiefs, though. It looked like most of the other chiefs had assigned enlisted guards to take over. In my eyes, for a meeting this important, it should be me and one of my sergeants.
Lady Cadence gently sat her hoof on my shoulder. “It’s okay. I know you weren’t ready to leave your old role. I just hope that, in time, you’ll come to consider being at my side the new normal.”
“I will, Madam Governor. I’m most grateful for the opportunity. I just need time to adj—” I fell immediately silent as the door to the side of the throne opened and Princess Celestia trotted out. Raven and Sunny were with her, and Princess Luna followed behind with Iridescence and Willowy.
Everypony that wasn’t already standing did so. Once the princesses had taken their seats, so did the governors.
Princess Luna was looking around with curiosity. Her eyes finally found me and I met them with my own blank expression. I didn’t move more than just the enough to nod. She smiled slightly… but only slightly.
“Ladies and gentleponies, I want to thank you all for making this trip on such short notice. As I’m sure you’ve all surmised, this meeting is of great importance. Much has occurred in a short time, and I felt it was best to discuss our situation as a group.”
Princess Celestia paused there and looked over at Princess Luna, who nodded. Celestia breathed in and pressed on.
“We will begin with the good news: Princess Luna and I are pleased to report that King Sombra was located three days ago, found wandering near Galloping Gorge. Understandably, he was confused and disoriented, but he is now recovering safely in this very palace.”
The audience was understandably astonished. There was some light hoof stomping but, in general, they seemed to be uncertain on how to react. An ancient provincial noble had returned from the void. That might make things a little tricky for Lady Cadence and me.
Governor Cadence merely smiled. She had an excellent guard face of her own and it never betrayed her thoughts. Still, the Crystal Empire suddenly had two leaders. Though, in this day and age, elections determined leadership rather than bloodline. Still, surely the last reigning noble would sweep the polls.
Princess Celestia cleared her throat and said over the murmuring, “This obviously brings up some issues that will need to be discussed here, particularly when it comes to Governor Cadence’s administration. We can table that for now.” She nodded to her sister. “Princess Luna.”
Princess Luna stood and, as she did, everypony fell silent again. “As you all know, in the past few years, I have been making efforts to strengthen our ties with the Nordanver Gryphon Kingdom. They have been an excellent trade partner and King Ranald is quite committed to working with us.
“Our relations stalled, however, when the abduction attempt was made and royal guards were slain. Since that time, several investigations have been conducted into the situation and we are now completely certain that King Ranald and his administration had no part in that incident.
“Unfortunately, the Nordanver authorities were not ever able to locate the perpetrator, Captain Alastair.”
She had worded that very carefully. It wasn’t a lie. It just wasn’t the whole story. My stomach twisted, but I tried to swallow the bile crawling up my throat.
“We are obviously unhappy with that situation, but we know they are making every effort to locate the criminals responsible while also dealing with their own trying times.”
Princess Celestia spoke up again. “Most recently, King Kronson of the Sudramoar Gryphon Kingdom has alleged that his grandson Garrard was taken prisoner by King Ranald. We have intelligence showing that, without a doubt, this is untrue, though it is unlikely King Kronson would accept it, or the source. That does not change the fact that we are aware of it.
“Unsurprisingly, this has led to a great deal of strife between the kingdoms. King Kronson set out an ultimatum that his grandson must be returned, and King Ranald was unable to acquiesce.”
The princess paused in a rare moment of hesitation. “I am sad to say that word arrived two days past that the Sudramoar Gryphon Army invaded and took possession of the resource-rich Rindaire Province. King Ranald declared war immediately after and is currently raising his army.”
The temperature of the room dropped. Nopony moved. Nopony spoke. My stomach sank to my hooves.
It hadn’t been sabre rattling. It was an excuse to invade… to start a war.
Princess Luna looked over us all, but I felt her eyes on me. “This was clearly a plot that has been in the works for some time. We have called you here to discuss how we will respond, and respond we shall.”
The room was suddenly filled with a multitude of voices as the various governors expressed their disbelief, fear, and concern. Governor Cadence simply shook her head.
“Ponies! Ponies!” Princess Celestia called, silencing the room again. “Please understand. King Ranald is our friend and ally. Though a generation ago our help was abused, we cannot judge a different king by that. By week’s end, however, we must have a resolution. The palace staff will present you with the appropriate schedules for your meetings. Thank you all.”
And just like that, the princesses left us. The room erupted into chaos.
Quietly I looped a hoof around Lady Cadence’s foreleg and whispered, “Madam Governor, we should go. Ponies get foolish when they’re frightened.”
She simply nodded at me and rose. It was hard to tell if she was blank with determination, or empty with the same fear as me and everypony else in attendance.
I ordered, “Sergeant, stay in front of us and keep the way clear. Be gentle.”
“Yes, sir,” he replied before doing so.
While remaining at her side, I maneuvered Lady Cadence out of the throne room and to her quarters without incident. Not that I was expecting one, but I didn’t want to take the chance. Once she was safe, I trotted into my adjoining room and settled onto the floor.
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to laugh or retch. My whole body trembled as I wavered between the two, as my blood ran hot and cold.
War. I’d played the role of a pawn in starting a war.
☾
Everything was moving too fast. I hadn’t left the governor’s side during the week, but all I could do was sit in on the meetings. Meetings that the princesses had set with one clear agenda: how to best support our ally in their war.
Not ‘do we go to war’ or ‘can we stop the war.’ Just ‘how do we best support our ally.’ The inevitability of it seemed horrible.
“Our manufacturing just isn’t mature enough yet,” Lady Cadence said to the princesses and a few other governors. “Most of our industry is currently based around tourism. I’ve been working to encourage the production of durable goods, but we’re nowhere near ready. We simply don’t have the capacity yet.”
Princess Celestia nodded. “We understand, Governor Cadence. Your contribution levels have been adjusted accordingly. We’re merely hoping you may be able to meet some aggressive goals. If you can’t, we fully understand.”
Production targets, durable goods, and aggressive goals. What was all of this? A few of the other governors gave similar reports, but I didn’t pay them any attention. All I could do was think about the looming war.
Princess Celestia’s voice returned to my ears. “Alright, everypony, that is enough for now. We’ll stop there. Governor Cadence, if you could remain behind a moment, please.”
Once all of the other ponies had left, I stood awkwardly beside Lady Cadence, doing everything I could to not look directly at Princess Celestia or Luna.
Princess Celestia sighed. “I’m sorry I couldn’t send you word in advance. Luna and I have kept this extremely confidential.”
Lady Cadence shook her head. “I understand, I honestly do. This is a lot to take in, though. King Sombra’s return, and a war? What happened to everything being quiet and peaceful?”
“These are difficult times,” Princess Luna said.
From the corner of my eye, I could see her looking my way.
“Are we really going to go to these lengths to help King Ranald?” Lady Cadence asked. “Especially after what happened a generation ago?”
“Yes, Luna and I agree this is the best course of action,” Princess Celestia explained. “It is clear that King Kronson has something in mind for us in particular. After all, it was his army that attacked our peacekeepers before. We dare not get into that situation again, but King Ranald is a good friend who has not brought this on himself.”
“Forgive me for questioning you, Auntie, but can we be sure?”
Princess Celestia simply sighed. “I’m afraid we can. We know that virtually everything King Kronson says is a lie. There is more to this than I said in court. Far more than I’ve let on in meetings.”
Lady Cadence’s head tilted. “Oh? And you cannot share it?”
Princess Luna stood and trotted over to where I was. She poked her face in mine so I was forced to look at her. My head pulled back ever so slightly, but I met her gaze. It was extremely awkward, and even more unnerving.
Finally, Luna said, “Go ahead, Celestia. She is family.”
“Very well, but you cannot repeat this, Cadence.” The princess’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Not even to your husband. When it is time for the military to know, we’ll let them know. You see, King Kronson’s grandson Garrard also has an alias: Alastair. That, in itself, is known to the Royal Guard. Our intelligence service put that together, but their evidence is superficial.”
Cadence’s eyes went wide. “The grandson of the Sudramoar King tried to abduct Luna?”
“Assassinate, actually,” Princess Luna replied, still holding me in her gaze.
Cadence shrieked, “What?!”
Princess Celestia nodded. “Yes, I’m afraid so. We received new information saying as much the day Silent Knight left. That, and many other things. Of course, none of them really implicate King Kronson. Just an unnamed backer that was encouraging a would-be assassin.”
“So we’re supporting King Ranald because King Kronson’s grandson tried to assassinate Princess Luna?” Lady Cadence asked in surprise, understandably. Such a thought was unthinkable. Wrath and revenge, from the princesses? Never.
Princess Celestia raised a hoof to placate her niece and shook her head. “No, that is not quite it. Our intelligence service suspects the assassination was meant to look as if it was conducted by the Nordanver. After all, Captain Alastair was serving in their military. Based on that, had he been successful, it would have severed all ties between us and them.
“That would leave the door open for this war to be an internal affair. Luna and I agree that the last thing King Kronson wants is us involved in this struggle. So, if we pledge our support, perhaps he’ll back down. His plan has failed, mostly.”
Lady Cadence slowly nodded. “That… That makes sense, even though the ramifications are frightening.” Her ear flicked. “Why do you say mostly?”
Princess Luna addressed Lady Cadence, but I still felt the weight of her attention on me. “We inadvertently gave King Kronson his excuse. You see, as an enemy of the kingdom, Alastair had no protection. There was a bounty for his capture here and, in Nordanver, his death.
“Our forces, without the consent of King Ranald, set up an ambush that led to the killing of Alastair and, thus, Garrard. I received an extremely detailed written account of it. That is how we know King Ranald speaks the truth.”
Lady Cadence sat down. She breathed heavily. “We… really? We did that? You two ordered that?”
“No. I did,” Princess Luna said. “Without Celestia’s consent. The full ramifications of the action were not considered. Just that he was a threat that needed to be contained and contained he was, most skillfully.”
A lie. An outright lie. She was lying for me. My mouth opened, but Princess Luna stared me down.
“I… but who would go along with that? Surely the chain of command would tell Princess Celestia.”
Princess Luna’s ear flicked. “Usually, yes, but sometimes rules are bent and broken. I had a pony I could rely on to do the work without informing my sister.”
“Princess, I really must pro—” I tried to say before a hoof found my mouth.
Luna practically growled, “Be as your namesake, Silent Knight. You know better than to interrupt me.”
Lady Cadence looked at the two of us and then it dawned on her. She frowned deeply. “Of course. Your House Guard commander. Is this the strife between you two?”
“Yes,” Luna replied, nodding. “Silent Knight and I have acted very foolishly and hastily. Now we’re on a path to making good on what we’ve done wrong. It is important that he be away from my influence for a while, though, else he might be too easily swayed to do my bidding.”
She hadn’t! She’d never asked. Never hinted. She was making things up! Why was Princess Celestia was letting her? They were lying for me. Why?
“I’ll keep him out of trouble if I can.” Lady Cadence said softly. “This will remain in confidence, too. I imagine the Royal Guard would be angry to learn that one of its officers circumvented them and followed your orders directly.”
Princess Celestia nodded. “They would, but Luna and I do not wish Silent Knight punished for this. He did what he thought was best, even if it wasn’t. Now we must do what we think is best to resolve this issue.” Her face softened. “It will be hard on you as a governor. This is not how I expected you to begin your career.”
“Yes, I didn’t imagine this either.” Cadence shifted a little uncomfortably. “What of King Sombra, though? Surely he’ll expect to resume his duties?”
Luna and I stared at each other. I didn’t know what to think. This was an awful lot of lying to protect my career. I understood not serving me up to the gryphons, I really did, but this seemed reckless or at least unnecessary. Lies upon lies.
“He does, but he’ll have to wait until the election,” Celestia explained. “I’m afraid hereditary rulership is no longer commonplace, and you are the duly elected official of the Crystal Empire. If the ponies there wish to hold an early election, that will be allowed. For now, however, I feel he is best served by staying here and learning about what has changed in the centuries of his absence.”
With a sigh, Lady Cadence replied, “I understand. I’ll be honest, I was a bit upset to hear he had been found. It was selfish, but I really do like that I was elected. I was just coming into my own. Still, I’ll do things right.”
Princess Celestia crossed the small space between them and looped her wing around the unicorn. “I understand you’re disappointed. We’ll make this work. In the coming months, there is going to be a great need for ponies that can get things done.”
Celestia smiled and her tone lifted as she continued, “Now, we have about half an hour before the next meeting. Why don’t you and I go have some tea like old times, assuming your security chief trusts me with your safety?”
Security chief? “What?” Right, that was me. “Oh, yes, Princess. I’ll be outside your door.”
“Very good. Come along, Cadence.” And with that, they left together.
As soon as the door closed and Princess Luna and I were alone, I asked, “Why?”
She rolled her eyes. “Well, hello to you, too, Silent Knight.”
“Why?” I repeated. “You lied for me.”
The princess took my helmet off and set it aside, then cupped my chin in her hoof. “I want to make sure my foal has a long career so he can support his wife and, hopefully, some really cute foals of his own.”
I blinked up at her. “I’m not y—” I couldn’t bring myself to say it. I kind of was. “I don’t know what to do.”
She let me go and then smoothed the hoof over my mane. “Accept that a pony should get a second chance, and that not all of his good work can be erased by a single bad one. Nopony can punish me for giving that order, nor could they truly blame you for following it. Celestia and I agreed that it would be best this way.”
My chest felt tight. “At what cost?”
The princess smiled, a little sadly. “You always were too smart. I’ve made her some promises that I’ll keep. For the best, truly.” She sighed and shook her head. “You need to go do your job, little stallion, and I have another meeting to attend. For once in your life, don’t be stubborn. Think about your mate before you try to change my mind on this. She’ll need bits to live.” She leaned down, kissed my cheek, and then left before I could argue.
Not that I really wanted to argue, since that hadn’t turned out very well in the past. But I felt uncomfortable that she’d lie for my sake. She shouldn’t have to do that. Not for a pony like me.
It didn’t make sense but, at least for now, I had to accept it. The governor was expecting me to be outside the princess’s door, waiting on her when she had to go on to her next meeting. Duty first, confusion second.
If you are enjoying this story, please consider taking a look at Crystal and my's website QuillnBlade.com for extra content such as mini stories, Q&B AU wiki, and special rewards for the awesome folks who support our Patreon. We have monthly art give aways, a Q&B Discord RPG, a several other fun gifts for patrons.
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Congrats on the finale, Anzel!
Congrats on the finale, Anzel.
I look forward to Trials.
Wow. Intense. I can't wait to read Trials!
WAIT... there is a sequel
In 2016
But writers take a brake
... it is worth waiting for
...
It was a fun read
enjoyed every chapter 
all the oc's 
hope to be able to read the sequel soon
A exceptional ending! Can't wait for Trials of a Royal Guard.
Wow. The end of this arc. Intense. I thought it was going to end happy, but I guess not. Happy holidays and vacation.
Damn!
That some serious matter SK will have to deal in the next story. Looking forward to it!
Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to present at long last the return of Stratus Knight... the 2nd!
Poor Crystal, Silent Knight didn't internalize anything, or if he did he still feels bound to walk in lock step with a ghost. I am kind of sad that what I at first thought was just an obvious wrong guess early on came to fruition after all.
Third person?
I feel that this quote is relevant:
Demons run when a good man goes to war
Night will fall and drown the sun
When a good man goes to war
Friendship dies and true love lies
Night will fall and the dark will rise
When a good man goes to war
Anyway, congratulations on the fantastic story. I'll be counting down the days till the next one.
Anzel, I love your story. The characters, the interactions, the back and forth plot points, the background world-building, and macro-political events. This is a story I'll keep coming back to and would gladly - like I said in the live cast - fork over some money to own a copy of.
But Silent Knight himself...
I can't headdesk hard enough.
I'm flat out calling BS unless there's a bunch of stuff off screen that we aren't seeing, Silent. It's easy to say otherwise, but from what I've seen, Crystal's always played second fiddle to your other life. The decision to volunteer regardless of her feelings/wants/desires was just the latest, and probably one of the clearest, examples.
Honestly, I'm hoping he gets declared unfit - mentally unsuited, or some other cockamamie reason - just so the decision is taken from him.
See, Anzel, now I'm upset at your character.
*stands and applauds*
wow. what a ride it has been from start to finish.
i can't wait to read more.
P.S. that slideshow was amazing
Wow this wild ride is only getting started isn't it? This chapter..that last part really had me in tears. I will eagerly await trails and more of this amazing story
That's the long and short of it. That's war. No matter where you go, no matter the age or era, it's always a bunch of ponies in a room deciding 'Yes' to battle. To conflict.
To war.
War never changes.
6754301 *stands and applauds as well* Good show! Can't wait for Trials!
You know, I usually have something prepared for moments like this. A snarky comment, an ironic point, a provoking thought... This time, however, I shall let the chapter speak for itself. I want the story to speak for itself as well.
Why? Well, for once, I am impressed. The entire arc, with the ups and downs, with the moments when one could tell the entire reader base was holding its breath... Brilliant, wonderful. Executed with painstaking precision and care. For that, I applaud you.
But there is another reason why I shall refrain from saying something "typical" for me. It is that basic, deep sensation that came upon me during the chapter. That hard to describe urge caged in my chest. That need of lashing out at this foolish little stallion, whose misbegotten, if noble, ideas are once again hurting those closest to him.
There will not be any "Trials of a Royal Guard", I refuse to call them like that... This "penance" will not be Silent Knight's alone. There shall be trials of everypony around him. Trials caused by every decision, every action, every choice since he "without a word stepped out of line looking calm and confident"...
Thank you for this story, Anzel. You weaved memoirs, you shared secrets... do grant us trials we shall never forget.
War is never a good thing. Stupid griffins...
Very nice slide show, for sure!
It's over
.
Only one thing for it.
SWEET LUNA THAT VIDEO WAS AMAZING! Sorry. Just got done watching it.
Anyway, off to war Silent Knight goes. Good to know Crystal is staying by Silent's side.
I can't come up with the words to describe how beautiful this is. Looking forward to the sequel, as well as additional stories from the Q&B verse.
You know, a big fat part of me wanted Crystal to say. "Fine, if you're going to war, then I'm going too. Where do I enlist?"
And now we have a bloody stupid conflict that will cost far more than it earns to stroke the egos of politicians. Meanwhile bodies will pile up and the little ponies and griffons will suffer.
Fuck war.
...
God, poor Luna. Poor Silent. They're all so consumed by duty that they have no chances to be people. All their words just feel so hollow. Like every one that falls out robs just a little more of their souls.
I just keep getting flash backs to this fic.
Silent need to see Exemplar Ferrel before he heads to war.
One thing I've noticed in all of the stories: a lot of the characters seem to have a bad habit of assuming how ponies will react and try to decide for them. SK has done it to Crystal at least twice (this chapter and I can't remember when, but I think it was back when he was trying to convince that she shouldn't marry him because he was a soldier and decided for her that she shouldn't have that life), I know Velvet has done it to Crystal, it's happened with Azurite and the ponies around her, and it's even happened with Luna.
Damn... this is going to be rough on both of them, isn't it.
On the bright side, I no longer have to keep the name of the third story a secret (I did remember it from when you accidentally said it in the live chat :P)
Congratulations on the finale. Its been a wonderful story and I have loved reading every chapter, every twist and turn. A somber note to end on, but I belive that it fits the setting for the next story. I cant wait to read it. and I hope that everything will be ok between Silent and Crystal..
What an ending! Exactly what I was hoping for in every way. I greatly anticipate part 3.
Silent Knight has protagonist advantage OP plz Nerf.
Otherwise this SIlent Knight will also be a Holy KnightI feel like I should be paying more attention to Silent, but I cannot help but mostly just feel bad for Crystal. He kinda brought this down on himself in a way with his rouge operation, but she is really just getting screwed by events beyond her control. It is not even limited to the normal struggles of dealing with a loved one going off to war because her recent move to the Crystal Empire has isolated her from her friends to a significant degree. To make things even worse, her one possible point of strong support is Cadence who could easily become more of a point of frustration and envy than comfort because Shining Armor stayed with her while Silent left. It is really just a terrible situation all around which she does not even remotely deserve.
Trials isn't gonna be here fast enough
While as much as I want to put my hand in the air and shout "WAR FIC!!!, are we all just going to forget that Silent Knight just relieved highly-"do not tell anyone or you will be fucked"-level of classified information? I imagine some very nice men with swords are going to want to talk with Crystal.
Moving on, I'm very exited to see Trials. I've kind of been hoping for something like this, considering military combat-arms is what I want to do.
6755225 You mean like these?
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Can't believe I almost forgot! This chapter was so awesome I think it deserves a video.
(Forgive any political undertones, I just think it's an awesome video)
6754452 "War is old men talking, and young men dying"
No more secrets, no more lies
Only the truth, left out to dry
The Guard leaves home, heading for war
To return to his love, he all but swore
But that return might not be all in one piece
The Silent we know, will upon that day will cease
Growth and change is the way of life
Trials in fire, facing down strife,
but no matter what happens, time marches on
bringing each day, a brand new dawn
but each day is not always dawned new
Sometimes your demons follow you
Trials of life, and trials of war
Facing all these, and so much more
Never again will he be the same
Never again will he shed the shame
Trials we live though, and so much is lost
Every action we take, has a cost
The costs can be large, the costs can be small
But tell me, Knight, do you truly know them all?
Silent Knight,. there is only one being responsible for this, Kronson. He is so dead set to war it didn't matter what you did or didn't do. This war was coming. What you did was ensure that Ranald will not stand alone.
Oh wow, not sure I quite expected it to escalate all the way to a formal and official declaration of war.
And a pretty big commitment of resources and forces, too.
Oh man, Russet, I hope you didn't just volunteer to be the known character who gets killed in the fighting.
Gooood.
Neat little detail regarding the helmet and mane issue.
Ooooo, full disclosure to Crystal at last.
*fist-pump*
Excellent.
Well now, that was quite a ride. And now we don't have to keep the third story title a secret! Though now we do have to have patience while waiting for it to show up.
6755236 That's a good point, but it makes me wonder what the point of Crystal staying in the Crystal Empire is if Silent isn't there to serve as Cadance's bodyguard. So maybe she'll go back to Canterlot to be closer to the support network of her friends and family? Would be far better than hanging around in a lonely city with no friends and family.
War. War never changes...
6755806
I've got some bad news for you.
He's a red
shirtcoat.6754292
Mentally unfit wouldn't even be much of a reach. But yeah, it's gotten to the point that it is very difficult to see Silent as Likeable.
And I think this ends the fic for me here, unless the whole war fic won't murder half the characters I came to love. that FFXIV a realm reborn music though..
...
*man tear*
...
To much feels,much sadden.
6754078 Thank you sir! It has been a lot of work getting to this point and I was thrilled to share the ending with everyone.
6754094 I'm afraid it is. At least it is "see you later" and not "goodbye" ;D Thank you!
6754097 That was the goal! I'm glad it came across. See you in Trials!
6754107 Thank you kindly! I'm glad you enjoyed it and are excited for the next installment. It will be right around the corner.
6754126 Huzzah! Thank you for saying so :D
6754156 Yeah, this one was meant to be more like the ending for "The Empire Strikes Back." Not happy but hopeful. Silent Knight finally "gets it." Now he has to try to do better.
6754185 That is exactly what I was hoping for =D
6754186 Truly. There is much for him to do and plenty of words for him to do it in!
6754228 Indeed, for the most part. That was the parallel I tried so hard to draw. Perhaps too hard as we've discussed ;) There are two differences in the end that I tried to convey though: 1. Silent Knight actually now realizes it and 2. He's said he is going to try to do better. We'll see if he does. Stratus never got that far though.
6754243 Trust me when I say you do not want me writing in third person ;) I know my strengths and I know my weaknesses. 3rd person is a huge weakness. Crystal would have to rewrite everything I train-wrecked together.
6754244 Thank you ^_^ I've been really excited to get to Trials and start working on my next shift in tone/writing etc.
6754292 I'm really glad you've enjoyed the story and the characters! I have too even as I took the saga down a slightly altered arc here. To your point though:
I may not have been clear with the final paragraphs. Silent actually agrees with you. His point was he put all of those commitments ahead of Crystal. She was the "last" one. The "least' one. He has acknowledged that and the hopeful part of this ending is that he'll remember that.
6754301 Thank you, thank you! I'd bow but I'm currently seated and typing :D
6754320 Thank you! Also thank you for the props on the slide show. Crystal put a LOT of effort into that and I loved it.
6754357 Yeah, we're only getting started for sure. This was always planned as a two-parter (Where as I wasn't even sure Memoirs would get a sequel). The first part being the setup and showing Silent's struggled with his PTSD and his shifting towards falling into line with his lineage. The last paragraphs were the most important pieces, though. It sounds like they had a big impact.
6754452 This is true. Even for ponies it seems. Perhaps we'll all get lucky and Princess Celestia's maneuver will work :D
6754456 Thank you very much :D
No I can't stop reading this Anzel, please don't kill off too many of em and please gods not Miley. I mean I have just started on her fic yet.
6754465 Thank you very much. It sounds like I've hit pretty much on what I wanted to. We've all struggled with Silent Knight in this story. We've seen things he couldn't and wanted to shake him. Now all of those choices and mistakes have come to fruition and the only glimmer of hope we get now is that he says he knows. He seems to have got it. Unfortunately, that realization came too late.
6754504 War is most certainly never a good thing! Thank you for the positive comment about the slide show. Crystal really did put a ton of effort into that.
6754550 It is over. At least for now. It isn't goodbye. Just see you later!
6754703 Crystal will be pleased that you liked the video! And yes, poor Silent Knight! Off to the gryphon lands.
6754757 Thank you very much! I'm really glad you enjoyed the story ^_^
6754795 War never works out for anyone. That is for sure.
6754856 That would certainly be interesting :D Although, he might already have if we all go look back a few chapters at what she said recently.
6754858 That is the fear, isn't it? We all look inward and guess at how others perceive us or will react to something we do. The reality is usually far less awful than what we assume but assume many of us do!
6754924 Indeed it is. Thus why Crystal's first story ended where it did. Wishes has a happy ending just like Memoirs. Both can be stopped there. Then you have Hopes/Trials. The second half of the show! And yes, I can't believe I did that -_-
6755038 Thank you! It certainly was. The goal was to show that choices, even those made while struggling with illness, still have consequences. There is hope there though. He got it. He finally seems to have got it.
6755066 Huzzah! I like when I can deliver what someone wanted ^_^
6755225 forums.crackberry.com/attachments/blackberry-playbook-f222/122941d1350089944t-rumor-playbook-2-coming-2013-25667579.jpg
6755236 An extremely valid point. I'm just going to take this as an opportunity for a talking point though I'm not directly this all at you! Just general knowledge! Crystal really hasn't done anything to deserve the situation she is in other than in who she has chosen to love. In my mind it speaks to her character though. Crystal, a romance writer and believer in perfect love, is not flighty. She is not weak. When he was potentially dying in the hospital she decided she'd love him regardless. She'd love him no matter the cost. Crystal cashed the checks her mouth wrote and we can see she is the pony she claims to be.
The other side of the coin, however, is that no matter how much people want to blame Silent Knight he NEVER misled her about his focus. That was something I wanted to be sure I portrayed. His major failing was pride and machismo. When he needed help he didn't seek it. When he needed to let ponies in he didn't. He viewed it as weakness. Hallmarks of PTSD. It sent his life off the rails and bad mistakes were made. Mistakes with consequences.
It was a tough story to construct and write for sure. Silent Knight frustrated a lot of readers and some view him as irredeemable now. That was the risk I took in trying to show that battles aren't easy. You don't go, "kill the bad guy" and come home unscathed. It is the kind of story that actually plays out in our country a lot these days. Thankfully, in my mind, this one ends with some hope. Hope for Silent Knight and Crystal.
6755300 It will be here sooner than you know it =D I'm already hard at work. The "time off" will do me good on the polishing and planning side of things! Plus I'm REALLY excited about Sunny's story.
6755477 Well, I think Crystal is smart enough not to say anything to anypony and Silent Knight isn't going to go tell anyone he told Crystal. It should be an interesting story coming up though. Trials that is. Not that particular thing.
6755554 At this point I think he is only focusing on the cost to him and his wife :) Will that get in the way of him doing his duty? We'll see!
6755576 Perhaps he did indeed secure pony involvement!
6755806
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The theory is Celestia is still very gunshy about what happened last time.
No more secrets ;D
Same here. When I wrote that scene I got chills. I showed Crystal and she was all like "heck yeah!" Crystal Wishes: Strong pony!
Thank you, thank you! You've found the hope! And nope, no longer a secret. Crystal has Hopes (Get it) and Silent Knight has Trials!
6755895 It never dones!
6756021 That is the challenge of this story for sure. I knew that risk going in :) Our little pony from Memoirs certainly got a lot more complicated. We'll have to see how it all ends up.
6756552 You'll just have to see how it goes :) I don't tend to write "Dark" stories though so you can safely assume I'm not going to kill my entire cast ;)
6756560 That is what I was going for!
6756638
Makes me wonder if it's going to backfire on her and get even more of her ponies killed this time. There are two other griffon kingdoms over there, right? I wonder how they'll react when Equestria comes in in force. Sometimes escalating one side of the board means the other side will do so as well if it can manage it just as a question of survival.