The Veins Run Deeper

by Thunderblast

Return of a Nightmare

Head-to-hoof dressed in his gleaming new armor, Luna's cutie mark emblem in center of his chest, a crossbow sitting atop the crescent moon, a night-blue pegasus stepped out into the cool, crisp morning breeze. He paused just past the barracks doorframe, taking in a deep whiff of the fresh scent of mountain air.

Even after all of the time he has spent here in Canterlot, Stormfire could simply not cross over how much energy it fueled him to awaken to a peaceful morning, a feeling no other city had yet given him.

He closed the door behind him, starting out to the training fields outside of the palace, where he found five thestrals, three mares and two stallions, waiting in a neat line beside the Sergeant, prepared with the proper gear necessary for their training.

The now-privates saluted Stormfire as he stepped up in front of him, rank pin showing off in fine silver the rank of First Sergeant, putting him ahead of Lodestar, and now the second-highest rank under Night's squadron.

Lodestar walked up to Stormfire and saluted, Stormfire only offering a hoof out to shake. Lodestar took it with a bit of confusion and shook his hoof, Storm leaning in to whisper.

"I'm not used to the new rank, so saluting isn't required," Storm smiled. Lodestar gave a gentle nod and returned the smile.

"Good to have you as a part of our ranks, First Sarge," Lodestar replied aloud.

"I am more than honored to be a member of the Zodiacs, Sergeant," Storm then turned to the privates, clearing his throat.

"Listen up, privates! While you may now be long graduated from basic training, today begins another lengthy process, the stages in which you take on an old form of combat—or, to you, a new type.

"You may have heard much about archery in combat and its effectiveness in the past. Today, with technology and weaponry far surpassing beyond what the last two generations believed wasn't possible, nopony believed there was a use for bows and arrows anymore.

"But in reality, there is always a use for the good ol' wood and string. Or, should I say, steel and string," Stormfire said with a grin, Lodestar bringing over an unfolded purple, black, and navy-blue bow, with small wings on either end. The paint job on it matched their armor down to the littlest detail.

The dark cyan pony handed it over, Stormfire taking it carefully in his hoof. "This here, privates, is what you will be learning to use. Some of you may find it useless, but one day, it just may save your life—"

Lodestar cleared his throat, speaking up. "They suggested archery be implemented into their training, First Sergeant."

"...Oh," Storm paused, cheeks heating in a bit of embarrassment. A couple of the thestrals before him let out quiet chuckles. They immediately stopped when Lodestar tossed a glare their way.

Clearing his throat once more, Storm stood up straight again. "Carrying on... First, we will begin the basics of archery. I expect each and every one of you to be familiar with the terminology once the week is finished. After that, we will work on you settling into shooting one of these things, working our way up from small projectiles, to badminton birdies, and finally, arrows. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir!" The thestrals answered in unison.

"Very good," Storm nodded once. "Let's begin."

***

Night stood just outside of a dead-end corridor, on either sides sitting numerous small curtained rooms, half of which currently occupied by ponies changing into fashions they wished to try on. He was by far the most unfitting pony in the shop at the time, receiving many looks of disgust.

Glancing around him, keeping his outward appearance cool and contained, Night called quietly into the changing rooms, a hoof lifting off the floor. "Princess, are you nearly finished?"

"Not quite, my Captain! Just one more dress, and we shall be finished here—maybe!"

Night rolled his eyes with slight annoyance, lowering his hoof and returning to his tall posture where he stood. It was another outing day for him and Princess Luna, her having insisted now that he was no longer occupied with recruits that they should hit the town once more. Except, this time, he actually was on duty as her assigned escort.

Slight grunting came from inside the princess' fitting room, Night once more glancing around to make sure no one could hear. These were the noises Night knew well—the noises of an alicorn attempting to fit herself into something that was not her size, albeit her loving it dearly. It was every mare's worst nightmare, finding clothing they admire and want, but cannot wear it.

After what felt like ages, the curtain slid open and Princess Luna stepped out, wearing a pair of shades, a sunhat, and a pink t-shirt reading the words #1 Best Princess, one her sister Princess Celestia, ironically, gave her for her birthday one year. In her magical grasp, Luna held three hangers with different-styled dresses and blouses on them.

"Any luck?" Night asked with a slight bit of humor in his tone, taking note of her disappointed-annoyed mixture of an expression, one he also knew well in his years serving Luna.

Huffing softly, Princess Luna hung the clothing up on a nearby railing rack with other clothes, answering to Night. "Each one was too tight around the waist, how dare those dress makers only make such gorgeous pieces of clothing in specific sizes!"

"It's such a tragedy, isn't it, Princess?" Night replied sarcastically.

"It is... it truly is!" Luna said, turning her nose up. "We shall not have business here ever agai—oooh, Night, look at this!" she then gasped, galloping up to another dress that caught her attention, Night facehoofing in response and shaking his head into his hoof.

"Five more minutes, Night!" Luna giggled, tearing back into the fitting room.

Night rolled his eyes again and groaned softly to himself, letting out a deep sigh. Mares... he thought.

Thankfully, it was less than five minutes when Luna exited, this time much happier with the results of the newest experiment of dress-fitting, tossing her bits over the counter and walking out with the new dress, Night having apologized to the cashier for her store-wide 'rampage', before leaving behind her.

Catching up to her side, Night trotted a steady pace. "Where to now, Princess?"

"Hmm..." Luna lifted a hoof to her chin and pondered, then felt a lit lightbulb appear above her head, gasping. "Quillman's!"

"Are you out of quills and ink already?" Night's brow furrowed.

"No, no. What if the store stocked with that dragon model?!" Luna said excitedly.

"Oh! Yes, that. Let's go!"

***

One quick stop to Quillman's Quill's & Crafts later, Princess Luna finally left, pleased to discover the dragon kits she decreed to be sold were on the shelves, purchasing two as well as numerous small pearlescent paint jars and some brushes. It marked the end of another successful shopping day.

And just like after every single shopping day, Night was exhausted, his hooves aching from the constant running around. He wasn't a pony to complain or bring up matters if they would ruin the Princess' plans, even if they were minor. The process would have been too long to find another pony to escort her around, anyways.

Retreating back to the palace during mid-afternoon, Night dropped Luna off at her quarters while she eagerly went inside to begin work on one of her kits. Night, on the other hoof, sauntered drowsily back to his own. A decent nap would be in order before his post-dusk patrols were to begin.

Tonight would be a new type of patrol, however. He had made arrangements to meet up with Paladin Redflare once more for a nightly guard duty in Ponyville, somewhere he had never been on duty prior to tonight.

But first, something else was in order to be taken care of before he could catch two or three hours of shuteye. Making his way downstairs and outside, Night walked onto the Royal Guard grounds, approaching a group of thestrals, an earth pony, and a night-blue pegasus wrapping up training, the bat ponies grouping up with the dark cyan stallion to return to their barracks.

Night approached the pegasus as he slipped his helmet on, turning and meeting Night as he approached, clicking his hooves together and saluting. "Captain."

"At ease, First Sergeant," Night stopped just a couple of feet from him, motioning his hoof to lower the salute. "How was the first day on the job?"

"Tough, but I'll get used to it," Stormfire answered honestly.

"Did they give you any trouble?" Night eyed the pegasus with a look of slight concern.

Storm shook his head. "No, sir. In fact, they were as good as they could be. These next couple of weeks should go by like a breeze."

Night was much relieved to hear that. "Good," he nodded once. "I've been meaning to ask, however."

"Yes, Captain?"

"Your name, Stormfire, it seems familiar. Have we met someplace before?" Night asked curiously.

"Briefly, yes. My honor medal ceremony a year ago. You were in the front of the crowd, along with Shining Armor."

"Oh. Oh! Of course!" Night said as it hit him. "How could I forget?"

Stormfire shrugged. "It's a forgettable experience, I suppose."

"But I feel like that isn't it. Do you know anypony I know?"

"Thunderblast?"

"Yeah, him."

"Me and him are good friends. Not as good as you two, most likely, but we've known each other quite a while now."

"I see," Night nodded. "Alright, I was just checking. The thought's been crossing my mind the last week since the competition and I haven't had much of a chance to ask."

Stormfire chuckled softly and waved a hoof. "Don't worry about it. Guards are always busy."

Night nodded once more, smiling. "Well, I'll let you go get some chow and some rest. Take care, First Sergeant," he said, saluting.

"Likewise, Captain," Storm replied, returning the salute, the two pegasi parting ways afterward.

Returning to his quarters, Night kicked his armor off, crawling into his bed for a well-needed slumber. He would need all of his energy for tonight, that was for sure.

***

Watching as the sky gradually turned dark from inside the train, Night eased himself into the seat in one of the carriages. He kept a slight smile across his muzzle as the Equestrian countryside raced past.

Glancing back outside the window as the train crossed a hill, Night could very well see the lights of the town as it approached, the train slowing to an eventual stop at the single small platform of the Ponyville station.

Night stood on all fours, exiting through a now-open door in the side of the next carriage along with a few other ponies aboard the mostly-vacant train. His next focus was finding Redflare, which in all reality would not be all too difficult in this tiny town.

Stepping down off of the wooden platform, Night circled the station and started into town, first assuming Redflare would be waiting somewhere in the center, in a park or near the town's tallest structure, the town hall.

He sauntered down the dirt-cobble streets, glancing around him at the wooden-and-hay homes and shops. Far and few ponies were out and about, some heading in for the night.

Night noted those who were outside had given him strange looks. They had never seen a Lunar guard in Ponyville, aside from Luna's Nightmare Night entrance a few years back. Despite all of the glances and glares, he moved on, putting them past his mind and keeping his main focus on finding Redflare.

Coming to the center of town and crossing a bridge built across a small creek, Night froze, watching as a familiar set of mares galloped from around city hall with a dirt-brown stallion in a grey trilby hat and pine-tree green vest leading them. Where they were heading or what they were running from was beyond him, and it was likely none of his business to interfere.

Shrugging it off, he continued across the pink-painted wood bridge, eventually turning and sighting a tall, muscular red pegasus sitting in a clearing in the plaza near the large rounded building. Night approached with a warm smile.

"Thought I'd find you somewhere around here," Night called out from a few paces behind.

Redflare's ear swiveled, head turning and eyes meeting Night's. He too smiled, standing up to face the approaching pegasus. "About time you came, Captain. I was worried I would have to go on without you."

"I could have gotten here quicker if I flew, but then I would be out of energy," Night returned with a smirk.

"That would have certainly not been good. But, now that you are here, shall we?"

Night nodded in response, siding Redflare as they began back into town, the sun now set and sky nearly fully darkened, Luna's moon shining down a soothing, gentle glow that echoed off of streams and ponds in gorgeous reflections.

The evening air was cool and brisk, a light yet strong enough breeze to make the trees around town sway and rustle, and what remained of their colorful array of leaves glided to earth, coating much of the ground and crunching beneath their hooves.

To his right, Redflare radiated gentle heat, certain he did so to keep the both of them warm, even though Night's coat did him decent justice.

As they walked, Night was the first to speak up since they met up in the park minutes before. "Hey, Redflare?"

"Yes, Captain?" The large red stallion's eyes moved down to the significantly smaller pony to his left.

"How did you get so big?" Night immediately blushed. "Sorry if that's... a little too forward."

Redflare's chest bellowed in a chuckle. "Do not fret about it, that is a question I receive all too often. I will answer, that is, if you wish to hear a story."

"We have all night," said the fanged pegasus beneath him, smiling as they rounded a corner.

"Well, alright. So, I began as a normal colt, the average size as one. I admired Princess Celestia like a normal colt would admire a professional hoofball player, and I put my trust and faith in her, as I still do to this very day.

"My birth parents perished in a timberwolf ambush in the northwest Everfree, and from there, a friend of my family took me in along with his adoptive father. Little did I know until then, his adoptive father, Invictus, was the grandmaster of the Order of Celestia's Light, a pack of paladins, and former Equestrian Royal guards.

"It might have been destiny that I lost my parents, only to become one of Celestia's warriors. Perhaps it was all set from the beginning, I will never know. When I reached my teen years, that's when it all kickstarted. My height, quite literally, skyrocketed during a growth spurt."

"Did it have to do with Invictus taking care of you over the years?" Night curiously asked.

"Most likely, yes," Redflare nodded, then continued. "I joined the Royal Guard at fifteen, becoming obviously the largest pony to accomplish this at the time, and I remained with them for two years before Celestia recognized me, and I began my paladin's training."

"How long did that take?"

"A rough and long three years. A lot of it was physical, but the total majority of the training involved studying every little aspect of Celestia's holy light and the history of it.

"Paladins of the Order, I later discovered, are spread out across all of Equestria, and even some parts of the world, too. They are on their own, as am I. I just so happened to take the place of Ponyville recently, to shield it from any dangers that may arise and protect the princess that lives here.

"Appointed by Princess Celestia, I became connected to her Light, I became stronger. Not nearly as strong as Celestia or Luna, or even Starswirl the Bearded, but strong in my own way. Eventually, I came across something new about myself, and I ended up unintentionally setting a house on fire in another village."

Night snorted in a bit of laughter, covering his muzzle to hide his grin. Redflare turned to him, ears pinning back.

"It was abandoned, I didn't know until after it was put out!"

"Continue," Night snickered some more, then stopped to listen some more.

Red sighed softly. "That was when I became in control of my inner flame, harnessing what I know of it to this day. Like every paladin in the Order, after time serving, they begin to unlock their potential through the Holy Light until they can use it to their advantage in combat, much like I did with Topaz, a second form if you will!"

"A second form?" Night's head tilted. The memory did not ring in his mind.

"Of course, you were under a hypnotizing mind-control spell that wiped away your true consciousness that he had done."

"What does it look like?"

Redflare sighed once more. "I am afraid I cannot demonstrate while we are in town. I do not wish to risk the lives in the event I accidentally set more buildings ablaze."

Night nodded understandingly. "Some other time?"

"If it ever comes to it," Redflare smirked smugly. "Now, about you. How did you become second-in-command of the Zodiacs?"

"Long story. Would you care to hear?" Night smirked.

"We have all night," Redflare returned the smirk.

***

Just before dawn, Night Shadow retreated to Canterlot after being assured by Redflare that he could cover the remaining hours of his patrols, allowing Night to rest on the overnight returning express.

Having dozed off sitting upright with his hooves crossed in one of the coaches, Night jolted himself awake when he found himself falling forwards as the train lurched to a stop. He scrambled to keep his balance, stumbling on all fours with wide-eyes and looking all around him after being abruptly awoken.

Yawning quietly, he stood up straight, exiting the train and into the cold early morning air, a thin fog covering the plateau Canterlot was built upon. Moving out onto the streets after crossing through the station building, he found them to be eerily silent with only one or two ponies in sight.

Remembering the time and day, he recognized it was rather prodigious for Canterlot to not have the early-morning bustle it usually did on the weekdays, despite the brisk temperatures and temporal strong breezes that whisked through the higher elevations.

But the strangest thing of all was the faint scent of smoke. Not the type that came from a bonfire or a fireplace, nor from a train, or even a structure burning down. This was a new scent, and there was no sign of where it was coming from.

Forcing himself to shrug it off, Night continued on his way back to the palace, passing Valiant Charge as he replaced the night guards in his spot on his entry through the front gates.

He had reached his quarters in no time, the eerie, smoky stench lingering even in his apartment. Was it attached to his body? Perhaps I'm due for a shower, he pondered, and he did just that, stripping off his armor and hopping under the steamy water to ease his muscles from any minor aches he might have had.

By the time he stepped out and had his coat and mane fully dried, the smell was still there. It wasn't him after all. It couldn't have been, either. Redflare wasn't burning that evening. Worse yet, the smell was gradually becoming stronger. Stepping out onto his balcony and almost instantly regretting it when a strong, freezing gust struck his side, there was still no sign of the scent's origin.

The morning surpassed, Night having remained wide awake with the aid of some coffee from the palace kitchen. Resuming work, he stopped by an office where one of Celestia's workers had been hoof-printing geographical maps that finally included Night's home town, both the surface and the parts built on a cluster of clouds, including topographic maps and other types that showed off the area, all of which were to be brought to Princess Celestia.

Carrying the numerous rolled-up long pieces of paper into the situation room, it was quite the shock to him to find Princess Celestia and Princess Luna seated around the glass table along with a few high-ranking guards. Night paused at the door, saluting and bowing.

"Night!" Luna gasped softly with surprise. "Please, do come in."

Night's suspicion grew by the moment as he entered the windowless room with guards in each corner, and a large map of Equestria placed on the farthest wall from the door. He laid the maps down on a separate desk, stepping up to the table.

"What's the matter, your highnesses?"

"I am afraid there is terrible news, Captain. Terrible news originating from the city of Batsburg."

"My home town?" Night's eyes opened wide. He was more than awake now. "What happened?!"

Celestia glanced to Luna, who nodded once, and turned her attention to Night. "A nearby volcano has erupted and is blanketing much of the northwest region of the country with ash and debris."

"We are afraid nopony is able to access the area for evacuations because the train lines have been blocked. Vanhoover is unaffected, aside from occasional earth tremors, but over all, Canterlot and other northern cities are preparing for the smog as the winds push the cloud east," Luna explained.

Night's ears pinned back, his heart racing fearfully as his forehooves spread apart. "My... my family!"

"Captain, please, take a seat. We will talk about this situation further—"

Before Celestia could finish, Night had darted back out the door he came.

"Night, wait!" Luna shouted, her hoof outreaching. His intentions were all too clear now.

"Guards, stop him!" Celestia ordered, the guards springing to action to grab Night and hold him back, but it was too late. Night had gone out the door, and was now zipping through the hallways to leave the castle and head west.

His family was in grave danger.

Author's Note:

Well, this chapter went from happy to dark in... however long it takes you guys to read it.

Hopefully once more Redflare doesn't seem too OP. Again, I didn't create Redflare, so I didn't come up with his backstory.

To be continued in chapter 14...

Comments

[Magic Step]

It was every mare's worst nightmare, finding clothing they admire and want, but cannot wear it.

Is this the nightmare that's returning?

Well, looks like Luna's wish for dragon sets came true.

Yay, Phillip! Squee squee squee-

Oh, uh, dark stuff happens.

I... think?

Actually I'm not that scared right now. I don't understand what's so bad about a bunch of ash. Here I was worried you were going to make the volcano's lava hit a town or something... instead it's just ash?

Hope you don't kill any of Night's family to prove something. They've lived through so much up to this point, it'll just feel... arbitrary if you decide that they die in this catastrophe. But you were just talking about how old Night's dad is getting, so... I guess you were setting his death up?

[Valiant Charge]

This just got tense.

[SageBrony07]

Intense. Good chapter.